Shadowing

It's a very busy time here in Tribes and I haven't got around to blogging the end of the Adelaide trip.  As scheduled, I spent the last few days with The Floosie at Encounter Bay.  Fortunately she has blogged about my stay so you can catch it here .

And, if you keep up with the Floosie's adventures, you'll see she went to Melbourne.  Well so did I about a week later.

Georgia and I went to see Ella's end-of-year exhibition but our more imminent need was banh mi for lunch.  Lugging our bags around the city in the rain, and being babes in the wood, it took us some time but we found a great little place just before the lunch hour rush.  To my glee, softshell crab banh mi was on the menu.  Beyond my wildest dreams!

With tummies full and lips tingling, we set off to find our hotel, encountering some paranoia inducing messages along the way.

Our destination was The Miami Hotel in West Melbourne.  It is basic but met our needs perfectly, and we could walk to it from Spencer Street Station - though we  had taken the long way.  After settling in, we explored our new neighbourhood.

Being the nerds we are, we had a look at the local library and Georgia reminded me that she had recommended this book, so I now have a hold on it at our Tassie library.

We also loved the colour and vibrancy of this part of Melbourne.  Being a little tired by now, we fortified ourselves with a nice lie down in our hotel room, then set off by tram to meet Ella under the clocks.  It was still wet and windy and we were early so I showed off my local knowledge and suggested bubbly at Young and Jackson's, a place I had been introduced to early in my romance with Georgia's father.

We found Chloe and, enroute, saw the cocktail menu and switched from bubbles to Sidecars.

A happy decision.  Sidecars are very much part of my history.  My parents had a motorbike and loved travelling to Wales on it.  Just before Mum died she veered in and out of reality. My sister reported in a text message '...then she's off to Wales on the motorbike, eating gooseberries with Dad at Conwy Castle and all's well again.'  I have the same love of motorbikes and the exhilaration.  When I was born, they bought a sidecar.

Georgia appeared to enjoy her Sidecar too.  Ella and her uncles arrived.

They very kindly shouted us a superb Italian meal in Lygon Street.  Later we shared a tram to the city

then George and I braved the elements to walk back to the hotel.

The next day we met Ella under the clocks and headed for the Pierre Bonnard Exhibition at NGV.

As a Friend of Triabunna Reserves I was enthralled by these moonwalking neon birds on St Kilda Road outside the NGV.  How fabulous to have something like this at the entrance to each Triabunna Reserve!

first glance at the exhibition

Georgia and Ella critique

Having no knowledge of art techniques, available paints, art history, etc, I enveloped myself in the story and lifestyle of the painter and his muse / wife, and the beauty of the paintings and exhibition decor.  The Bonnards loved dogs and were seldom seen without one.  I got engrossed in the biographic movie at the end of the exhibition, and then in the Gallery Shop.  Philistine.

Georgia and Ella leave the NGV

and off to lunch at a sushi train

Ella had to be back at uni for 1.30pm so we made our separate ways.  George and I had a bit of a look at some shops

then returned to The Miami for a little rest.  I attempted a Bonnard style domestic Still Life

and a 'view from the window'

without great success.  Then it was back into the city by tram, the now requisite Sidecar at Y&J

and a bite to eat at tiny Iraqi restaurant we found down an alleyway.  A bit more shopping on the way home and another perfect day brought to a close.

Friday was our free day and, to our mutual astonishment, we both confessed to intending to go to St Kilda, so we went together.  I have to say St Kilda has seen its glory days but it was a good jaunt down memory lane and there are still cake shops.

After exhaustive window shopping we plumped for Le Bon Continental Cake Shop .  I was lured in by rhubarb shortbread.  Georgia had the raspberry vanilla slice.  You can see that we had also bought  some flowers for Ella's  Big Night.  A little later we discovered a great book shop and a tantalising gem shop.

 

Back in the city, George wanted to show me the State Library.  I'm so glad she did.  It is a mesmerising building.  Sadly I couldn't help but see carrot sticks radiating from a bowl of hummus, though few seem to share my vision.

Just time for a final Sidecar, 

then back to the hotel to swank up a bit to be chauffeured to  Ella's exhibition by Uncle Keith.

Sam, Ella and Georgia doing something weird

Ella's work on display

Ella's amazing Alice in Wonderland book

We left Ella to do studenty things, and we four went to get some tapas style food somewhere.  Georgia and I were totally lost by this time.  I also had my first glass of absinthe, which may have contributed.

The next morning we ate a hearty breakfast at our new found favourite breakfast and juice place, then ambled along to Spencer Street Station to catch the airport bus.

saying goodbye

to the strange beauty

of the city.

Of course, no holiday of mine would be complete without catching  up with a demonstration.  Despite being curious as to its nature, we walked on, boarded the Airporter easily and arrived at the airport in plenty of time.