Tourist day (Wednesday)

Wednesday was a no-tennis day.  The three of us were going to go tourist-ing.  Melbourne has all kinds of transportation options including trains, trams, trolleys, buses, taxis, bike rentals and more.

There is a free tour bus that takes you through the city and has around 13 designated stops.  There are recorded announcements of the attractions and the very helpful driver adds his own.  The bus was packed to the gills.

First I went to an ATM to get some cash.  The currency here is very colorful.

We took the tour bus through the city.  I'd read about the Immigration museum in the Bill Bryson book, "In a Sunburned Country," and decide that is where I wanted to start my sightseeing.  Marlin and Chris were going on to the art centre.

The Immigration museum was interesting.  It is located in the old Customs House building which is magnificent inside.  The museum is also located near the Yarra River which runs through Melbourne.  I walked over to the SouthBank where there are lots of shops and restaurants on a long promenade.  I had lunch over there and did people watching in addition to keeping an eye on two sea gulls who looked intent on getting my fish and chips.

From the SouthBank I was going to walk to Federation Square to pick up the tourist bus and get back to the hotel.  I crossed back over the river and saw a sign for pedestrian walkway to the Open.  Figured since our hotel was so close to the Open, I would just walk back.  It was a lovely walk along the river.  Two more forms of transportation were available....water taxi or bike taxi.  I just walked.

While Melbourne has lots of green space and pedestrian walkways, the drivers don't seem to keen on giving the pedestrians the right of way.  Also, Australia, like England, is drive on the left so you have to be sure you look the proper way.  In addition to driving on the left, most people walk on the left.  Stairs and escalators are to the left.  It takes a bit of getting used to and you end up spotting the non-Aussies by what side the person is walking on.

The walk back took me over a pedestrian bridge with a fantastic view of the Open grounds.

I was pretty much exhausted this day.  The sun had come out and it was gorgeous but also intense.  I was getting sunburned from sitting out watching tennis even in the cloudy weather.  I purchased some very expensive sunscreen at the hotel spa as I could not find a drugstore in all my wanderings.  I lathered the sunscreen on and went to the hotel pool.

I think we were all pretty wiped out from the day and just stayed in.  Chris and I went down to the hotel lobby to watch the evening tennis matches on tv.  Roger Federer was almost defeated by a French man, Gilles Simon.