N 70    Melbourne 2

Around the city….

As I have said we had been to Melbourne 3 times and each time we stayed about 1 month. During these stays we usually went for 1 long trip and at other times we visited in and out of the city.

      

Transportation in Melbourne is very convenient . My daughters were staying in a rental flat near Swinburne University which was not very far from the train station. We just had to walk about 5 minutes, buy  tickets, and board the train when it comes in. When we reached the city centre we again boarded a tram or a bus which will take us to the place  we wished to go to. These transportations were never crowded ( of course we avoided rush hours ) and we surely had seats to sit. But it was possible only because our daughters who had been studying there for some years knew the way and could guide us well to our destinations. 

     

During our stays we tried to visit all landmarks and even then I am not sure that we did so. Anyway I will try to relate the places we visited.

      

The road I mentioned in my last blog, Swanston Street goes by the name St. Kilda after crossing the Yarra River and if we go south along this road , before long we came to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV )It is an art museum founded in 1861 and so is the oldest public art museum in Australia . In its collection of artworks are treasures from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome etc.Also includes a distinguished array of European and Asian decorative  arts .There are also an outstanding collection of European and British paintings and sculptures dating from 1200 to today.

      

Further south along St. Kilda road is the famous Shrine of Remembrance. Walking there we had to cross the Queen Victoria Garden, Birdwood  Avenue and King’s Domain which are all nice parklands and well kept  gardens. This whole block consists of gardens and lawns and parks so well kept that it is my favourite spot and made me have yearnings that our towns and cities have parks like these for people’s recreation and enjoyment. In my eyes there are not much to do. Only green lawns and tree lined lanes and some benches will do. But people in our country are striving for their livelihood at present and are not in a position to think about nice recreation places.

       

 And then we came to the Shrine. It is an iconic landmark built in 1928 – 34 with carefully chosen classical style as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria ( Melbourne is in the state of Victoria )and now to all Australians who have served in  war. It was built on elevated ground overlooking the city, within 13 hectares of beautiful parklands.

        

During our stays we visited St Kilda beach more than once. It is a beach on the south of Melbourne. There is a park there called Luna Park and a Sunday market where people sell souvenirs and hand made ornaments in small tents on Sundays. I saw 2 three stories houses with the names Mandalay over the road there.