Walking through Melbourne

The second day in Melbourne started with a free walking tour by I’m Free Tours. Here we got to know some of the city, whereby the walking tour focused to a large extent on the really impressive street art of the city. It was quite an entertaining walk – but I didn’t retain much of the information. Since the tour ended at the Arts Centre with its funny Eiffel Tower-esque roof construction on the other side of the Yarra River – probably Melbourne’s answer to Sydney’s Opera House – we made our way from here towards the Shrine of Remembrance. On the way, we visited the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, which are really worth seeing.

The Shrine of Remembrance is one of the largest war memorials in Australia. Originally built as a memorial to all the men and women of Victoria who served in the First World War, it quickly became the central memorial to all 60000 Australians who died in the war. Today it serves as a memorial to all Australians who served in the war. The monument is truly impressive. From the Terrace you also have an excellent panoramic view.

After resting a little at the hotel, we went back to the city centre in the evening to see the musical Come From Away at the Comedy Theatre. The play, which revolves around the events of 9/11 and the resulting closure of American airspace, is quite remarkable. Each actor plays at least 10 roles, whether a resident of Newfoundland or one of the passengers on the 38 planes stranded in Gander. Several smaller stories are told; some tragic, some funny and some simply beautiful.

After our visit to the theatre, we went to one of the many rooftop bars in the city. The pleasant climate, the great ambience and the lighting of the other skyscrapers created an atmosphere that I have rarely experienced. Melbourne is a truly great city.