Around
Melbourne

Spent the last 3 weeks focused on work and doing activities on weekends that Sharon wouldn't be as interested in and keeping up with Euro 2024. Weather has been OK — highs in the 40s–low 50s, sunny with little wind — much better than a December in DC.

My first visit was to the Australia Sports Museum, located in the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is also the National Sports Hall of Fame. I had no idea who Shane Warne was at the time — but we shared a few beverages in the BA Lounge in Mumbai for a couple of hours during a flight delay and he told me "tell your mates you had drinks with Shane Warne." When I shared this with my Indian and English co-workers, they were like "he is the Michael Jordan of cricket." He passed away a couple of years ago and has the largest display at the Hall of Fame — including this hologram.

The primary gamechanger for me was finding a "pop-up car rental" — like Uber but you rent a car by the hour, and one of the storage spots is right outside our cottage. On my test run, I found an SUV 5 minutes away, rented it for an afternoon, loaded the bike, and drove to the coast for a recommended trail. I had visited Williamstown with Sharon, Anish, and Steph last November — but the recommended trail was in the other direction. Nice coastal areas, mega-pelicans, and pine trees. My end of the bay reminds me of Southern California; the other side has a Mid-Atlantic feel with marshes and pine trees.

On some rainy weekends, I spent quality YouTube time on astrophotography — moon, stars, auroras — and joined a Meetup group with a camera tour around town and to a winter fire festival. Some artsy pictures attached. No luck yet on a good moon photo — taken about 100 so far and nothing good yet. Had an aurora that, if not for the clouds, could have been seen from Melbourne — so awaiting another chance for a sighting.

Went to a Winter Solstice Festival at a BBQ Roadhouse. Pretty authentic and great BBQ — had the burning of the metal bull to wish away the winter. Also was introduced to the Moreton Bay Bug — a shellfish that is either a large shrimp or a small lobster. "Reef and Beef" was an excellent meal. Also getting some cold bike rides in and Euro 2024 getting started.