A Long Weekend in Melbourne

It's been a long weekend in Melbourne, with many people taking a holiday for three days. On Friday the traffic on the way home from work was madness. Almost two hours it took me to get home with a stop to buy a bottle of bubbles to celebrate the end of the working week. Also bought a DVD to watch, an old Gregory Peck movie called "the Man in the Grey Flannel Suit."

Friday night is bubbles and an old time movie.

We didn't go anywhere on the long weekend as there were things to be done at home and of course I had the new toy to play with. This is the first time I've posted on the Apple MacBook Pro. Just like new friends, it takes a little time to become acquainted.
I've decided that I have to forget how the PC worked so that I don't get confused. While I'm typing this, the Eagles are playing from the music that I downloaded into iTunes - I have to investigate this iCloud thing where all your data is stored somewhere up there.

With so much going on I forgot a few days of posting on our French Travels blog - a photograph every day for this whole year so I used the MacBook Pro - Pop in for a look. Gee it's a real commitment with another 292 days to go.

http://frenchtravelswithmywife.blogspot.com.au/

Anyway back to our long weekend - spent much of Saturday just with the new toy but Sunday was time to work in the garden. Our sideway where no one goes had developed in to a jungle so it was time to rediscover the winding path of second hand bricks that I had laid some years ago.

The garden path emerges from a side way of weeds and rubbish.

Melbourne's autumn is fast approaching - leaves are turning from green to brown.

Some of the trees have already lost leaves.

Did I hear someone ask what the holiday is for? Labour day - to celebrate the 8 hour day.
8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation and 8 hours of rest.
Here in Melbourne we have Moomba, a festival with a parade and lots of things happening on the Yarra River such as water ski competition and the Bird Man competition where crazy people jump off a platform in an endeavour to fly as far as possible before they drop to the murky water below.

With the end of summer comes Moomba and the Bird Man Rally.

Possibly in the 1950s, this photo shows the crowds turning out for the Moomba parade throughout the streets of Melbourne. 

As for us - the weekend is a chance to catch up with friends and enjoy food, wine and conversation.
Last night was enjoyed with Francophile friends with traditional French fare and wines and much tale telling of past and future trips. One of the couples has a place in Uzes Provence.

This all reminds me that we have a lunch to pop off to. CYA.......