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To get to the other side,of course. A minor traffic jam while we were touring the Dandenongs...
http://youtu.be/5g20H_aM8Q8
Monday, September 26, 2011
Melbourne #1
We spent three weeks in Melbourne, chilling out, being super touristy, and riding trams around the city while Travis worked away on his project. Day 1, as requested by the youngest member of our family, we hit the beach.
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| FFM at St. Kilda beach |
Day 2, we hit the famous Queen Victoria Market where we lunched on sausage rolls, meat pies, and lamingtons for dessert.
The historic City Circle tram, our friend for getting around city centre/center.
Melbourne always has something interesting on, festivals and the like. You never know just what you'll see when you are roaming the streets...like a flock of rainbow body suited teenagers running around. They were leaping from benches, scrambling up stairs, and jumping over people (kneeling, etc).
Play with some kangaroos! FFM LOVED petting and playing with the kangaroos. We were the only ones around so he got lots of attention from his new mates.
Then, once sunset arrives hundred of people gather on bleachers to watch the penguins come ashore. The come in large groups called rafts, and you can see the large dark patches in the waves just before they land on the beach.
Sunday was Aussie Father's Day, Travis picked a decadant pancake house for breakfast and he got lamington pancakes and FFM had strawberry with ice cream.
After breakfast, we headed out of the city for a drive in the nearby Dandenongs (a low mountain range) for some scenery, tea, and yes, a park with a whole lot of trains.
Friday, September 23, 2011
On Our Way...
As always things are generally interesting around here. Many faithful readers will know that we've been on holiday for a while, a nice LONG while, I've been enjoying myself and actually relaxing and doing very little of anything other than reading, walking, eating, and riding lots of trams.
About 6.5 weeks ago Travis got a call from offices around the globe for HELP HELP HELP! He got word on a Wednesday, final OK on a Thursday, then flew out on Monday - first to Canada to check on some equipment and then to Melbourne, Australia to supervise some work on the same project.
His flights were a nightmare. Getting to London, Ontario from Denver wasn't too bad (fyi London is about 2 hours driving from Toronto for anyone who needs a brush up on Canadian geography). London to Melbourne, that was tricky. Monday Travis flew from Denver-Chicago-London. Wednesday he turned around and flew London-Toronto-Chicago-Los Angeles-Melbourne. Needless to say his bags did not arrive in Melbourne and he made it by the skin of his teeth.
Travis was scheduled to stay in Melbourne for "about a month." Seeing as things have been relatively quiet at our house for oh, about five days, FFM and I knew, of course, we had to join him so two weeks after Travis left home FFM and I hopped a plane and headed down under ourselves. Our trip was less eventful, however a late night thunderstorm in Denver delayed our departure making our connection tight in LA and we literally ran onto the plane to Melbourne. We made it, so did our bags, but the car seat did not come until the plane the next day. No worries, mate, Qantas gave us a loaner until they could deliver ours.
Poor Travis slaved away during the week while FFM and I slept in (8 on the left side of the dots Mommy!) meandered through the city, and rode a lot of trams. Our hotel was near a large park with a lake, within walking distance of a beach (it is wintery here still so it's not a warm beach yet) and on a major tram line that got us into the heart of the city in less than ten minutes. On the weekends Travis took us on grand adventures outside of the city with the car. Don't fret too much about Travis, we rearranged our plans at home and scrapped one vacation in favor/favour of a week off here to visit with friends in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
I never thought I'd get to come back to visit so soon, it's been such a special treat.
About 6.5 weeks ago Travis got a call from offices around the globe for HELP HELP HELP! He got word on a Wednesday, final OK on a Thursday, then flew out on Monday - first to Canada to check on some equipment and then to Melbourne, Australia to supervise some work on the same project.
His flights were a nightmare. Getting to London, Ontario from Denver wasn't too bad (fyi London is about 2 hours driving from Toronto for anyone who needs a brush up on Canadian geography). London to Melbourne, that was tricky. Monday Travis flew from Denver-Chicago-London. Wednesday he turned around and flew London-Toronto-Chicago-Los Angeles-Melbourne. Needless to say his bags did not arrive in Melbourne and he made it by the skin of his teeth.
Travis was scheduled to stay in Melbourne for "about a month." Seeing as things have been relatively quiet at our house for oh, about five days, FFM and I knew, of course, we had to join him so two weeks after Travis left home FFM and I hopped a plane and headed down under ourselves. Our trip was less eventful, however a late night thunderstorm in Denver delayed our departure making our connection tight in LA and we literally ran onto the plane to Melbourne. We made it, so did our bags, but the car seat did not come until the plane the next day. No worries, mate, Qantas gave us a loaner until they could deliver ours.
Poor Travis slaved away during the week while FFM and I slept in (8 on the left side of the dots Mommy!) meandered through the city, and rode a lot of trams. Our hotel was near a large park with a lake, within walking distance of a beach (it is wintery here still so it's not a warm beach yet) and on a major tram line that got us into the heart of the city in less than ten minutes. On the weekends Travis took us on grand adventures outside of the city with the car. Don't fret too much about Travis, we rearranged our plans at home and scrapped one vacation in favor/favour of a week off here to visit with friends in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
I never thought I'd get to come back to visit so soon, it's been such a special treat.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Our Own Little Solar System
I've been bombarded with questions about the sun setting, rising, moon, etc lately and this morning it was worse than normal FFM was being extra inquisitive. I went for the fruit approach. By golly, it worked. He TOTALLY gets it now!
It was even better when I made the mandarin orange sun 'shine' with the LED flashlight.
Things went downhill when FFM ate the grape tomato moon, though. Then the apple Earth. Our solar system kind of fell apart and was just a flashlight sitting on a mandarin.
Things went downhill when FFM ate the grape tomato moon, though. Then the apple Earth. Our solar system kind of fell apart and was just a flashlight sitting on a mandarin.
