Melbourne is Sports

For many years I had good reasons to visit Australia, for BMG this was a massive music market at Rothschild we could have made acquisitions for many reasons it never happened. Till that call from a colleague saying we need you here asap and at least for one month. The asap was not such an issue and with Etihad Airways (EY) from Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi with a 2 hr stop to Melbourne in the 380. It was a 23:55 min journey. EY is a great airline, very comfortable seats/bed quality food and solid entertainment program, although most movies I have seen already due to a very intense travel schedule.

First impressions: my super enthusiastic cabby who started immediately with a full explanation of what to expect in Melbourne. He was a pop-up tourguide cruising in a Holden, an Australian car from General Motors. Checking in at the Rydges hotel in the theatre district of 
and just a 5 min walk to our Nokia office, across Parliament. I was advised that Melbourne has a good coffee scene and indeed coffees shops everywhere, being a heavy and quality drinker myself I did my best without being impressed. I was enlightened though by the friendliness of the people working at the coffee shops, the baristas. Hi mate, no probs mate and on and on.....

Shower, breakfast and on my way to the office. First thing coffee, introductions and a briefing of the situation, the challenge and what must be accomplished during my stay which was ultimately one week. Melbourne is plus 10 hours with Paris so at a few points in the afternoon it was hard staying concentrated as the sleep kicked in. That day I went to bed at 9PM slept for 6 hours and the next day went for an early run. Hundreds of runners, bikers and rowers on and around the Yarra river. That was a fantastic feeling at 6 AM, Melbourne transpires sports moreover I went running in what used to be the Olympic grounds with the AAMI and Rod Laver Stadium plus the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A stadium with a capacity of 100.000 people. After 6K i went back to my room, showered, breakfast and back to Nokia. Next day a similar routine but other direction via the Yarra Park and river direction city and its financial center. Many buildings had Christmas decorations after all it was early December.

The center of Melbourne is easy to get around. Friday evening I took the City Circle Tram and one sees basically all the important monument, parks, shopping streets, the Etihad Stadium and of course the Yarra river. Melbourne is completely connected through a very dense tram system (Streetcar). The tourist are mainly from Asia and China plus a few Frenchies and Italians!

Its a happening everywhere. Downtown, St. Kilda the harbour marina area everywhere one sees restaurants and bars, very much a beer and even boutique beer culture. Its very very outgoing, also this time of year there were many office Christmas parties which added to the livelyhood of this cosmopolitan city.

 Melbourne Parliament

Fleetstreet Station, one of the oldest buildings in Downtown.