13th August 2023 Sunday - Melbourne (day 2) seeing Freddo

The hotel puts out a good breakfast, and the same one for our 3 days there.

Not that I am complaining, I go earlier at 630 a.m. when they start and get a nice table to start work. In the background, I hear the Thai manager greet guests coming in 'good morning, how are you? is this your first time here? this is a buffet, tea and coffee are here please help yourselves and we have scrambled eggs on the buffet and if you want your eggs cooked differently, let me and I ll arrange that for you. Enjoy! 

One of the unspoken rules Sam and I set for our trips and this trip in particular was not to rush to do too much. Instead we would take things in our stride, and try to do just one main thing a day. Today's main thing was to see Freddo, who suggested we meet at Fed Square at 3 p.m. - we have not seen him for 33 years and in his emails, he appears to be the same warm, generous and funny person we knew from Deakin University.

The 'gentlemen's club' interiors of the Rendezvous Hotel on Flinders Street.

Flinders Street looking towards Federation Square

The green and gold rattlers are a rare sight now, this is the new look with vomit proof upholstery and bright colours. Inner city travel by tram is free, and Swanston Street has been car-free for some years, with designated bicycle, pedestrian and tram zones.

We re-visited Victorian Market and did not enjoy it much, it does not have the flea-market indie feel about it anymore.

We wandered aimlessly through the streets into courtyards, and exhibitions, and book shops.

At the State Library of Victoria

Read 

I recall seeing this view on old Melbourne postcards.

We thought that since Melbourne is so cosmopolitan, we should be able to eat food from different cultures each day of the week. Today's choice is Greek, at the iconic Stalactites Restaurant where we shared a lamb with lemon potatoes and stuffed zucchini - I was just happy to sit and enjoy the food without thinking about how much it cost (a constant worry when I was in uni). 

Finally, we met up with Freddo and decided to have a beer first  before going to the Melbourne NOW exhibition. The years does not seem to be a hindrance to the conversation, although I feel partly to blame for not actively keeping in touch. Too many reasons (and excuses); work, family duties, money?, time - time to make amends. 

We chat about mutual friends, about Dianne, about the reunion in Geelong on Friday, and then the conversation came to Min (Finian's mom) and her exploits. She obviously had been told about our arrival because Freddo video called her and we had a chat on the phone, and decided to have dinner together that night. As usual, we couldn't decide where to eat, and accidentally stumbled into a posh fusion restaurant, where after a round of drinks and snacks - we decide to head to Lygon Street for Italian. 

The venue of choice at Lygon Street had a queue in front of it, and so we opted for vegetarian, which turned out to the first vegetarian restaurant in Melbourne (1972); Shakahari. Min does not remember the incident during which she edited a pub's blackboard menu into a series of rude (but funny) dish names. Min seems a little frail, and alone - I must find out how to keep in touch with her.

At the Melbourne NOW exhibition

At the CODA restaurant, Freddo is busy text Kate and Min (Marie) about dinner plans

Another type of fusion - laksa hebat. tofu satay and quinoa croqeuttes

Walking back that night reminded me of how important is to have a windbreakers and long pants if walking at night.
End of day 2.