Something

Today I got up raring to go and do something, but I stepped outside and it was raining. In my quick dodging of raindrops, I spotted some blue sky and went back inside to wait it out.

Good thing too, because it turned out to be a beautiful day and I headed back to the CBD to see the Shrine of Remembrance and the Royal Botanic Gardens. They are both part of a huge park that lines the banks of the Yarra River, just a few minutes walk from my favorite train station. So, off I was and throughout the tree-lined path there are statues and memorials a plenty. As I was contemplating this one, thinking "Wow, that clock works!" and "What does it mean when one of the horse's feet are in the air?" I noticed the dates under Edward VII: 1901-1910. I'm hoping that were the dates of his reign or service or whatever because otherwise, that is one big nine year old.

OK, onto the Shrine.

It was very beautiful and very sad and very well done- though there was a questionable lot to read about sports in the armed forces in the displays at the visitor center. It also had an amazing view from the balcony.


From there I made my way to the Royal Botanic Gardens. This (free!) garden has so many windy paths and little sections that although I spent well over an hour, I saw less than half (that beautiful weather started to turn).
I did see my first banana tree (left) and some other tree that definitely looked like it belonged in another geologic era.



The rainforest path was beautiful, but having just been to the Dandenongs and hiked through them myself, there was no comparison.

Back to the train station across from Fed Square where they were having "Italian National Day" today. I wonder if they will have "Thank a Yank Day" anytime in the future... As with the Budda's Day celebration of last weekend there were lots of people selling and eating and watching entertainment on the square. As I wandered through the people I saw that they were selling castangas, or chestnuts. Many of you will remember the chestnut story about the market in Berlin, where Ken, Anne, and I all tried our first chestnuts only to quickly spit them onto the street. I figured they rated another try, I mean songs were written about these for chrissakes. What better way to try than those prepared by an Italian in Australia... Anyway, the first one was edible. The second one was OK, and by the third they weren't so bad.

I've just realized that I've gone and left the rest on the train, so I guess I didn't like them that much.