Weekend in Melbourne

Steve and I flew to Melbourne to surprise my brother Andrew and take him out to dinner to celebrate his 50th birthday. We stayed at the 'Mantra on Jolimont' Hotel which was very close to the MCG and the Rod Laver Stadium.
On Saturday morning we caught the train out to Andrew and Jane's house. Andrew got a wonderful surprise when we walked in unannounced. My nephew, Simon, had his basketball grand final on that afternoon so we went to barrack for the team. They played very well and won the Grand Final.
On Saturday evening Andrew and Jane and my nephew, Matt (Simon's brother) enjoyed a fabulous Thai meal in the City to celebrate Andrew's birthday.
On Sunday Steve and I went exploring. We walked to Federation Square and then down to the Yarra River for a morning boat cruise, which was lovely. After the cruise we visited Southbank and wandered around the City. It was beautiful walking along the river and wandering over the lovely bridges that span the river. The City is very easy to negotiate; plenty of trains, buses, trams and lovely walking paths and bike riding tracks.
We caught a tram out to St Kilda where we met Andrew and Jane for afternoon tea, every shop window was filled with lovely cake displays. We wandered through the markets and along the waterfront but it was very cold and very windy.
Steve and I then caught a tram up Chappel Street to try and find the home of my friend's daughter. We did find it but she wasn't home; we then got a tram back to the City. We walked a lot today and were very tired.
On Monday we caught the free tourist bus which stops in many interesting places in and around the City. We met my girlfriend's daughter, Bianca for morning tea and the took a stroll to see where she lives. After our visit with her we caught the Tourist bus down to the Docklands area for a fish and chip lunch. We walked miles and miles around Docklands and Harbourside. We then got back on the Tour bus and went to the Botanical Gardens and back to the MCG. Then we walked back into Town, along the banks of the Yarra, and had a quiet 1/2 hour sitting at the Pub overlooking the water.
Our Shuttle bus collected us at 5.30pm to take us to the airport. What a great weekend! It was lovely to be able to surprise Andrew for his birthday.

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