Train Station at Swansons

Visited Melbourne, Australia in July 1999. I was there in business (training a distributor and visiting customers) and as a guest speaker at a Linux Conference (talking about open source and hardware vendors), but had a chance to take a couple of days off to go around.

Australia is one of the oldest land masses on the globe and, while I did not have much time to explore outside Melbourne, it has very interesting fauna and flora and geography. It is home to Kangoroos and Koalas. The British arrived in the 18th century to the land originally inhabited by theAboriginal communities.

During my visit, I learned that Australians like big houses, drink lots of beer, drive on the left side of the road, and don't like to stay in line. I was somewhat surprised by the cold wheather (I knew it was winter, but I did not realize Melbourne latitude is higher than the South of Brazil) and the European atmosphere of Melbourne.

I explored the city by foot. It is a very organized and cosmopolitan city. Went to the beach and the suburbs, took the tram and explored a bit outside the city center.

Also went to Philip Island. It is a 2-hour bus ride from Melb. Saw Kangaroos and Koalas on the way to the "Penguin Parade".

The penguins live in burrows on land. Every morning they go to the sea. In the afternoon, they have to cross the beach on the way home. Because penguins are not exactly the best runners, that is a very dangerous endeavor (predators are always waiting for them). So, they wait for the sunset before leaving the sea in large groups and rushing through the beach. That goes on everyday and you can watch the interesting happening.

Melbourne has also nice bars and the best steaks...

"Melbourne"

Chloe is standing naked, gazing to something outside the frame...

She was 14-year old when the french Jules Lefebre portrayed her in natural size, au natural. She suicided a couple of years later after Jules left with her older sister. The painting caused an uproar when it was first exhibited in Melbourne in 1880 because of the nude and the story behind it.

The Porterhouse steak with madeira (was it madeira?) sauce was perfect. Juicy, thick, medium rare. The cold Guinness stout from tap (perfectly poured) with the creamy foam...

The waitress was competent and melancholic. So was the barman. The bar is not full, but there is some people talking at the tables... Some couples talking about the future... Some old pals talking about the old times...

The corner of Swanson St and Filinders. The train station is busy. People rushing in and out after the day at work. People waiting for the bus. People looking at their wrist watches and crossing the street.

I'm at this table, holding my glass, looking through the window, with an absolutely amazing view of the most interesting corner in Melbourne (think of Ipiranga and Av. Sao Joao in Sao Paulo).

This 19th century hotel happens to have bought Chloe's portrait long time ago and exhibits it in its bar. The bar is kind of decadent, but authentic... and inspiring.

That is the most perfect bar table I've ever been to (or would it have been because of the two pints of Guinness?). The food is good, the view and the atmosphere are perfect. It probably feels and looks the same as it did 100 years ago.

I watch people outside...

Chloe comes out of the painting... sits down...

"How are you?"

And we talk all night...

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