Well G'day to all!!

It has been an awfully long time since I was last on here. I have attempted to check out the messages board but had 'technical difficulties' and am now up and running. So here is a blog for Melbourne, I know it should have been written a while ago.... and I am aware that I would be berated for a paragraph or two since it has taken me so long....so let me first give you a little history I picked up on the way.....

The city was developed due to a surge in urbanisation which occurred in the nineteenth century. Influences were taken from cities such as Sydney, San Francisco and Seattle to name a few (not massively sure why Seattle would have left an imprint!). The city began as a legal settlement and was meticulously planned to mirror the modern capitalist structures and ideas of that time. The city, although busy, does pull off the idea of 'spatial awareness' so a visitor feels as though there is room not only upwards but around themself as well. This city was not predetermined any yet it seems to have catered to the needs of todays environment successfully. I do not know if the city was not expected to develop as it did, or if there was a shortage of money before the gold discoveries which attracted young, enterprising settlers, but the first church erected was made of wood! Once the building was constructed it opened for worship in 1837 and the whole enterprise was aided by the first subscriber to the fund.....John Batman. You see you knew church information would not be in there without good reason!

So on the 21st of October, 1841 the settlement of Melbourne was divided into four areas which was supposed to assist elections of commissioners who managed the markets. The internal boundaries of the four 'wards' were the lines of Elizabeth Street (there is always one of them) and Bourke Street and the lines of these streets were extended to reach the outer regions of what is now Melbourne. I could say more but I am sure its not the exciting and Bourke Street is where my adventure began so I will start there......

So I hopped off the tram on Bourke Street where I went for food at an Italian restaurant. The owner was Arabic and the staff were Lebanese, Greek, Arabic and I think that there was even a German lurking somewhere near the cold cabinet. It was chilly, I was poorly and the food was hot and tasty so I did not speculate on the authenticity of the staff! I met a lovely girl who I got into a conversation with and it turned out there were many similarities between us so I made a friend there...would you believe it.....Greek. It made me feel at home! From there I stopped into Pellegrini's Espresso Bar which the the archetypal Melbourne coffe bar with the fabulous smell, no space and long stools...you know the type, people walk by and watch you drinking your coffee....I then proceeded to find on of the bast book sotres I have even been in. It had everything that I needed and so many rare books I would have loveld to buy. The shop had an easy going Australian crooner in the background and the shop was not the kind I would expect in a bustling metropolis. There is a Johnny Depp film called 'The Ninth Gate' and one of the shops in the film was like this one, although without the devils presence, eerily off putting music or in fact Johnny himself. Not very like it after all I suppose.

I was staying with a friend, who for the purposes of ease shalt from this moment forth be known as Ryan. We had drinks in a place called the Transport Hotel which has great views of Flinders Street Station, St Pauls Cathedral and Federation Square. We went to Federation sqaure in the day time so I could take some pictures and you cannot really be in Melbourbe without finding yourself there at some point.

We found ourselves walking along the waterside at Southgate which has a mulitude of resaurants, bars, performers, galleries etc and walked around to the The Exhibition Centre and the National Gallery where the Guggenheim collection was being exhibited. It was here that we listened to a talk or something rather more lively than a talk, the subject matter being the abuse of indigenous people, cultural differences and ways to assist the familites affected by this injustice. Speakers commented on the way in which The Australian Government have (surprisingly) managed not to alleviate this situation but to make it far worse and cause both friction and extensive damage to communties both now and in the past. The soap box is in the cupboard though.....

So the gallery was cool. In the entrance there was not only a waterfall type wall, but televisions strategically placed in amongst plants and bushes, the contrasting colours and technology were mixed in an unusual way but it was vivid and so eye catching that someone got a promotion for that idea! This idea was echoed throughout rooms of the gallery and there were traditional rooms as well. Some very beautiful pieces in there were mixed with total poop in my opinion but it is just that. Oh I better skip on a bit.......

We went to Federation Square, walked along the Yarra, went to AC/DC street. Not an area where one can indulge in all kinds of behaviour but a little head up to the guys for all their good work. Those who want some information on 'that' kind of club can speak to me later. Or you can sniff them out for yourself, easy enough to do. Or so I am told, Mum.

I saw a movie and I went to the shopping areas such as Collins Street, I had time at the Vicorian Arts Centre where I took a picture or two. We went to Lygos Street that is popular for food and it has pleanty choice, as does everywhere else in Melbourne. We went to St. Kilda which I could write lots on but you should all just go and have alook for yourselves. It was beautiful, lots of boutiques, coffee houses, gourmet cake and chocolate shops, people posing, quirky stores you name it. It is lovely. We went for a wlk along the pier and there is history there but you should check it out. Interestingly enough the pier at St Kilda was myseriously destroyed on the 11th of September. The annihilation of the pier aparently left the community stunned and financially affected as there had never been an occurrence like it. The feeling of the people there were that, 'it felt like something died in the residents'......how uncanny.

I met some of Ryans friends for dinner at Fringe (and Ryan too)which has the most difficult door ever.....or so it would seem. It was lovely and the food was fantastic although they did not have pancakes! 'All-day' what? I then spent some time with a girl from Edinburgh called Lucy who was great and I had a brilliant night with her. The night was fabulous besides the 70 year old who was lurking with intent. There are a couple of resident ageing lotharios, who can be found frequenting various locations so watch out!

I have gone on long enough so I will wind it up just now and see if I can do photos on here. There is more if anyone wants to know but I expect the masses are fed up now......!!

So theres some info about some of my Melbourne experience, hope you enjoy. More fun to follow next week so stay tuned....or maybe sleep, shower and eat in the meantime.

Shaznay Xx