Thursday 21 November

Richard sitting in the members' area

The forecast was cool and showery so we took coats when we had breakfast. I had porridge. We made a short visit to Melbourne Museum to go to the gift shop for something special. Then we took another tram to Federation Square, and saw a protest by Indonesians outside the Parliament building. We all took the 70 tram to the MCG. It was quite warm and sunny after all. We walked all round and saw the statues of famous cricketers and footballers.

A bridge over the Yarra against a backdrop of skyscrapers

We bought tickets for a guided tour of the stadium and joined a big group. The guide was excellent  and took us all over the stadium into the stands, dressing rooms, the Members' areas and the Long Bar where on match days there's a strict dress code. There is a long waiting list for membership. The MCG also hosts Australian Rules football.

We had lunch in the MCG bar and watched the First Test at the Gabba on TV. Australia batted and Broad got 4 quick wickets. It was exciting.

Then we took a boat trip to WilIamstown on the Yarra river and saw all the bridges and the modern buildings and the boat marinas as well as the container ships.

We planned to go to Bennett Street Jazz in the evening. In the event, it was crowded so we just stayed for one drink, and then went for dinner to Seamstress, which served quirky Asian food. It was excellent. The waiter was very friendly.