h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It was tremendous fun, seeing Tartaronne in Melbourne. Being stuck down here at the end of the world, it's always a bit exciting when someone makes the effort to come all that way and visit. It's even nicer when I can get a couple of days off w*rk at the same time.

I started having fun the day before I met Tartaronne, as it happens. I arrived in Melbourne, checked into the hotel, went shopping for a while then met my erstwhile colleague for a couple of drinks. That was at 6:30pm. After spending time at places including Trunk, Movida and the Melbourne Supper Club (which reminds me of a 1920s speakeasy, right down to the lack of a sign on the door) I got back to the hotel at 2:30am... I must admit that I didn't feel all that well when I woke up on Sunday, but I had all day to recover before Tartaronne was due to arrive. Tanzen helped me pass the time on a pub balcony overlooking the Queen Victoria Markets and Batman's grave, which is strangely located in the market carpark. (What a strange place to put the body of the founder of the city. Yes folks, Melbourne was founded by Batman. Make of that what you will.)

[Kea - I reminded Tanzen that she'd promised to return to hootoo one of these days. She didn't rule this out. Here's hoping.]

As it happens, I was just walking back up the street to the hotel when a taxi pulled up and Tartaronne got out. So that was good timing.

Over the Sunday evening and Monday we walked around town a lot, ate at a reasonably pleasant restaurant at Southgate, had a couple of drinks, looked at architecture and streetscapes and things, and visited the offices of an organisation with which I have professional dealings so that Tartaronne could interview someone while I went incognito and read a book in the reception area. Later that day we met up with Tanzen by arrangement for further drinks at Young & Jackson's. Then we wandered off to Docklands and a rather good Indian restaurant.

The next day, Tuesday, we all spent time at the National Gallery of Victoria's Australian galleries in Federation Square; I particularly appreciated seeing the Aboriginal art galleries, which are well-curated; this is worthy of comment as Aboriginal art is often just hung on a wall with no context supplied. The NGV is a praiseworthy exception. (The temporary fashion exhibition was, by contrast, laughable.)

Soon after that, and after a few last drinks and much laughter, I had to go to the airport to catch a flight back to sordid reality.

Tartaronne had another day in Melbourne after that. She's probably *almost* home by now, jet-lagged no doubt. She can record her own impressions of Melbourne; let's see how good my memory is...

Sounds like a wonderful time.

I really enjoyed my micro meet with Bea the other week. I'm car@p as a city guide, though.

It was good fun, playing city guide to a city I don't live in. I managed somehow...

Well, I live in this city, but I don't get around much, and it was dark, so I managed to get us lost a little.

Lost? Surely not. You were just taking the long way around to avoid the tourist traps.

Sometimes the only time you really get around to "see" your hometown is when you have out-of.town-guests visiting.

That's true. You never go into the museums in your own town, for a start.

Now I want to go a-meeting with someone.

Come on down then, Mala. I'm sure Tartaronne will confirm that I'm not a complete lunatic...

.. there's meets and mini-meets in the air .. I'm sure of it

did I mention I can read the future in ??

Hmmmm, tempting, Ivan

If I drink enough I see things - is that the same concept?

There's a sofabed here Mala, and just enough notable architecture to keep you busy/interested/appalled...

... not necessarily ... careful with pink elephants seeing those usually has nothing to do with the future

Personally, I'd hate to think there were pink elephants in my future... They'd clash with the colour scheme of this room, for a start.

I wish I had the money. There are so many people I'd love to visit, many of them far, far away.

oh no, now i have slade singing in my head

nice journal, ivan glad you had a good time

Yes, money is the big problem...

You seem to have captured the most, Ivan. - and for the guidance, the spirited talk and all the laughs.

I think the nude girl could have deserved a mention (eh, ?).

I'm not exactely jetlagged, but I came home to a crisis with my demented mother and had to spend yesterday accommodating her into a nursing home, on a temporary basis for three weeks.

It's a cool place, though, an old castle kept in 'castle style' with yellow room and blue room, and the local art museum has lent the place paintings for the walls.

http://vagnvium.dk/bollers.htm

Now I'll return to figure out where I am - and not the least, who.

I'm glad there's somewhere for your mother to be for a few weeks; I hope it helps.

As for the nude girl - should I explain, or leave people guessing?

And yes, to everyone who's mentioned the problem - money's an awful obstacle; the absence of money explains my own absence from the northern hemisphere since July 1988...

, Tartaronne. We're busy moving my grandmother into a nursing home, it's not easy...