Allotments and sports

Jean writes:

Whilst devoting most of the morning to domestic chores, we took some time off to visit the "community gardens" or allotments in St Kilda.  Apart from the fruit, vegetables and flowers being grown, there are also some samples of crafts on show.  

Later on we took advantage of Peta's (see yesterday's post) offer to meet us at the National Sports Museum, which has an excellent collection of memorabilia - paintings, photos, clothing, equipment, silverware, statistics and anything else relevant you can think of, including a hologram of Shane Warne talking about his cricketing life and successes.

Aside from the cricket section, there were exhibits for all other Aussie sports and a big part devoted to the Olympics.  Just wish we had got there earlier and had been able to see more.  

One of the interesting features of the history of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) was the 'reversible stand' of 1876, of 'ingenious design'.  In those times, people watched cricket inside the ground in summer, but watched football outside in the part in winter.  

The Argus noted that, "The floor of the stand is suspended on hinges along the middle line, so that once certain moveable supports have been withdrawn from beneath the top of the incline, the floor can be sloped in the opposite direction, toe enable the public to look down upon football play instead of upon an empty cricket ground."

Dave writes:

Back to basics 

Saigon, Hanoi, Melbourne, cricket, tennis and now - the laundrette at St Kilda. 

Two weeks of washing have built up and there's nothing for it but to tram it down and wash the dirty linen in public.

Three machine-fulls but time to pop over the road for late breakfast of berries pancakes (qv).

Back to the hotel only to find we've left one carrier-full behind!  Grr!

An hour to rectify error but lovely day for it.  Sunny, hot and clear as a bell by the bay. A favourite place.

 Hoping our hire car next week will be one up on this !