After our action-packed weekend in Tassie...we decided to take it slow & spend a couple weekends staying in one place (1 in Geelong & 1 in Melbourne). We knew we could both use the R&R, and our wallets also needed the break!
We found out that Cadel Evans (the Lance Armstrong of Australia) was having his final ride in Geelong on Sunday, Feb 1st. There would be a Men's professional bike race, with riders from the Tour de France, riding near Nadine's Apartment! There would also be a Pro Women's race on Saturday, as well as all the fanfare that goes with a big sporting event.
Also, Nadine's roommate Pearl (who owns a little store & an apartment indowntown Melbourne) offered to let Nadine & I stay in her apartment over the weekend for FREE. How awesome! We saw it as a sign to celebrate Nadine's 29th birthday early! As a result, we made plans to explore Melbourne....which included a dance class, a professional soccer match, and the local market
Saturday Jan 31 (Day 31)
In the late morning, we walked to downtown Geelong to the Start/Finish line of the bike race. We saw the start of Pro Women's ride & then walked around the festival. We wandered around the booths & each got some free souvenirs. On the walk back to Nadine's apartment, we popped into a local antique shop and looked around. We then hustled home, packed a lunch, and hustled to a steep hill where the Women cyclists would ride by.
As the riders got closer, it was like a parade! Several vehicles came through to clear the road ahead of the riders & also 4 helicopters were in the sky for TV coverage to follow the peloton. And then the 4 leaders came up the hill, followed by the rest of the riders. Very awesome to watch all the ladies power up the hill.
We then headed back and looked for a local pub to watch Serena Williams inthe Women's Aussie Open Final play against Maria Sharapova. (It was extra neat bc Serena is USA and we saw Maria when went to the Open on Jan 19). We found the biggest sports bar in town, bought a pitcher of their coldest beer, and sat among the locals. We watched Serena win the Championship...and also saw the Australian National Soccer team win the Asian Cup, so the crowd at the bar was super rowdy!
Start of the Womens Ride
How steep the hill is
Sunday Feb 1 (Day 32)
On Sunday, we headed out to the same spot on bike route to watch the Men climb the hill. They did four laps at the end of the race, so we got to watch them go by 4 times. We moved to the other side of the road...and they were sooo close we could have touched them! We saw Cadel up close & also saw the pain on all their faces. We also saw some of riders that were in an earlier crash ride by...their mega road rash made you give them instant respect.
Cadel up close
Men Ride up the hill
Friday Feb 6 (Day 37)
We met at the Melbourne train station and then walked 5 minutes to Pearl's apartment (right by the station, wow!). Up the elevator we went to the 44th floor, and had an amazing view of the skyline & Melbourne Bay shoreline.
We got ready for Nadine's Bday gift (picked out by her)....a Bachata dance lesson! It was a blast! It was inside a small cocktail bar, and there were 10 total people. Just enough to be a group, but not so many that you get lost. Nadine fit right in after a couple minutes...and after some persistence, Dave got the hang of it too! After the lesson, they played latin music, and we practiced our new dance. We were the young, cute couple on the dance floor that looked a little stiff, but were laughing & smiling the whole time!
We then walked around the surrounding streets, bar hopped a little bit, and met a guy from California who wanted to talk about 'America'. What a great night!
View from Apt
Saturday Feb 7 (Day 38)
It was explore 'downtown Melbourne Day'. We got breakfast at a cafe, wandered & window shopped around their "arcades" & gazed at the wall graffiti along their "laneways". We then escaped the 95 degree heat at an awesome outdoor bar called 'Section 8' & listened to live band while drinking red Sangria.
We then headed to an inter-city rivalry soccer match, Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City. It was Dave's first soccer match & the 40,000 crowd was very energetic! Whenever Victory scored a goal, there would be open flame & smoke in the stands (whoa). There was a skirmish on the field & a skirmish inthe crowd. Because the game was 3-0 blowout at the end, Nadine & I snuck down to the lower bowl and sat 10 rows off the field in the final 5 minutes.
After the game, we headed for a local bar that was not-for-profit (shebeen). All proceeds go to 3rd world countries. We shared some white Sangria and Dave learned about a new drink for his future, the Espresso Martini (no vodka tho!).
Bachata dance lessons
Nadine Graffiti
Dave Graffiti
Section 8 bar
Victory Scores a Goal!
Sunday Feb 8 (Day 39)
We headed in the other direction of downtown, to the Queen Victoria Market. A Melbourne staple. We walked up and down every aisle & found out there's aNadine potatoe! (Available all year round, nadine potatoes are an all-purpose potato....hehe) We had samples of fresh fruit, bought some small bakery delights & tried some fresh bbq seafood. Nadine resisted from buying shoes, handbags & dresses...while Dave saved his money to purchase a new bike tire (due to his blown tire on the Thursday before).
For lunch, we headed to the Ferdydurke pub bc they had free food (its also the name of a famous polish book). And we GORGED out on the free food. We stuffed our bellies so full, we had to walk home with our shoulders back! We then packed up, said goodbyes (and few hugs & kisses too!) and headed homein opposite directions.
Queen Victoria Market - BBQ seafood
Monday Feb 9
Nadine came home in the evening to a HUGE spider...I'll let her tell you about it.
THE SPIDER was as big as my palm and could have borrowed my razor to shave its hairy legs!
The Story:
I came home from a long day and got out my USM work computer and some leftovers for dinner in the kitchen. I sat down and out of the corner of my eye saw something on the wall beside/above me-- a HUGE spider. I called Dave w/no answer (I think he was commuting and/or at yoga). I then texted him "huge spider emergency call me right away!" In the mean time I stared at the spider (lost my appetite!) and the spider stared back at me. It was a spider-human stalemate.
Dave called back 2-5 min later and I was in the same position, staring frightfully at 'Spidey.' As soon as I heard Dave's voice, tears started streaming down my face and I said, "Everything is OK, but I'm just really afraid and I am home alone and I have to kill it! Because if I don't, then I won't know where it is and it will just be in the house somewhere!" We talked through it and I slowly inched away from the table, put on some running shoes and grabbed the Swiffer sweeper from the laundry room, keeping one eye on the furry infiltrator.
With Dave on speakerphone, I stood on the chair and approached the spider from the side. I warned Dave, "If you hear me screaming, it's OK. I will scream because I'm scared, not because I'm hurt!" Then I proceeded to hit and scream and hit and scream until the thing was dead. It took 6 sincere hits with the swiffer to kill the spider.
After it died, I took some pictures with my phone to prove my bravery! My heart was racing. Then I gave Spidey a burial at sea (i.e., toilet flush) to honor his efforts as a worthy adversary! I have never seen a spider move that fast! It was like lightning!
So there ya go, the legend of the spider concludes.
Nadine
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