It's all Greek to me

Our second day in Melbourne was designed to be a quite easy so we trammed it in again after another stomach busting (free!) breakfast and went on one of our free printed walking tours to explorer Collin St (Mayfair equivalent), China Town and Greek Quarters.  I was surprised to hear that Melbourne has the third most populated Greek population after Athens and Thessaloniki!  So naturally we indulged some souvlaki which was bloody huge and tasty.

Then we once again visited the arcades and really took them in this time.  They are a little like the lanes in Brighton. Artsy, alternative and pretty koooooool.  Ame needed a power nap again so we went back to hotel for a little rest.  That eve it was down to St Kilda to see the sea and a little to see what all the fuss is about.  A lot of the hostels are down there so I wanted to go and see where the cool kids hang out.  So we got the tram down there and I was very impressed

with how beautiful the promenades were.  It seems to be a mix.  Get 'em in cheap places next to very posh nosh joints and bars.  We had a nice leisurely beer in one of the promenade bars (well it would have to be leisurely at $8 a half pint of beer...) surrounded by the good looking people of the world.  Don't you hate them?!! 

I really wanted to go check out the Esplanade Hotel as it is a old hotel where a lot of gigs happen.  Predictably it was choka with crazy kids (drinking water and sharing chips because they obviously are broke - I know the exchange rate is bad but Oz is still surprisingly expensive for beers).  We enjoyed the sunset and some really nice won ton soup.  Despite feeling we could stay for some bands, we felt like we were going to pass out.  Jet lag is still there a little, so it was home to bed, and get ready for the Phillip Island trip tomorrow.  Private penguin viewings, here we come!!!

Say no to Puffing Billy

I thought it was time I made an entry as Rob's titles are making me cringe (says I). I've been feeling a bit lazy as I haven't adjusted to the time change as quickly and so keep waking up at 5am and lying awake remembering all the things we haven't remembered to bring. (We were very pleased with ourselves for having light luggage but now I know why! Not that any of the things matter really, I only want them because I know I can't have them.)

But despite being slightly
under slept I am really enjoying Melbourne. Our hotel is an old Victorian mansion and I love the simple style of the rooms, am happy to share the bathrooms and am eating a hearty (free) peanut buttery breakfast. We're based in Richmond which is a little way out but nice and leafy.

Yesterday we walked into town and all around most of the city. We went to the
tourist centre for the obligatory maps and pamphlets, mingled with the suits in the CBD (central business district) and pretended to be cool over lunch in a boho cubby hole cafe in Centre Place amongst the street art.

Melbourne is a very good looking city. When you're walking into town it feels like you imagine Aus to be but in the city it feels like Manchester, maybe Toronto or San Francisco. Its easy to find your wayabout, there's lots to look at, there's a real buzz and people are friendly.

After three hours of walking that morning we decided to save the rest of the city for another day and went back to the tourist office to investigate trips. We booked into a trip to Phillip Island to see the little (Fairy) penguins on Saturday.

We decided to splash out and upgrade to a sand based viewing with a ranger rather than sitting in the theatre seating with everyone else (yes we do think we're special). In exchange for this extravagance that's the only trip we're going to do in Melbourne. I was hankering after a ride on "Puffing Billy" the steam train which you ride through the Dandenong mountains, however the lady in the booking centre noted that the trip also includes a visit to a farm for goat petting and I got the impression she thought we should prefer more grown up activities (how wrong she was). Nevertheless the expense of indulging the inner child got in the way and so I bravely resisted Puffin Billy (smug in the knowledge that we get to feed kangaroos on our penguin trip on sat).

After a short power nap we headed out again last night to a local bar/pub on Chapel Street called the Lucky Coq; a really relaxed bar with cheap $4 (quality) pizzas and fun local ales and good music. I'm really glad we did our research and didn't go into the centre for the eve as it felt we experienced real Melbourne rather than the usual city tourist package and then jumped on the tram back "home".

So today we're heading back into town after another large breakfast to take in some art and bit a bit cultural. It is nice and sunny today.

Melbourne Baby!

Good day there!  Throw another shrimp on that BBQ wouldcha old chap?  I'm a limmy Englishman in Oz.

After getting up at 04:30am GMT, 3 hour ride to Heathrow, 3 hours in Heathrow, 11 hours from London to Hong Kong, 1 hour in Hong Kong, 8 hours Hong Kong to Melbourne and a 30 minute taxi ride, I sit writing this in the Richmond Hotel in Melbourne!!!! 

The flights were good.  I think Qantas is really good.  We had good healthy food and between meals a snack bag!  Then on demand films (well on the first flight, the second flight they seemed to get into a tis but we were asleep so it wasn't too bad).   We had two seats right next to each other and had our own little den.  I slept a little and don't feel to bad right now.

Me and Ame are sitting in bed in our gorgeous (economy but lovely) hotel with a Victoria Beer and some crisps.

We're excited and ready to go...!

   
This is me in Hong Kong airport...

This is Amy with Hong Kong backgroundyness

Farewell Big Smoke, Hello Limbo

Saturday went suprisingly well considering the task we had at hand.  We were up at 7am to finish off where we left off on the Friday night.    Dad arrived 9:30am and it was all action stations...  More packing and then extensive cleaning.  A few back breaking box lifts and hey presto the flat is de-Amy-and-Rob-afied and ready for tenants for the Sunday.  You can see it looks a bit sparse but it's bloody clean!!  Probably cleaner than when we were living in it.  Quick easy drive down to Marks Tay just outside Colchester so we could fill up my mum and dad's caravan with 50% of our stuff.  It's like Fort Knox where they store it so it's brilliant.  The other 50% is piled up in a room in mum and dad's house.  All round it's very kind of them to take in our stuff and not use their caravan for 6 months!

So it was back to Colchester, lugging more stuff up stairs.  Then seeing Grandma,  then the little vampires came round (my nephew Tom and neice Livvy).  They were trick or treating.  I totally forgot it was halloween!  THEN, it was off to Sutton, Suffolk for a swanky come dine with me experience in Holly and Dan's new kitchen and dining room.  It was a 3 course meal there and more "BYE!  See you in 6 months" farewells.  Back in bed by 11:30pm in Colchester.  We certainly do pack a lot into a day. 

Flat-packed Flat

Everything is now in boxes.  I'm knackered.  Ame and me STILL haven't packed our travel stuff.  Oh well.  Prime task for tomorrow is slamming the door on London and getting back to good old Essex for a few days.  Pappa is coming with trailer the size of a horse box tomorrow morning!  Hopefully we won't fill it up.  Tenants move in on Sunday.  It's all worked out good touch wood.

So now it's time for an Oxford Gold and a chocolate pudding and enjoy the last hours in our flat for 6 months...

The case of the missing wallet

SOLVED! 

Thank God.  Miss Amy Coad managed to leave her purse in the Oxford on Saturday and because of the packing (and hangover) we didn't notice until this morning.  Slight panic as it had all her credit cards and driving licence in...  Luckly the manager at the Oxford had put it into their Safe.  Wallet is now back in (safe?!) Amy hands.  Disaster avoided...

And so it begins... nearly...

Hello and welcome to the blog à la Ame and Rob.

Yesterday was our London leaving do in good old Kentish Town (despite our leaving date being yet another bloooooming week away).  The trip is starting to feel a bit more real...

Really nice to see everyone.  Enjoyed the curry at Gulshan.  Then party upstairs in Oxford (pub).  I, of course, drank far too much and feel like absolute crap today.  Hence Amy has done the lions share of the packing today (but I did clean the oven yesterday so fairs fair huh?!).

For those you still don't remember our last day at work is this Friday (30th October), we're moving out on Saturday and we fly out to Melbourne first thing Tuesday morning (3rd November.)

Below are a couple of snaps of the party.  Thanks everyone for coming.  WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU GUYSSSS!