Sunday 10 November, Our first day

Springtime in Flagstaff Gardens

Woke at 2.30 am in our room at the Radisson Hotel. I read my book, The Geneva Trap by Stella Rimmington. Couldn't get back to sleep until about 7am. Then we woke again at 10 and had a rush for breakfast at the hotel. Rather disappointing food and service. Then we walked round Flagstaff Gardens until Matthew and Sarah arrived.

We walked down William Street as far as Flinders Street and saw the old Flinders Street station. We paid a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, a 19th century neo-Gothic building.

Flinders Street station

Then we crossed over to Federation Square with its modern cobbles and quirky buildings. We saw a protest by Thai people. Then we went into the Optic cafe for a coffee and a cool drink, and lunch of a cheese platter and Carlton beer.

Inside St Paul's Cathedral

After lunch we went into the ACMI museum shop selling film souvenirs, before taking a free visitors' City Circle tram round the city centre. We passed parks, museums, government buildings and the docks, before alighting at Flinders Street.

From there we took a tram to Melbourne University and went to have tea with Matthew and Sarah in their apartment. They gave us presents of wine, earrings and a guidebook and we had green tea and Anzac biscuits.

 Dinner at Masani, a posh Italian place. I had roast pork and shared a dessert.