No blogging in Melbourne

Sorry no blogging in Melbourne, too much rushing about keeping up with the young people.  Basically here to give the van its first service out at Caravan Land in Bayswater.  Also to become Victorians, register the car, get Vic licences and enrol to vote here - not to mention hit the shops and drink coffee. Stayed at our apartment in Southbank with Lian, who is our tenant as well as daughter. Also saw son Wim who has just moved here to Brunswick, another inner city suburb. This is the view from the bridge 5 mins walk from our place.

Went to pub Trivia with Lian, Matt, Noah and a few of their friends on our first night. There were almost no old-fogey questions, so we did not feel we contributed very much. Heroic Fail, our team (Dingo Ate My Babby) came 9th of 12 teams, losing to a team of smart young postgraduates, Olivia Neutron Bomb, or was it Olivia Newton's Wrong....something like that.

Some piccies of our Melbourne place. This is the square across the road from our apartment, David and Lian en route to The Shops. You can see Flinders St station just on the other side of the river. David bought a new man-bag, a very stylish Crumpler http://www.crumpler.com/AU/Casual-and-Messenger-Bags/Messenger-Bags/Quarfie.html?SKU=QU13A in black lined with lime green. Then off to the sales and bought two woollen jumpers, a red v-neck and a spiffy Rodd and Gunn in olive green. Quite the metrosexual these days, my man. Even trimmed his beard for that just unshaved look.

The apartment is in this complex, built around a 19thC Bondstore. It is next door to the landmark Eureka Tower.http://www.google.com.au/images?q=eureka+tower&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=DIcwTPvPAoGgkQXryo2DBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CEwQsAQwBA

In the garden courtyard of the complex. Our apartment is to the right of this picture at the same level, which is up one floor from the street level.  The courtyard is full of birds, I saw a lorikeet there this time, and you wake up to birdsong, amazing in this location. The apartment has its own courtyard on three sides, with ferns, clivia jasmine, even a lemon tree. But basically no sun, the price you pay for living surrounded by skyscrapers....

The foyer. Pool and gym through the smoked glass doors, and the Bondstore coffee shop behind where I am standing to take the photo. http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/the_bond_store/

While we were there, David made plastic window inserts so we can have light and no wind in the caravan. Suki was Very Interested. She is a commuter cat, visits here in her designer carry bag from her now official residence at Matt's place.

It was lovely to get our hands on a cat...