The cat is out of the bag…….

I’ve had a secret……..I spent the weekend in Melbourne with my dear friend Sharon.  We ran away from home and had just the best time ever!

Flying out of Coolangatta Airport at 7am Saturday, arriving in Melbourne around 9 am.    Here is my travelling companion Sharon.

We hopped a bus to Southern Cross Station, then onto a hotel shuttle bus to our hotel The Ibis.

Too early to check in, we stored our bags and headed out to Carlton Gardens and The Royal Exhibition Building, where the Australasian Quilt Convention was being held.

This building is stunning!

 

Many, many, many beautiful quilts, lots of trade stalls, even a even few quilting ‘celebrities’ My blog friend Alison met us about lunch time and we chatted and ambled around the venue, getting to know each other as we went along.

At about 15 minutes before the doors closed we left, well pleased with our few purchases, and the enjoyable time we had spent browsing and gathering inspiration and motivation.

Always thinking of food, I suggested we go to the famous Lygon Street to find a place for dinner, it was on the way back to our hotel, too easy!

We were accosted outside a nice looking Italian Restaurant, the name escapes me right now, with the promise of a free bottle of wine and garlic bread…..ever the bargain hunters, we snapped up the ‘offer’.

King Prawn Fettuccini was to die for!  What was even more exciting for me was the flirting by the waiter, it’s been a long time since anyone has flirted with me!!!

Off we went to our hotel……to find no vacancy due to a computer glitch…not a problem they tell us, can we move you to our ‘sister’ hotel The Novotel on Collins’ we’ll pay for the cab fare and there will be no extra charge for being upgraded to a 4 star hotel. Oh ok if you insist!!

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Very nice hotel room, right in the centre of Melbourne, a pleasant stroll to Crown Casino where I promised Sharon a surprise…..

This gas fired light show happens on the hour outside Crown Casino. Where we indulged in a Gelato, then wondered through the gaming room stopping to watch the roulette table for a little while,wondering how anyone would choose gambling over fabric and craft purchases??? Or food for that matter!

Back to our hotel for a well earned sleep! Thank heavens for mobile phone alarms, we woke at 8.30 am, jumped up and readied ourselves for Sunday in Melbourne.

Breakfast in a delightful little alleyway cafe, then to the Queen Victoria Markets for a browse and a little retail therapy. Not to be slowed by a ‘little fun run traffic’ we hopped it to a tram stop for a ride to St Kilda Beach, strap hanging like a local!

The market along the footpath caught our attention for a little while before the lure of Ackland Street and the many, many wonderful eateries dragged us away.

We settled on lunch at Abbey Road and Sharon and I shared a chicken burger so we could leave room for dessert, a Brandy Snap for her and the best vanilla slice in the state for me.

All to soon it was time to hop a tram back to the city.

An essential stop at Haigh’s Chocolate Shop.

 

A cuppa and an Iced Chocolate, another essential!

By this time all the walking had our feet crying out for relief, not to mention our tummies, this city is a foodies paradise!  While waiting for our shuttle bus back to Tullamarine airport we snapped these lovely horse drawn carriages.

Then before we knew it, the weekend was over, and we were on our flight home, back to reality!

My first thank you must go to my long suffering husband Greg for encouraging me to go, thanks to Sharon for accompanying me and to her and her family for having me stay over the night before and after, and her ever patient husband, also Greg for getting us to the airport safely, while instructing their daughter Mikaela as she is learning to drive.

All the behind the scenes activities that worked so well to create a perfect weekend get away for Sharon and I, great weather, planes running on time, buses being right where we needed them and hotel rooms with well appointed rooms…….the list of thanks would only be greater in an Academy Award speech……..

I’m still recovering, and will post some quilt photo’s in a day or two. Hope you enjoyed a peek into our weekend escape!

 

Julie xx