Melbourne Musings

Last week I spent four days in Melbourne on business and each night I ventured out to ‘forage’ for dinner. Eating alone gave me plenty of time to reflect on past times in Melbourne!

20 years ago, July 1991.

Tony and I were honeymooning in Melbourne. We stayed in Brunswick and spent our days playing tourist and exploring the CBD and surrounding suburbs.

Princes Bridge looking across to Flinders street, July 1991 Current view of Princes Bridge and Flinders Street (Google maps)

Tickets

We travelled everywhere we could by tram or foot. A highlight was seeing The Phantom of the Opera at the Princess Theatre.

10 years ago, July 2001.

We were living and working in Melbourne after moving there the previous year. (Actually, Tony spent part of July in the United States on business. He had to negotiate with the CEO to ensure that he left after our anniversary and returned before our birthdays.)

Looking over Yarra River, Flinders Street station, Southbank, and Princes Bridge towards MCG, September 2001

• Current view from Princes Bridge of Southbank and Flinders Street station (Google maps)
• Current view from Princes Bridge looking towards MCG (Google maps)

We were both tramming into the city for work, meeting occasionally for lunch, and enjoying the convenience of restaurants near our tram stops.

July 2011.

I'm sitting in a small, narrow Japanese eatery with ceiling-to-floor windows looking out at the Flinders Street streetscape.

Flinders Street viewed from inside the restaurant

I'm excited to be back in Melbourne but wish it was for pleasure instead of business. The days have been cold and clear—better than Sydney where the weather has been wild and wet. Customers are stopping to purchase takeaway meals but I'm the only person eating in. And as I sit, I reflect ...

I cannot believe that I have been in this city on this day: today, 10 years ago, 20 years ago. The city (if possible) seems more vibrant than I remember. People socialise in the CBD until late at night—even narrow laneways have cafes overflowing with patrons. The mix of people and cultures has led to an explosion in the number of cuisines offered in the city. I'm facing the dilemma of one more night in Melbourne and four restaurants I want to try!

Last month, I jokingly said to my team lead that Tony and I should celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in Melbourne, see Love Never Dies (the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera), and then I should stay on and work for a couple of days so the company could save the cost of an airfare. That never happened but it feels like Tony and I are due for another Melbourne vacation.

We need time to rediscover the city so entwined in our memories, and acquaint ourselves with its charms.