Metcards are great
Checked-out this morning to make our way over to day one of our 'burbs stay. Not really the suburbs, but not in the city either, so you decide.
Got to Flinders St Station, my Metcard was playing funny buggers again, so I queued for 10 minutes before being givena form to fill in for replacement tickets. Maybe later.
Made it to the platform in time and across to Victoria Park to drop off my gear and have a rest... Damn hot today! Maxed out at 35C at 2pm.
After some light refreshments I had a wander around the area, trying to familiarise myself. I know there's a Coles somewhere, I'll track that down later though... I ended up on the Yarra Trail. That was peaceful. Reminds me very much of where I live in Perth; we are opposite the Swan and can walk up and down to our hearts content.
I managed to find my way home again and after some more refreshments I took off for Fitzroy Gardens and St. Patricks Cathedral.
The gardens were great. Nice and relaxing, and offered some respite to the weather. Took lots of photos of things in the park; sculpture, flowers, mushrooms.
St. Patricks was somewhere I wanted to have a closer look at since the first night we drove by on the way to our apartment. I actually made it back there, and was suitably impressed. Honestly, if you live in Melbourne and have never been here, then go. The architecture is amazing; high vaulted ceilings, great stained glass, tracery windowns, the lot. Not only was it because of the façade that I wanted to stop by, but also because back home I have just started a restoration contract on St.
After St. Pats, I made my way through the city doing nothing. A friend from Perth rang and said asked me where I was because he was thinking about coming around.
"I'm in Melbourne"
"Oh, ok... where's that?"
"Err... the East coast of Australia"
"Ok, I think I'll still come around though"
Don't ask me what he'd been injecting.
I eventually rocked up at Flinders St Station again with my replacement form. The woman at the counter traded me 6 tickets for my defunct card, but I made her give me 7 since I was already valid until 3am today and had to get back on the train to get home.
Home again now, and T has gone out with a work-mate that is over here... I got the impression that I wasn't wanted, so stayed here to type these up. She has sms'd me though...
"There's a chick on the train with a Paris Hilton dog in her handbag"
There's that Melbourne fashion again.
And now, word on the street is, a tram has broken down and is blocking all other trams to Federation Square... Have I mentioned how the trams blow here?
Superb vaulted celings, impressive stained glass. Expansive internally and exceptional externally.
If you're Catholic, you must. If you're interested in architecture or intricate stone carving, you must.
Quality craftsmanship.
A few things went wrong that you don't expect at a 4.5 star hotel. They had us checking out a day early, even though on arrival I confirmed all the dates on record. And when we came home later than day, out electronic key wouldn't work - probably because they hadn't altered our check-out date in the system. And on check-out day - check-out time being 10am - we were harassed by housekeeping at 9:40am about having our room cleaned.
Also, the room rate of $150-300 per night (depending on room) is excessive. It is a self-contained apartment, with cooker, etc. But a little pricey for what it is. The design is interesting and avante garde, but not practical. This is particularly evident in the bathroom with the basin, and the kitchen with the faucet.
Positives are the location. Very close to everything, being on Collins St. You are midway between Flinders St Station and Southern Cross Station. A short walk to Bourke St. And obviously, everything else is close as well.
