After another good night's sleep, I was awake at around 0500. I read until it was time for breakfast in the hotel lobby (0700). There was a dense fog early on so I waited (reading some books) until 0930 (late for me) to leave my hotel. For the first time this week, I didn’t cross the Yarra - instead, I looked around in the area behind my hotel in an attempt to access St. Kidna Road. The only way I could find took me through Arts Centre Melbourne, a distinctive looking structure with a tall spire. Along with the nearby Hamer Hall, another performing arts venue, city residents have a great selection of high-class entertainment. Coming outside again, I found the fog was nearly gone and had been replaced by a brilliant blue sky. I noticed that a queue had formed in front of the adjacent NGV International building; it was just opening (1000) so I followed the crowd inside. Unlike the “Melbourne Now” exhibit I visited at another NGV building earlier in the week, this museum contained things I’d definitely classify as art. There was a huge variety of work on display from all over the world - I especially enjoyed the Dutch and Japanese sections. It seemed that most people weren’t as interested in the former paintings so I found myself alone in one huge room of portraits and still life scenes. One of the guards struck up a conversation with me and then showed me a series of drawings he’d done (whenever the museum wasn’t busy) in colored pens. They were very good! When learning that my roots were in the Boston area, he pointed out that Melbourne and “Beantown” are Sister Cities. I’d never realized that but it clicked my opinion of the city up another notch. After I was done in the museum (1100), I walked across the street (to the east) and entered a HUGE city park area. Heading south, I passed through a series of pretty areas: Queen Victoria Garden, King’s Dominion and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Just before the last one, I detoured back to the west and visited the Shrine of Remembrance, dedicated to those who’ve served in the armed forces of the State of Victoria. The exhibits inside were really good. Wandering around later on the high ground nearby, I had great views of the city skyline and the Yarra. The trees were very majestic (a few were changing colors) and there were birds everywhere. The funniest (and loudest) ones were the colorful lorikeets but I got close to a flock of cockatoos and (finally) a magpie. I’d already thought of Melbourne as a beautiful walking city but today improved that opinion even more! Heading back to my hotel, I ate lunch (leftovers) in my room. Acting on the recommendation of several people I’ve talked to in Melbourne, I purchased a ticket for this afternoon’s Australian Football League (AFL) “footy” match between the Melbourne Demons (AKA Red and Blue) and the Hawthorn Hawks, scheduled for later this afternoon. To make sure I got the most from the experience, I left my hotel (1350) and walked (through Arts Centre again) to the MCG. As I walked along the north bank of the Yarra, I had to pass through a busy Korean Food Festival going on next to Federation Square - there was a logjam of people there. Still, I managed to arrive at the MCG by 1420 and had enough time to explore the grounds around the stadium before the gates opened at 1500. I’d expected my General Admission seat to be in the nosebleed section of the 100K seat stadium but was shocked when the ushers told me “sit wherever you want” (in GA). The closest open section ended up being on a very low level in the Hawthorn zone (the “Home” team side). During the course of the evening (game started at 1635), these diehard fans adopted me as an honorary member of their “clan.” This was fortunate because I needed help to understand a lot of what I saw. The first thing that struck me was the size and shape of the field - it was a HUGE oval! Melbourne’s team was one of the oldest in the league (established in 1858) and basically wrote the rules that govern the sport. There are 18 players on each team and points can be scored by kicking an oblong ball through wickets - one point for outer zones and six for inner zones (goals). The skill required to compete was amazing! Not only are the periods or "quarters" longer (roughly 30 minutes) but the players have to run, kick, bunt, tackle, dribble, mark - all without the benefit of padding. The fans were well dressed and well behaved - the rules were very clear: “misbehave and you are out!” Most people wore team scarfs (like the ones in the “Harry Potter” movies) but others went beyond that. In the goal area (very close to me), some folks handed out flags and pom-poms and coordinated rowdy cheers in support of their Hawks (on the opposite side, fans were doing the same thing for the Red and Blue). Most of the Hawks fan jerseys had the word “Tasmania” on them so I initially thought that’s where they were based. Some of the younger fans near me (who were interested in my accent) informed me that some of the team sponsors were over in “Tassie” but the team was based in a suburb of Melbourne. The theme song for the Hawks was set to the “The Yankee Doodle Boy” tune while the Red and Blue had a song that sounded like “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” An older gentleman told me the Hawks were a young team and might not do well. A nearby young boy and girl (they reminded me of a young Harry and Hermione) added that their Hawks “would do well in the beginning.” Unfortunately, the first two periods did not go well for the home team… Most of the action was on the complete opposite side but it was all going Melbourne’s way. After half time, though, the Hawks showed some life and scored a series of goals to close the gap. We got to see scoring right in front of us and some young players scored their first AFL goals. The many kids proudly waved their banners and cheered very loudly after each score. Some of the adults were boisterous in their support or criticism, depending on the current situation. Along the way, I got some food (chicken sandwich and chips) and beer (Carlton Drought) for very reasonable prices. After the sun went down, it actually got cold and seagulls started ominously circling the field (yikes). Still, the "footy" action was so engaging that I ended up staying for the whole game (it ended at 1900). The final score indicated a clear beating - Melbourne was in top form and Hawthorn has some room to grow. Overall, I had a great time! After the match, I followed the mass of humanity on the pathway that led to Flinders Street Station. There were lots of street performers along the way. Instead of going straight to the hotel, I (re)entered Queen Victoria Park in search of a place to look at the stars. After a bit of dodging street lights, I found a big clearing. After some research (and luck), I located the Southern Cross for the first time in all my journeys south of the Equator. Very satisfying! While walking nearby, I also saw a brushtail possum (a guy watching it told me what it was). I arrived back at my hotel by 2000 and spent the rest of the evening blogging, resting and reading. Bed time was at 2300. What a great day! I’ve seen some “Aussie Rules” games on TV over the years but, after tonight, watching the screen won’t ever be the same again...
