Melbourne Day 2

So day 1 finished with dinner with Matt and sharing disastrous date stories. Matt got embroiled in an Internet dating game between two crazy sheilas. Unbeknown to him the winner was the first one to get him in the sack. He dated them both and kissed one of them, the other rang him up to hurl abuse because he didn't kiss her! He replied 'well you didn't ask' lol and then blew them both out for being mentalist nutjobs. Matt's wife left him on Valentine's Day in 2010, she wanted him to be thinking of her on VD even when he has moved on and is in a relationship with somebody else, another psycho bird. Why did she leave him in the first place? Because he had just lost his business so couldn't afford to take her to Paris for their 20th wedding anniversary, what a mercenary bitch. He is still in love with her though, he didn't say as much but I can tell by the way he speaks of her. Her friends alternate between saying he must be gay because he hasn't got a new bird or that he is too happy to be single. Matt is just one of those smiley, happy, shiny people. Methinks he is better off without the missus, she sounds like a bit of a mood hoover and a tad shallow. Still who am I to judge? I guess there are always two sides.

Day 2 started with another city walk, this time exploring Melbourne's lanes or allies and arcades to you and me. The only other city I know of with 'lanes' is Brighton, the thought of which makes me very blusome indeed as I associate Brighton with heart breakingtons:(

Below is Degraves Street it is awash with fancy eateries. The 1920's building at the end of the street is called Majorca Building.

This steel framed building is called Centre Way, it is full of really diddy bars and cafes which have a maximum occupancy in single figures, how they eek out a living I will never know.

Block Arcade is a famous 19th century arcade, it is very ornate with its glass ceiling and mosaic floor. 

This is Gog and Magog, legendary giants of the ancient Britons that have guarded the clock face since 1892.

This is Royal Arcade built in 1862, I had the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted here in a chocolatiers called Koko Black's.

I liked this building, it's the post office.

These are old Victorian warehouses on Niagara Street, they are now fancy apartments.

This is Manchester Lane so obviously I had to take a photo.

The walk was supposed to take one and a half hours but I spent at least double that taking tea and hot chocolate stops in quaint cafes and rummaging through quirky shops.

In the afternoon I went to Victoria's National Gallery, called The Ian Potter Centre which just makes me think of Harry and wizardry. As usual I have taken photos of things that caught my attention  so that I can share. The ground floor was dedicated to indigenous art.

And the rest of the artwork was more about the settlers, to be honest nothing really blew me away and I much preferred the gallery in Saigon.

This painting is of Swanson Street from the bridge over River Yarra...

And this is what it looks like today.

I liked this 'man in cork hat', I will call him Bruce.

And this is Saul and David, were they father and son from the old testament?

 

This one is called 'Kangaroo Dreams'

And this 'The Cricketer', taken as I only just found out that England won The Ashes, when did we get good at cricket?

I can't remember what this one was called but it was my favourite painting in the whole gallery.

And these chaps are kinda cute.

???? I'm not really getting this but it caught my attention.

This is Hogwarts from the outside, all very modern...

  

And this is Federation Square, the centre of everything.

These last three pictures are of the Victorian Performance Centre. I was picked up here at 7am the following day to embark on my Groovy Grape tour to Adelaide.

So it was an early night for Adi lady eating ready meals, drinking wine and watching TV with hosty Matt. He drove me to the station the next day at 6.00am, now that is above and beyond or possibly he just wanted to be rid of the pesky pommie chick lol. The cold is still making me happy, I'm sooo thrilled to be rid of eau de mouldy meat pie:)