I have a big bunch of keys for my third storey space. I call it a space because it remains empty, bereft of my possessions and therefore of me. Today I tested some keys. One for the front door, one for the back, another for the garage and another for the back gate. But what is the fifth one for?

I drove back across the West Gate Bridge with everyone else who was driving across the West Gate Bridge. Slow traffic. Pretty sky.

Monday
I caught the train from Yarraville to the city just as it was getting dark. It was raining. The approach to the city made me smile. It felt exciting and as though I really was on an adventure into the big city. There are some very tall and impressive looking buildings in central Melbourne. The reflection of the city lights on the river was beautiful in the rain.

I hurried along the wet footpaths with all the rest of the people grimly dodging raindrops, escaping work, heading out. It felt conspiratorial. We were all in it together.

Greater Union Cinema and the Melbourne Film Festival. Natural Selection.

http://tickets2.miff.com.au/videoPlayer.asp?sID=902

The theatre was packed. I didn’t want the film to end. The rain had stopped.

Delice de Bourgogne.
Tres bon.

The beach for Charlie seems to be all about pooing as much as possible, rushing to the mudflats and rolling in wet mud, and generally running around in a heightened state of excitement.

Footscray: Little Saigon: fruit, vegetables, creamy cakes, meat, chinese duck, fish, whole pig’s bottom, lots of smells, lots of noise, lots of people.

Hawthorn: pick up keys to new home
Fitzroy: The Green Grocer Organic Food Store: book in for a cooking class next Saturday

Still Fitzroy: Dagmar Rousset: Little shop with brightly coloured garments on Gertrude street. The owner used to be a French lecturer and translator. Purchase: Monsieur Non and Madame Oui. Mr Men books in French.

Elwood: New home: would I still like it? Yes.

That’s the living area. The door goes to my balcony. You can see the sea from the balcony. Just wait til my things arrive…Brief foray into the neighbourhood shops and excited discovery of an organic supermarket…note to self….must create a strict budget…and a local wine shop…again…budget…
Back to West Footscray to pick up my hairy friend for a beach visit…(to be continued)

Friday night. Made it through week one of school. And made it across the city to South Yarra and the teaching agency to meet the team on the 9th floor of a building that looked out across the cityscape to the setting sun, then back across the city to Yarraville.

Bopha Devi, Cambodian cuisine, with Meri and Sophie. Crisp pumpkin parcels for entree and Amok – a traditional steamed fish curry. I liked the name more than the dish I think. But lovely place and it was good to meet Meri and Sophie.

Living life like it’s golden over in westside with Charlie, the golden retriever.
This is Charlie:

SO once again, intrepid journeyer that I am, I set out into the highways and byways to drop my housesitting family at the airport. Actually, I was very clearly navigated there and got only vaguely lost under my own steam on the way back.

West Footscray. Emerging suburb. That apparently translates to multi-cultural, up and coming artsy, just-out-of-the-city-and-previously-not-realestateable-but-now-appealing-to young-families-who-want-to-buy-their-first-home-in-the-unbelievably-ridiculous-property-market.

Kate had given me a fantastic tour of the hood yesterday which I tried to recreate today…pool, the mall (Highpoint, which the locals call Knifepoint), Charlie walking, Yarraville for a glass of a wine in a cosy bar with the rain falling outside and a very fascinating looking bookshop across the road.

Here is Charlie living it up at the dogpark.

Saturday in Melbourne. A list of five potentials. No.1 a definite winner. Stone’s throw from the beach, art deco, spacious, floorboards. To ensure optimum reception, I drove a long way down Glenferrie Road to drop off my application form. Fingers crossed.

 Waiting to see another appartment near the beach. It had already been leased. I have my heart set on Bluff Avenue…