Woke up at about 6.30 and turned on the news to hear severe weather warnings for the area we were in and an approaching tropical cyclone for the North where we will be later in the week. We saw the first drops of rain on the windows of our room and the watched the water bouncing off the paved area outside while we had breakfast, not the best start to the holiday. We wanted to have a leisurely day today so went in search a city bus tour which we eventually found that had been cancelled since the outbreak of Covid. However, there was an alternative city tour on a historic tram which we used to get our bearings round the city. Our first stop was to visit the old Melbourne gaol, (jail) where the cells told the stories of some of the men and women who had been held there, and in many cases executed, including Ned Kelly the famous outlaw. Some of the stories were quite heartbreaking, of people wrongly convicted and executed. And the harsh treatment and punishments the prisoners were subjected to. We saw the site of execution with the trapdoor and the last drop. We continued on the tram through the Greek and Chinese quarters of the city and stopped for lunch in a small Greek bakery full of lovely cakes and pastries. By now the sun was out and from here we continued on tram and foot through the theatre district, passed the parliament building , visited a park and St Paul’’s cathedral and saw an arts complex which we want to re-visit for a laser show if we have time later in the week.
