On a eu pas mal de chance en Australie; premierement parce qu'on etait en Australie deja (chaque voyageur sait que c'est une destination qui fait l'unanimite, surtout apres les pays moins developpes) et aussi parce que nos connaissances: familles et amis nous ont loge gratos la plupart du temps; merci a tous. On a donc remonte pratiquement toute la cote Est, la ou il y a le plus de population, et ou on aurait pu paser au moins 10 ans tant il y a a voir. Melbourne, au sud, m'a permis de passer un peu de temps avec mes copains Helen et Warren qui ont une chouette maison bien grande en jolie banlieue. De la, on se rendait presque tous les jours dans le centre en train (gare principale du centre photo 1) pour explorer la cite - pas enorme mais cool, y'a tout ce qu'il faut et surtout de la bouffe italienne a tous les coins de rue, due a une communaute ritale bien presente - on s'en plaint pas. J'ai beaucoup aime la culture cafe/bistro/patisserie/petit restos/delicatessen de la ville. On a fait aussi un tour au musee de la ville (photo 5) et on a assiste un soir a un super match de "Ozzie rules football" au stade national (mauvaise photo, no 4) avec quelque 100,000 personnes. Pour ceux qui connaissent pas (comme moi avant) c'est une sorte de rugby assez rapide et violent et les types sont habilles en guepes...un bon moment. On est quand-meme sortis de la ville un jour pour decouvrir la vallee Yarra ou y'a plein de super proprietes de vignerons (photos 6, 7 et 8). C'est immense et les paysages sont superbes et bien verts. Ca exporte dur et fait de la compet aux francais, enfin ca c'est partout en Australie et Nouvelle Zelande. Evidemment il y a eu degustation a gogo mais un peu d'education oenologique aussi, ce qui n'a pas fait de mal au boyfriend.
Melbourne fancies itself a little, something to do with their decedents supposedly being "free-settlers" and not criminals like the other Ozies. Did I like it, yes I did, very much? The city has a really laid back, yet cosmopolitan feel - a bit of an alfresco coffee culture thing mixed with simple and efficient amenities. Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia, this is made clear by a scattering of modern art on the streets. Our reason of heading to Melbourne was to visit Frenchie's buddy Helen and her hubby Warren who live in a gigantic house and made us incredibly welcome, thanks to you both again. And we will no doubt see you again in London soon where we can resume our mutual hobbies of drinking beer and watching football. We went to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to watch some Ozie rules football which was a fantastic experience (forgot the camera). Richmond were playing (who are now our team, even though they are generally rubbish), we were watching trying to follow what was going on and drinking beer. As well as spending a couple of days strolling around site-seeing and going "crikey mate, how much?" (we were still used to Asian prices) we took a day tour out into the Yarra Valley to go wine tasting and funnily enough, it turns out that when it comes to wine I am a little ignorant, probably because my favourite wine has always been Fosters.
Pictures:
1. Flinders Street station, a really old (Victorian) building in Oz terms.
2. Street scene
3. Frenchie standing in the South Bank area.
4. Best shot I managed to get of the MCG.
5. Coralie with roo.
6. Frenchbitt next to a poster.
7. Start of the wine tasting day and I am bemused already.
8. Yarra valley wines in background.
Pictures:
1. Flinders Street station, a really old (Victorian) building in Oz terms.
2. Street scene
3. Frenchie standing in the South Bank area.
4. Best shot I managed to get of the MCG.
5. Coralie with roo.
6. Frenchbitt next to a poster.
7. Start of the wine tasting day and I am bemused already.
8. Yarra valley wines in background.
