Friday, Saturday and Sunday

On Friday I tried yet a different place for my morning coffee, then walked along different streets to the Botanic Garden and ambled through more different paths. My destination in the city was a shop that advertised that it sold only gluten free cakes. It was very hard to find and had a limited number of products. It will not last long. I pottered in a wool shop, then the bookshop next door then went into St Paul,s, the Anglican Carhedral. There was a service going on,  in 1 small corner of the huge cathedral,  but the door man  still insisted in an abrupt tone,  I wait in a roped off area.  No thanks, another day. I pottered along Southbank to the far end, then came back here.

On Saturday I went by tram to Fitzroy. . I had read that there was an interesting  market with lots of antique and odds and ends stalls  near the fruit and veg markets.  But when i got there several stall holders setting up clothes stands said they didn't know where the fruit and veg market was. I wasn't in the right mood, so started walking back towards the city and found a place for breakfast. Then ,,when I was waiting for a tram, I saw on my phone's map that it was only 5 km from my hotel. So I walked back, but it was longer than 5 km because I decided to try and walk in parks only. Crossing roads was allowed,  as was walking along a path next to green space.only. I walked through, in order,  Carlton Gardens - (I didnot know the Exhibition building was so huge. They have a  guided tour of the Dome which i have added to my list), Parliament reserve, then , the greeN bit attached to St Patrick's cathedral, the Fitzroy Gardens( in East melbourne not Fitzroy),then Yarra Park ( where the MCG is ( it's huge)), then AAMI park then I crossed the Yarra into the streets of South Yarra. There was something on in the stadium in AAMI park. Many parents and young kids, mostly boys , over about 4 and under about 10 were all converging on  the venue. I could not think what. So I looked it up. 'Monster jam' is what the event is called. Huge trucks doing stunts. The cheapest adult ticket was $90. 

Today has gone well. I have decided I can stop trying to drink coffee or eat at new places around here. I can go back to nice places I have found. So after  breakfast ( for the first time I finished the crossword ( guardian cryptic) in 1 sitting)   I set of in the direction of Richmond, over the Yarra from me, but not far. I wandered through typical inner city dwellings  , lots of variety, - huge to tiny, to South Richmond, then to Richmond. There was not much open on Sunday morning. Nevermind, I found a place for a drink ( managing fluid intake and  fluid output hasn't got any easier  with the passing of another year)   and walked back to a different part of South Melbourne which was alive and thriving.  About 50m away from the shops I saw a smallish terrace house for sale. I looked it up. Very nicely renovated, 3bed, 2 bath,  only front 'garden'  , back for car space, $2.5m plus. . Then I walked back here. I am getting to know which bridges across the Yarra to avoid. The one closest to me is dreadful, as in 'fills me with dread'. I have never liked open tread staircases ( ones that you can see through the stairs to below)  But several bridges that I have crossed are next level dreadfullness. Each individual stair is open mesh and the sides are the same open mesh stuff, so you can see through the stairs to the ground, and sometimes edge of water below and out of the corner of your eye you look down , then when you are crossing the bridge you look through the mesh to the river below. I counted 20 steps on a bridge a few days ago.   I hold firmly onto a rail .!  So,  today, I went out of my way to cross a bridge that was ok rather than the closest to me.