It is amazing how time disappears while you achieve nothing. In the morning of the full day I stayed there, I popped out into to the heat every so often to check the cars on display. It was a stinking hot day, back in Melbourne 37 degrees.
I visited a cafe where I ate raisin toast with coffee. I was to meet Sister for lunch and I misread her text message and so I turned up at the venue for lunch as she turned up at my hotel foyer. It only took five minutes for her to get to the restaurant. We had been seated in a kind of an alcove with about six tables. But there wasn't direct cooling, so we asked to be moved to the main area where it was cooler. Our lunch at the wool museum building at Black Sheep restaurant|gin bar was very nice, with great service although at bit too much checking with us that everything was ok. Once is acceptable.
We had a couple of hours to kill between lunch and seeing Jo perform. We went back to my hotel and Sister started to watch cricket but I think it was one sided, so she decided to shop for Christmas gifts at the nearby shopping centre. I thought I would have a swim in the hotel pool and I had brought my bathers and rashie but again time disappeared as I did nothing. It was time to meet Sister on a street corner and walk to where her car was parked in secret parking space. She didn't buy anything for Christmas and decided to visit charity shops to buy gifts.
Oh god, it was even hotter as we stepped out of the car at the venue. Pray the school auditorium has air con. It didn't and we sweated our way through the terrific abbreviated show, The Newsies, which was about newspaper street sellers going on strike in NYC in the 1920s. The show was 90 minutes and I was pretty relieved to get out into the fresh air that had cooled down from 39 degrees to 30. Yes, I am biased but Jo shone in her role. Great acting, singing and I didn't know she could tap dance.
Sister drove me back to my hotel and was going back to seeing the 7pm show with Jo in a different role, that is after she had a bite to eat with her wife Bone Doctor. I was back at the hotel for happy hour again, another glass of wine and four oysters.
After a big lunch I wasn't very hungry so I returned to Hecho en Mexico and bought a take away taco this time, rather than dine in.
Unusually the check out time was 11.00 the next day, rather than 10.00, which meant no rushing in the morning. I had coffee at the large shopping centre and then fronted the hotel desk and told staff, 'I am ready to leave, 'can a boy bring my car to front door please'. The 'boy' turned out to be a young Moslem lass with a headscarf. Such is Australia, and I like it that way. With a stop off at Routley's Bakery on the way, I was home by 12.30.
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On the very hot day children were walking along this water flow.
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Happy hour made me happy.
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From my hotel balcony.
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This must have been at Hecho en Mexico. I've never seen Melbourne hot sauce before.
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Cunningham Pier.
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The bar at Black Sheep.
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Hotel water feature.
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Looking away from the sea to Brougham Street and the shopping centre.
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This lift did my head in with no ground floor. Floor 1 was ground floor. You should have to go up to get to the first floor.
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Of course you are biased and I have no doubt that Jo WAS good. That looks like a lovely short break but oh that heat. I would have been a sad and soggy mess in the auditorium. And grumpy with it.
ReplyDeleteEC, the heat was rough but it was dry heat, so not as bad as it could have been. I was quite relieved to be back in the hotel room with aircon.
DeleteYour Jo looks lovely, and seems to be talented too. Wonder which gene pool that comes from? 🙂
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I always enjoy joining bloggers on their travels when I am stuck at home. Although, I really cannot imagine your 37C temps. I melt at mid 20s.
JayCee, certainly the performing in public gene must have come from her biological father, certainly not her mother's side. She even did a half decent American accent.
DeleteIt looks like a good place to enjoy a short get away.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, Geelong is quite a nice place to visit, but it is rather a big city now.
DeleteDid you visit the National Wool Museum in Geelong? It is very well presented.
ReplyDeleteHels, we did about three years ago and it was excellent.
DeleteNice hotel!
ReplyDeleteNice views of the water; as we are in winter up here i am feeling jealous of your summer!
Bob, yes, it is now complain about the heat season. Only a month ago it was complain about the cold season.
DeleteA very posh hotel indeed. I do like the wine and oyster idea. Jo looks lovely. I would like to see the dapper gent next to her.
ReplyDeleteMerlot, I might have included the old dude if it was a flattering photo. It wasn't.
DeleteThe heat! I think I'd have been done in. I'm glad you could handle it. I wonder how the performers managed??
ReplyDeleteBoud, I did surprise myself by staying and not leaving. I was tempted but the entrance/exit was being used as a stage entrance and exit. Awkward.
DeleteIt been ages since I got any raisin toast.
ReplyDeleteDora, toast is nice when you don't want too much food.
DeleteJo is beautiful! I wish I could tap dance. I had the chance to learn when I was little, but I didn't "get it" right away and said it was stupid and went to the beach instead. So stupid of me.
ReplyDeleteThe Hotel room looks very nice and I like the wide shower recess. That lift must be American, I think they count the ground floor as the first floor. The Black Sheep bar is certainly colourful.
River, no regrets. At your age you may not be able to tap if if you learnt, but you can still go to the beach. The shower was brilliant but the glass should have extended further as the floor became a bit wet. I thought maybe it had to be short for wheelchair access.
DeleteLovely photo of Jo, my how she has grown. It's good you can go to she her on stage, we would be thrilled that you did. Looks a lovely lass, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteI have raison bread in the freezer, comes in handy to toast for lunch once in awhile.
The hotel room is looking good but they the person who makes the bed can't do the corners correctly...yes from a fussy RN.
Margaret, I haven't had raisin toast at home for years. I don't know why. Possibly freezer space.
DeleteNice hotel room. Little Jo is no longer little, a lovely young and talented teen.
ReplyDeleteSami, she certainly is not little now and shines on stage but she is fairly quiet and doesn't have a lot of friends. She keeps her emotions fairly contained.
DeleteA pleasant break away and so nice to see Jo perform, despite the heat. She sounds like a sensible lass.
ReplyDeleteJB, she doesn't give too much of herself away and yes, I think sensible.
DeleteYour break in Geelong sounds very pleasant. As an aside, I feel Geelong is slightly more familiar to me than it would have been a couple of months ago - we loved watching Hunted - Australia ( silly telly but we are addicted 😄)
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I hadn't heard of the show Alison. you must have seen quite a bit of Victoria, from what I've just read about it.
DeleteThe weather does sound hot, we are expecting the first hard freeze of the season later this week.
ReplyDeleteThe elevator must have been installed by a Yank. An elevator (Otis didn't patent a lift, he patented a safety elevator) with the right buttons, there is a floor at ground level, hence, one is at the ground level, unless the ground level does not have a floor.
TP, I don't want a freeze either. Otis is quite big here but the lift was quite old and nowadays I am sure there would be a ground button for we who don't get the lack of a ground floor. One stupid lift I was in a while ago used G for Gym, more confusion.
DeleteI'm glad you saw Jo perform and it went so well! Our school has done productions of "Newsies" as well. That is an American-style elevator! It took me ages to learn that in England the "first floor" is actually the second floor.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I like the way the show moulds young minds into understand how collective reaction against oppressors can work, and how to use the power of the media. We will just disagree on G/1.
DeleteI love tap dancing and took classes for years when I was a kid so would have loved to have seen the show. It is so good that you went, Andrew. Jo sounds like a talent.
ReplyDeletePat, I can remember my step mother could still tap well into her sixties. The hint is there...
DeleteIt is 2C here...
ReplyDeleteAnd you in your posh tower Jackie, are quite cozy.
DeleteBless you for tolerating the heat. My best to you and yours, my dear. And thanks for the awesome photos.
ReplyDeleteDarla, I would not like to deal with heat like that too often, nowadays.
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