Monday, 5 December

Sailing Back to Sydney

Today is the final day of this 28-day cruise, and I will be very busy packing and cleaning out the junk from my stateroom. I am not as far behind in posting as usual, but I may still have to cover the final days and traveling home after I get back to Tucson.

After one sea day from Kangaroo Island, the Westerdam reached Melbourne on time during a late spring heat wave--temperatures in the low 90s F over the next two days. Because of the heat and the 45-minute tram ride from the pier to the CBD, I decide to spend the overnight in Melbourne at a hotel, using frequent flyer miles to pay for the night.

Saturday, 3 December 2022

Melbourne, Australia (1)

This morning I am booked on a shore excursion that will allow me to stay in the CBD at the end of the tour, rather than returning to the ship. Of course, that means toting a heavy shoulder bag with the stuff I will need for overnight; but I manage it along with my camera and other touring necessities.

The three-hour walking tour explores the arcades and alleyways of Melbourne, one of the most fascinating aspects of the city. Since the middle of the 19th century, shopping arcades have been developed (and are still being developed) in all parts of the city, and delivery alleyways have been transformed into trendy locations for shops, local artists' displays, restaurants, and more coffee shops per square foot than I have seen anywhere else in the world--and I have seen a lot of coffee shops in a lot of places.

Fortunately, it's a pretty small tour group and our local guide meets us at the pier. We begin with a short walk to the tram stop and hop on for the ride into the CBD. Melbourne has the most-extensive tram network in the world, with trams running in every direction on every major street, at five to ten minute intervals, and extending way out into the suburbs. What's especially great is that within the large CBD, all the trams are free (and, therefore, very crowded).

Exiting the tram at the busy center of the city, we explore a significant number of arcades and alleyways, ending at a coffee and pastry shop for included refreshment.

A Typical Modern Tram

The First Alleyway We Visit (above and three photos below)

View of Early Modern High-Rise from Alleyway

Not Exactly the Belgian Waffle I Had at Expo 2020 in
Dubai One Year Ago (Link Back at the Bottom of
the Page)

Flinders Street Railway Station

Melbourne Folk Like to Meet "Under the Clocks"

Our Tour Guide in Front of the Cathedral

The Cathedral Arcade Across the Street
(above and two photos below)

Local Kitschy Street Art (above and below)

Entrance to "The Block," Melbourne's Most Popular 19th-Century Arcade
(Interior Shown in Two Photos Below)

More Alleyway Local Art

Refreshments (with Cappuccino) at the End of the Tour

And finally, a fitting alleyway tribute:

The Sign (above)--the Reality (below)

This has been a very long entry with lots of photos. I think I am avoiding packing--but I don't have to put my bags outside my stateroom until midnight, and it's only just after noon right now. If you're lucky I'll do another Melbourne blog later today, or you will have to wait until tomorrow.