Wednesday 21st. In Melbourne

The LLW took some rousing this morning so our breakfast was later than those in Perth. The lady who showed us our table engaged me in a conversation about the differences in flat whites in England compared to Australia. I careful avoided telling her that the best flat whites are served in New Zealand.

Our hotel, the Intercontinental is based within one of Melbourne's oldest and most famous buildings, The Rialto and the interior of the building is quite amazing as I hope you can see from the photos below.

Off for a wander around the city, firstly walking along Collins Street to the Block Arcade which has the most beautiful mosaic floors and has a very Victoria feel.

We crossed then Yarra river and strolled along the south bank which we have not visited on our previous trip to Melbourne. It very much reminded us of the south bank in London with concert halls, art galleries and numerous restaurants. Since that first visit, the city has grown and modern architecture is much more apparent.

The next photo may seem a very odd one to include so I need to explain. Australians drive on the left as we do and our chauffeur from the airport, explained that Melbourne is the only city in the world where, if you wish to turn right, you pull across to the left. Then driver stops in a designated area and when the traffic is stopped by red lights on the road on which you are driving, you can then turn right. The black car and the silver one behind are doing exactly this and at the same time getting a strange look from the cyclist. It seems to work but it must be a nightmare for visiting motorists who may not be aware of the system.

In the afternoon, the LLW wanted to do some legal work so I was sent off cycling. I walked down to Batman Park where Blue Tongue Bikes were located. No idea why they have that name! I avoided calling the assistant Robin and he spotted that my water bottle had the name of a Lanzarote bike hire shop on it and quickly explained that he was Spanish, from Malaga, and had only been in Melbourne for 4 weeks. We discussed what was the best cycle route for a 2 hour ride and he recommended the Yarra valley trail. All of the bridges over the Yarra river are either pedestrian/cyclists only or have segregated sections alongside the roads. I cycled over the river onto the south bank and managed to weave my way in and out of the throngs of pre Christmas revellers without any mishap. After about a mile it quietened down and I cycled past various boathouses for Universities and Schools in Melbourne. Next I passed the MCG and the sporting complex that was built for the 1956 Olympics. Shortly after that the river bank became more rural and I was slightly disconcerted to see several “beware of the snakes” signs. Luckily no snakes were encountered and after just short of a hour I reached the town of Burnley. Time to turn around and retrace my cycling. No sign of snakes on the return journey either and I soon was back on the bustling south bank. Back to the hotel for a short rest and then we walked into the centre to find a suitable venue for dinner. One of the famous foodie streets in Melbourne is that of Hardware Lane which is lined with bustling restaurants and cafes. One of the newest and trendiest  one is known as Rice, Paper, Scissors (RPC) and is based upon the style of Asian Street Food. The LLW decided that this was the chosen venue and we enjoyed an excellent and very varied mixture of stir fries, curries and salads with, notably good, Malaysian Rotis.