Walk #2 this afternoon. I took the cyclists’ designated track along the railway line, heading south to Brunswick. The weather didn’t look too promising when I set out " grey & overcast. One of those typical “between seasons” Melbourne days. It could get you down if you let it, all that grey. But I chose to ignore it & plough on, at full speed!
The trip along the cyclists’ track is fast. No traffic lights to continually stop you. Though it’s not too exciting (apart from the cyclists whizzing past at great speeds). A lot of tags & graffiti left by kids on high backyard fences. And of course, the trains, constantly heading north & south. Apart from that, it’s very peaceful. You can lose yourself in your thoughts as you charge along.
Eventually it seemed a good idea to get back onto Sydney Road. Always busy, even on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Trams rattling noisily along, clanging their bells. A constant stream of cars going from A to B. And lots of people. Strolling on the footpaths, charging along in their runners like me, getting their hair cut at the middle eastern barber shops (Sunday seems to be a big hair cutting day), people eating late lunches, people out buying food, people of just about any ethnic group you could name ....
Anyway, altogether I think I walked around 8 km, from here & back. With a few diversions as I went ... like stopping at the A1 Bakery (middle eastern) for a few of their spinach & cheese triangles (absolutely delicious!) one to eat for lunch as I walked & a couple for later. A stop at the outdoor market area at the Albion St intersection, to check out the produce. Very reasonable prices for bananas, fresh Borlotti beans, apples ... but did I really want to have a backpack that weighed me down, with so many more kilometres yet to go? No, I decided to make my purchases in my “home” part of Sydney Road, in the last stretch. A stop at Savers (big 2nd hand op shop/thrift shop) Very crowded. But no exquisite 2nd hand teapots, no unusual watches, no jewellery of interest today, no books which tempted me ... so onward, turning back north, at top speed!
On the way back I ran into one of my neighbours (The eastern studies/yoga lady ), taking her grandson out for a walk. We stopped & chatted for a bit. About the possibility of rain. (A constant topic of conversation with us Melbournians. We are obsessed about rain. With good reason.) And earlier on, as I was chugging along, I became rather annoyed by this persistent tooting from a hoon car. Anyway I paid no attention, just kept going. Till I realized the mad tooting was aimed at me! “Hey, MISS!!!” called the noisy car driver loudly , sticking his head out the window & waving. Then I realized it was R, a student of mine from way back! OMG, all these years later, he was exactly the same! As crazy as ever! I had to laugh & of course I waved back. Very funny.
Two hours later I eventually made it home, just as the first rain drops were beginning to fall.
So there you are, tsar, that was my walk report. I hope I didn’t leave anything out!
Decided not to walk home today.
