Day 25- Melbourne (4 January)

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From the 16th floor we can see the trains and trams and bicycle lanes (as well as cars). For some unknown reason it always takes forever to get out and today was no exception. Two hours it took to organise two overnight bags, make a couple of phone calls and get out. We left our suitcases with the concierge as we are coming back Saturday night. We are off to East St Kilda to spend Shabbat with the Rabbi Moshe Loewenthal family. The Loewenthal "clan" are family friends but Don and I have not met the Australian family yet.

Then into the car to drive to Hertz. There we found out that we were able to use the toll roads (scream). By the time we sorted out Hertz we had passed another hour. By this time the temperature had risen to a record 41degs. Pretty warm!

We took the free tram shuttle around the city and got off at Federation Square. This is where all the fast food outlets are as well as the imposing St Paul's cathedral. It is also a convenient route into the inner city. So after a quick drink we walked through to the visitor's centre.

Just outside is a street sculpture called The Ballroom. It is made from willow and you can walk in it. It is hard to describe so look at the pictures.

Once inside the visitors centre one of the volunteers took great pity on me as she thought that I was about to collapse from the heat. She refilled my water bottle and gave me a neat neck-tie that when soaked with cold water expands and makes a wonderful cooler. Don bought myki cards (like Oyster cards) so that we can use the public transport system. We tried them out on a tram ride back to the hotel to collect our overnight bags.

Our next adventure was using the metro. Right opposite the hotel is Jolimont station. The train came in almost immediately and we changed trains at Flinders Street and off we went to Caulfield to make a visit to Les Feiglin whom we had met on our kosher cruise to Italy. Les picked us up from the station and we passed a very pleasant hour with him and even met some of his family.

He then drove us a couple km to the home of our Shabbat hosts Esther, Moshe, Mussie, Chavale, Channah, Rochel, Mendel, Boruch and Shana Loewenthal. Also visiting was Moshe's mother Kate. The family made us so welcome and we got involved with the kids immediately, playing games with the older ones and feeding the younger ones. As Shabbat didn't come in until very late, dinner was with the adults and the oldest two girls. We learned a new meaning to SOS - Stretch Or Starve. It was a lovely start to Shabbat.

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