There's No Place Like Home (Pt.II)

Paul Young sang: “Wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home”... and for now this seems to be the case.

Melbourne: Ah, Melbourne weather, where would we be without it? Greeting me with an hour of drizzle at Tullamarine. Welcome home to Melbourne, Son...

Sime Brown collected me and we had a good chat on the way back to his and Chelsea’s new home. This is where I met their 9 month old son, Myles. The things you miss while you’re away for two years... Great to catch up with them as I hung my hat at theirs for the next week. This was to be a fairly busy week.

First up was lunch with Cuz out at Abbotsford. On returning to the city, I then went for a wander through the alleyways/arcades that link Flinders street through to the Bourke Street Mall. I continued to stroll about the city checking Melbourne out again. Much has changed while much hasn’t.

Later that evening I caught up with Maryanne at Transport for a few drinks before we crossed Fed Square to dine at Chocolate Buddha. We finished up back at Transport for a few for the road.

Thursday saw jetlag finally catch me as I slept til around midday, so it was a cruisey afternoon with the book and Charlie (Sime n Chels’ hyper-energetic pug dog). Lian Hearn’s "Heaven’s Net is Wide", if you’re curious. An excellent read and it is the prequel to the "Across the Nightingale Floor" series. But I digress... The evening was spent with Sime n Chels - dinner and some couch time with little Myles. Interesting what you can learn from a 9 month old... Don’t play with them too much after they’ve just had a bottle. I’m sure you can work out the result...

Friday was a busier day than expected. A pub lunch with Shar’s sister, Amanda (which is how Shar and I know each other) in Fitzroy Street in the sun. Chicken parmagiana was the go, simply because it’s been two years since I’ve had one. The English just look at you should you mention such a thing. Anyway, a good catch up in the warm sunny afternoon. I then trekked further down the street to meet cousin Hadrian at the Prince of Wales for a couple of beers in the sun (right). This catch up was a little unexpected (timing wise), but great to see each other again.

It was then a bit of a flurry to get back to the city despite the fact that we got caught in peak hour traffic. Unfortunately, leaving Hadrian in it while I darted up a few blocks to St Kilda road and onto a tram - I was still late, but thankfully I arrived at the same time as Steve, so all good. So at the Riverland bar on the banks of the Yarra, and after the shock of a pint of Asahi costing $15, we had good bit of time to catch up before Bubs and Cuz (left) arrived. We scored a table just as they did arrive so all that was left to do was while away the evening together. Myles had been a bit unsociable earlier, so Sime n Chels missed this one out, and as such I decided to accept Cuz’ offer to crash at hers for the night instead of risking waking Myles on my getting in. It was once there that we realised that I’d not seen her apartment as she’d bought it after I’d left. Needless to say, we chatted on til whatever time it was that we called it a night.

Saturday morning and it was a nice stroll through Fed square to check out some street theatre with a coffee. It was then time to head back to Sime n Chels place, but not before checking out a bit more of Melbourne as I took the scenic route to get to the bus stop for the ride back to theirs.

The afternoon took me into Yarraville with the Brown family, where we caught up with Hadrian at a street-side cafe. Once again enjoying the sunshine, its warmth and company. With Sime, Chels n Myles heading home in the late afternoon, Hadrian and I continued back to his place for another hours or so. All too soon, I was saying “see you later” to Hadrian and on a train back into the city to catch up and have dinner with B. Drinks at Riverland again, dinner in a DeGraves Street restaurant before a nightcap in a nearby bar, and it was very nice evening. Very much like we’d only seen each other yesterday than 2 years ago.

Sunday saw Chels n Myles, drop Sime and myself off at the Belgian Beer Cafe amidst the threat of a shower. We settled in here for the afternoon where we were joined by Nick n Riss Filsell with their young daughter Emily, Hannah, Cuz and Jackie. Alex & Owen joined us a bit later which, considering that he’d just done the Melbourne Marathon that morning, is fair enough. Despite a quick shower (what’s Melbourne without at least a sprinkle of rain), it was a nice sunny afternoon with everyone. Great to see everyone again.

Quite a few drinks later and several farewells, I was to find myself further along St Kilda road having dinner with Maryanne again, as she couldn’t make the afternoon.

Monday had an understandably slow start and was a cruisey relaxed day in much the same way as Thursday was. Again, dinner and some couch time with Sime, Chels, Myles and some funny Aussie television, but this time that threatening rain from the day before was a nasty storm. No matter to me, as I was flying out the next morning to sunny Sydney.

Is Melbourne home? It was for over 5 years and certainly could be again...