M is for................

MELBOURNE....used to hate this city. As a young child we made many visits to our paternal grandmother in Coburg, an inner city suburb of Melbourne. I remember endless hours in the car and the frequent railway level crossings used to freak me out so much. I always gave an involuntary shiver as we crossed, imagining a train hurtling into us. To make matters worse I always disliked my Melbourne grandma. She wore lots of red lipstick and smoked all the time. My mother hated her with a vengeance and I probably picked up the bad vibes!!

Coincidentally , Coburg is where my daughter now lives, a few streets away from my grandmother's old house.
I make the trip from Sydney frequently and now enjoy the city and its energy. Even the railway crossings don't faze me anymore and I love the trams. Mostly I like the amazing mix of people of all ages and ethnicities. Coburg on a Saturday morning buzzes with people who actually look like they are enjoying themselves, drinking coffee, shopping, talking. It's funny that I am now more familiar with this city than I am with my home town of Sydney.

I usually travel by train, a long haul, but very relaxed and comfortable. It's a nice change from flying where one feels a bit like a steer being pushed onto a very crowded truck. (Actually I think cows on trucks have more legroom.)
On the XPT from Sydney to Melbourne there is plenty of room to stretch out and snooze, the service is good and the meals are (usually) edible.

Reflections of Melbourne

City lane