Melbourne - visiting old friends


On Melbourne summer mornings the green trams go rolling in stately progress down tunnels thick with leaves:
the bright air carries along the avenue their patient chime, the chattering of their wheels.

[Helen Garner, Australian novelist (1942-)]


The longest anyone of us ever stayed in Australia, was Tina's semester in Melbourne at Monash University in the fall of 2006, Troels visiting a few times (as he was in Sydney). And meanwhile, Peter - a friend and colleague of Troels' - had started working there. So it was a bit of a return to see old friends, and while Troels worked some days at Monash with Peter (sneaking in a game of bridge during lunch one day!), Tina revisited her old hometurf with Storm and Astrid.
We started out by living on 22nd floor in the center of the city, and had our last days in more quaint St. Kilda - this time all part of the plan!



New to all of us was the small steam railway "Puffing Billy" in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne. We decided that it would be a fun way to see these beautiful hills. We took the noon departure from Belgrave, and soon found ourselves winding through the eucalyptus forest with all the bells, whistles, and trimmings of an old steam train. After a stop in Lakeside, which however lacked a good lunch, we returned in the great company of the train master. Tip top trip back to another era.



Also, we visited old friends. Tina knew Evelyn, as she had actually come to Denmark before Tina came to Australia. She had meanwhile met Zwi, with whom they had an adorable 15 month old daughter. We went for dinner (and great gin tonics!) there, and it was a great night. Zvi was an architect and musician (teaching Storm how to play the okolele), showing around the house they build, and while Evelyn and Tina caught up with everything that had happened the last 12 years, Troels and Zwi discussed early rap, while getting dinner. It was a great combination of different life styles, which beneath the surface was fueled by the same passions and type of experiences. We left relatively late, slightly intoxicated, a bit tired, but very happy and reminded of our old international friends and life.



In addition, we had dinner down by the sea with Troels' old study friend (Peter) and another former colleague (Ulrik) at Halv Moon Bay. Kids playing at the beach (Storm and Peter's son Niels becoming friends in no time), great fish and chips and the view of the sunset with old friends.
The day before leaving we packed our things in the afternoon (we are quite good at that now), and went to visit Peter and his family for dinner and stayover, and it was great to be out without a deadline. Peter and Troels got to catch up on many subjets before midnight. And Sunday morning we drove to get the new campervan and return the (small) car.