The day began with a rainbow and warm temperatures. A boat tour along the Yarra River which bisects this city of 5 million was lovely. The glorious sun made the river sparkle as we floated by picnickers on the banks and rowing racers. It was a beautiful experience as the weather on this trip has been tepid so far.
The library was our next stop. It was an enormous domed building constructed at the turn of the century containing millions of book. From the observation gallery we got an amazing view of the cavernous and very elegant reading room.
We visited the Shrine of Remembrance memorial for the fallen Australian soldiers of WWI. Across the river is the famous South Melbourne Market, the biggest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. A vendor there sold hundreds of fresh eggs from dozens of bird species. The ostrich eggs were the size of an open hand, thumb to pinky.
Rain started to fall and it got colder so we sought refuge in St. Pauls Cathedral. Lucky for us they were in the middle of a Christmas Carol service. Once outside we dodged the rain and hopped a tram that took us around the city center and then back to the ship at the sea port. Stopping at a bar nearby for gin and tonics, we met Wendy who excitedly showed off her three acre ranch where she recently dug up three foot long worms!
