Melbourne: This & That II

As we did yesterday, after spending time at NGV — this time Australia — we headed off on a meandering stroll … on our way to lunch.

Across the street from the Ian Potter Center is Graffiti Alley, so we detoured to walk through there. An edgy sort of place. The Main Street was filled with tourists, but the side alleys were … well, let’s just say that we didn’t wander too far down them once we glimpsed the goings on there.

On our flight from Burnie to Melbourne on the 6th, we got to talking with the purser on our flight. She’s based out of Melbourne and was kind enough to write up a number of restaurant recommendations. Initially, we were going to go to the Spanish tapas place she recommended, but the South Melbourne Markets were closed today. So, we went to Il Solito Posto, an Italian restaurant on the list instead. She did not steer us wrong! The food was delicious; the service good and friendly.

Then, off to explore a bit more … and walk-off the delicious tiramisu that we had as dessert.

Melbourne has a great tram system. A large section of the CBD is designated as the free zone. Hop on, hop off at will … no tapping necessary. So, the MyKi cards we picked up when we were here in January stayed in the wallet and we didn’t have to add money to them during this short stay.

While a number of tram lines run within the free zone, #35 is designated the City Circle Tram and makes the entire circuit clockwise in about an hour. We didn’t stay on for the entire ride, opting to get off at the Docklands for a stroll on the promenade. Then, we hopped on #70, got off at Market Street, and crossed the Yarra River via Queen’s Bridge. Strolling along the Southbank Promenade for a while, we recrossed the river at Prince’s Bridge for the walk back to the apartment. A delightful afternoon walk … on a day with delightful weather … comfy temps and plenty of sunshine.

Thus we brought our time in Melbourne to a close. Tomorrow we pick up our caravan and begin our second road trip … this one on the mainland.Read more