Melbourne, Victoria. Home to the Melbourne Cup - the race that stops the nation.
A few weeks back Conor and I travelled to Melbourne for four days and three nights of non-stop fun, food and horse-racing. After visiting Melbourne last January for the Australian Open, Conor still claims that the city is his favourite urban hot-spot. The cobblestone and slate streets are lined with glamorous boutiques, tasty cafes and historic buildings. The people are friendly and the temperatures are bearable. My first trip to Melbourne was an absolute success.
We ate and drank, and then ate and drank some more, as we bummed around the city with six friends from Brisbane for our mini-vacation. We had fabulous coffee and lovely Greek. We enjoyed a few cold beers, followed by Italian, complete with four free bottles of wine, on Lygon Street. Of course there were champagne breakfasts and a late lunch in one of the charming alleyways. And yes, we travelled to Flemington in our heels and hats to cheer on the horses/jockeys and haggle with the bookies at the Melbourne Cup.
On Halloween evening, I packed the few "winter" items I brought with me to Australia, carefully tucked my very elaborate hat into my carry-on and jumped online to check my bank account. The following morning felt like Christmas. I was wide awake, bright and early. I nudged Conor. He groaned. I nudged him again and reminded him that it was time for the Cup, time for our vacation, time for us to spend a few days away from work and home (and to sleep in!). He groaned again.
A few hours later we were in a cab with a handful of friends, on our way to the airport. We sat together, sipped champagne and munched on cheese and crackers during our two hour flight. We talked about the race, how much money we would bet and what we were wearing for the big day!
I have never been to a horse race. I have never bet money on a horse (or anything else for that matter). I did not read the newspaper. Yes, I posed for a photo with the form guide. I glanced at the horses' names and where they were trained. Turns out picking the jockey who might be wearing the same colour scheme as you, pays off. Literally. I bet on Shocking, the winner of the Melbourne Cup. For some strange reason, I bought an orange and black dress - maybe because it was Halloween, maybe because I hope to show up in festive attire to my ten year high school reunion in two years - anyway, I won!
The photos speak for themselves (soon to be posted at: http://picasaweb.google.com/home?tab=mq) It was an amazing trip. Melbourne is a must-see for anyone travelling to Australia. Tickets to the Cup are a bonus, for sure.
