We’ve arrived! Melbourne, Australia | The Escapades of Pookie and Allan

We had to take two flights before we would arrive at our destination – Melbourne, Australia – first to Dallas with United and then the almost 18 hour flight to Melbourne on Qantas. We did have turbulence upon leaving Jersey, and even the pilot was surprised that it was so rough, but he was able to get above the storm and the rest of the flight was uneventful.

The flight with Qantas was wonderful. We had plenty to eat, were given soft PJ’s with a kangaroo on them to sleep in if we so desired, and the flight crew was amazing, bringing us extra drinks and food whenever we asked. I requested a glass of wine and a cheese plate in the middle of the night, and it was delivered with a smile.

With 18 hours to keep myself busy, I watched movies and read. Of course, I had to watch my favorite movie – Dirty Dancing, which I’ve seen about 100 times. Just love it! And Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was another oldie but goodie that made the time pass by.

And, I probably got about 7 hours sleep. It’s so nice to be able to stretch out in a comfy bed. The flight attendant even put a nice cushion cover on top of the bed and so along with the pillow and blanket, it was lights out!

At the end of the flight we met another traveler, Debbie, who is in our group and it was nice to be together and get to know each other.

Our hotel is in a convenient location to the tram as well as to the shops, etc. and our room is very nice, with an almost floor to ceiling window that overlooks the city. We took a shower after checking into our room and then went with our new friend for a walk over to the South Melbourne Market, that was recommended for us to visit by one of our flight attendants. On the way to the market, we passed the Melbourne Heliport, where I was lucky to catch one of the choppers as it took off into the sun. It reminded me of a Miss Saigon poster.

We arrived at the market, where you could purchase anything and everything from vegetables and fruit, to knick knacks, pastries, meats, fish, rugs, shoes, clothing, and so much more! And….you could even get your hair cut and styled. It was 1-stop shopping. There were also a lot of kiosks to purchase food but it was 9 am and we really weren’t hungry as we had already eaten breakfast on the plane.

People are very friendly here and one lady stopped to ask if we needed help as she saw us trying to decipher our map and she kindly pointed the way to the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Kings Domain.

The Royal gardens feature more than 8,500 species of plants from around the world and many were still in bloom. There are many statues throughout the garden honoring the soldiers who fought in WWI.

I was very moved seeing the Australian Turkish Friendship monument and reading the inscription surrounding it. The sculpture is shaped as a crescent made from interwoven steel. It honors the soldiers who died in the conflict and poppy flowers can be placed into the steel filigree. In front of the wreath are two seed pods symbolizing the future and friendship. The inscription reads “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives – You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us, where they lay side by side. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives, they are now our sons as well “.

We walked by the Shrine of Remembrance built to honor the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I. It now functions as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war. and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.

We went into the Galleries of Remembrance which is housed under the Shrine, and presents the stories of Australians in wartime for more than 100 years. The Gallery of Medals symbolizes the sacrifice of men and women by displaying 4,000 war medals in glass cases.

We went into the crypt where the ships lost at sea are commemorated in bronze and in the center of the crypt is a statue of a father and son, honoring the courage of the two generations who fought in the two world wars.

We had a beverage and a little rest in the Gallery coffee shop before we walked along the Yarra river and went to Federation Square and had a bite to eat outside the National Gallery of Victoria which we might visit tomorrow.

We went back to the hotel to rest up before dinner. Allan and I had a glass of wine in the lounge before meeting up with Debbie and we all walked to Chinatown to find the Chinese restaurant that was recommended to us – Shanghai Street. We found it…and the line wove around the corner to get in and didn’t seem to be moving, so we popped in to another restaurant across the street and had bento boxes. The meal was okay, different food items from what I am used to, but we were hungry and tired so we ate and walked back to the hotel.

Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city with beautiful architecture, a young vibe, and a city beat. As we strolled back to our hotel, we saw people eating dinner at sidewalk eateries enjoying the beautiful evening, greeting friends at bars where the music within floated out to the people passing by, or just walked companionably side by side, pausing to listen to the street performers singing and playing instruments. The streets were crowded and everyone seemed happy and full of life.

We were exhausted, so we bid Debbie a good night and Allan and I went to our room and plopped into bed.

We’ll leave the Melbourne nightlife experience for another evening.