Fitzroy

It was time for another break from the non-stop activity. So, we opted out of traveling to the Great Ocean Road, but the more relaxed pace of today was worth it. The drive would have taken three to four hours one-way, and we will have another four-hour drive tomorrow, on top of a four-hour flight, with another early wake-up call. We also had a flat tire yesterday, so the thought of driving that many miles without a spare would not have been too comforting.

Of course, there is plenty to do in Melbourne. We checked-out an area of town called Fitzroy, which is also very "bohemian" and a haven for those who love ethnic food.

In a few short blocks, we found Vietnamese, Italian, Afghan, Somali, Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Greek and Middle-Eastern restaurants, and I'm sure there are a lot more varieties. Eric picked the place for us, a Basque restaurant by the not very welcoming name "Naked for Satan".

It was actually a very good eatery, so named because the owner was nicknamed Satan and he used to distill his own vodka, mostly in the nude, because of the oppressive heat. There were four levels to this eclectic place, including a roof-top where you could dine overlooking Fitzroy and a handsome view of downtown Melbourne.

This district is also laden with street art, but having subjected you already to an entire post of Graffiti (alas, read only by four individuals (sigh)), I will limit myself to depicting only two, one of which (the praying mantis) being my absolute favorite.

Eric spent the afternoon visiting the Melbourne Museum, an immense building devoted to Natural and Cultural History. We would have enjoyed seeing it, as well, but Diane was intent on picking up an Australian Nativity Scene for her collection. We had read that there was a place that was open until 5 PM, but we discovered, after getting there, that it only applies October through December, so after missing out on the Great Ocean Road, we also missed out on seeing the museum, which is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Well, no worries, the grounds around the museum are stupendous to walk about, adjacent to Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building, from where there are also good viewpoints of the city.

For the sake of brevity, I'll cut the rest of the day short. Dinner at Pacino's in Doncaster, and then home for well deserved rest. I had posted a picture of the view of the nature reserve behind our rental home, but I had no idea until tonight that our back-yard has a gate that opens right onto it. It was a most idyllic and peaceful area to enjoy a stroll and close out our Melbourne sojourn.

Where are we heading tomorrow? Hopefully you'll visit the blog and find out.