Sunday, January 6, 2013

Melbourne, the most European city in Australia?


So we have been told. And until now we have not been disappointed. A good 20 k north of the city (4.000.000 inhabitants) there is a completely seperated cycle path that leads right into the city. Great. In the city area it connects to some other cycle paths, so that one can pedal through the city without being among the other traffic. We followed the Merri Creek Trail towards the house of Jude and Astrid, our Warmshowers hosts here. A friendly, nice and comfy one-storey house with a little garden in a quiet street. By tram some 15-20 minutes from the very centre of the city.
Yesterday we had a meal in a street with just bars and restaurants, strikingly many of them Greek. We read that Melbourne is the city with the most Greek inhabitants after Athens and Thessaloniki, so no wonder. Today we spent the day in the city and we kept having the familiar feeling of recognition. There are people about everywhere, there are plenty of bars, coffeeshops and restaurants with outdoor terracces and all of them have lots of customers. A kind of liveliness we missed elsewhere in this big country. We will stay here for a couple of days, there's lots to be seen. Tuesday night we will travel to Tasmania on board of the Spirit of Tasmania. We have booked a cabin for the two of us and early Wednesday morning we will set foot ashore of the island (size Holland + Belgium) that was named after its Dutch discoverer, Abel Tasman. The Ozzies (Australians) all seem to love it, they praise it for its beauty and call it Tazzie. Tazzie seems to be hilly, so we'll see what we think of it after a week or so.

2 comments:

  1. Hoi Frans en Eveline,

    Allereerste de beste wensen voor een heel mooi en gezond (fiets)jaar voor jullie! Keep on biking!

    Ik zag in een blog informatie voorbij komen waarbij ik direct aan jullie moest denken. Zie: http://www.gps.nl/serendipity/index.php?/archives/3-Fietsen-in-Vietnam-of-elders-op-de-wereld.html#extended

    Misschien heb je er wat aan.

    En alvast veel plezier in Tasmaniƫ. Ik kijk uit naar mooie foto's en avonturen.

    Groeten,
    Peer

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  2. Frans en Eveline,

    Nog een kleine aanvulling. Ik verneem zojuist op het nieuws dat er behoorlijk wat bosbranden zijn op dit moment in Tasmaniƫ. So be warned.

    Groeten,
    Peer

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