Fun, yet PRECIOUS week part 2
Here comes the second part!
Fasten your seat belts!
Saturday 11th: A fun-filled day with loads of activities... This is the day I tested my own driving skills by driving long distances and slight mountainous roads, and not knowing my way entirely. Discarding the GPS, I relied on my Dad's fantastic sense of direction (we've drove past that district the day before so Dad still recognizes the way) and we arrived at Belgrave to see the Puffing Billy - steam rail - depart at 2.30pm. We can actually ride on it and it will bring us through the Dandenong Ranges, but the tickets are so expensive! Furthermore we have other plans and the ride will take about 2hours. So we just took photos with Puffing Billy and see it depart with its happy passengers.
With Puffing Billy
The head of the train being detached from its body and then sent to this place where they will refill the coal, and get ready for the next trip.
Happy passengers dangling their feet outside the train
Mommy and I inside the train
Puffing Billy before taking off
Family photo with Puffing Billy
With Mr 'Conductor'
Random photo #1: White clouds, blue blue skies, with a cloud of smoke
Random photo #2: My afternoon shadow
The Peugot I drove - very good car - Loved the power steering. But hate the hand brakes!
After that I drove to Tesselaar's Tulip Festival and I am glad I've made the right choice. Mom loves tulips! It's one of her favorite flowers, and she was thrilled to see all of those tulips of different colours. There are also those 2-coloured tulips which you probably can't get to see in Singapore. 2 years ago when I visited the tulip farm, it was still in the beginning of the season therefore the flowers are blooming and beautiful. This time round, we only made it at the end of the season, therefore many of the flowers are fully opened, and some of them are wilting. Many of them have their bulbs removed for sale. It's a pity, but we still enjoyed ourselves anyway.
I've learned that tulips were first discovered in Turkey, though it's more commonly associated with Holland, being Holland's national flower. Also, the tulip farm in Melbourne was first started in the 1930s, when a couple from Holland fled the war and arrived in Melbourne for shelter.
My favorite yellow ones...
Mommy amidst the beautiful flowers...
Gorgeous tulips
Field of tulips...
That's the place we went to...
Daddy and some art piece in the middle of the field.
Turkish pancakes - the cheese and spinach ones are yummy!
Dutch
The symbolic windmill
After the tulip farm there wasn't any more time to drive up further into the Dandenong Ranges. Initially I wanted to visit the lavender farm in Lilydale too, and bring them to the William Reckett Sanctuary and Mt. Dandenong. But we got to give those a miss since we're meeting Dad's friend for dinner in Box Hill, and we can't possibly be late. Therefore we drove to Box Hill, and dinner was at this Greek tavern called Mihalis. I didn't like the food there... Too salty. Dad and his high school friend were talking, and it's just me and Mom, and the wife and children of Dad's friend. Not too interesting.
Sunday 12th: My parents' last day in Melbourne... Didn't do much since we're all tired from Saturday's trip. Mommy's feet hurt so I got to cancel my plans to visit Brighton Beach. In the end we went to the city again, and did some shopping before going to Crown Casino again, and this time round, it was Mommy's suggestion to have buffet again, so I brought them to Sante - a cheaper yet more variety buffet. Mom liked the cakes there, and Dad feels that the Asian selection was much better than Conservatory. We sat there for hours and talked for hours. Called back to Taiwan and talked to some of our relatives in Taiwan. I haven't talked to them for a long time now...
Yummy cakes that Mom took...
My first course...
Mommy...
Me and mommy...
Brought my parents to take photos with Melbourne's symbolic street graffiti.
And that's it... One week in Melbourne, and it passed by so quickly. Time always goes by quickly when you are having fun! I miss my parents so much now, but what can I do? Hopefully I will get to see them soon~
Now it's time to start slimming down already. I swear I've gained so much weight recently, and worse still, I've had 2 buffets in a week. So terrible of me!
Fasten your seat belts!
Saturday 11th: A fun-filled day with loads of activities... This is the day I tested my own driving skills by driving long distances and slight mountainous roads, and not knowing my way entirely. Discarding the GPS, I relied on my Dad's fantastic sense of direction (we've drove past that district the day before so Dad still recognizes the way) and we arrived at Belgrave to see the Puffing Billy - steam rail - depart at 2.30pm. We can actually ride on it and it will bring us through the Dandenong Ranges, but the tickets are so expensive! Furthermore we have other plans and the ride will take about 2hours. So we just took photos with Puffing Billy and see it depart with its happy passengers.
With Puffing Billy
The head of the train being detached from its body and then sent to this place where they will refill the coal, and get ready for the next trip.
Happy passengers dangling their feet outside the train
Mommy and I inside the train
Puffing Billy before taking off
Family photo with Puffing Billy
With Mr 'Conductor'
Random photo #1: White clouds, blue blue skies, with a cloud of smoke
Random photo #2: My afternoon shadow
The Peugot I drove - very good car - Loved the power steering. But hate the hand brakes!
After that I drove to Tesselaar's Tulip Festival and I am glad I've made the right choice. Mom loves tulips! It's one of her favorite flowers, and she was thrilled to see all of those tulips of different colours. There are also those 2-coloured tulips which you probably can't get to see in Singapore. 2 years ago when I visited the tulip farm, it was still in the beginning of the season therefore the flowers are blooming and beautiful. This time round, we only made it at the end of the season, therefore many of the flowers are fully opened, and some of them are wilting. Many of them have their bulbs removed for sale. It's a pity, but we still enjoyed ourselves anyway.
I've learned that tulips were first discovered in Turkey, though it's more commonly associated with Holland, being Holland's national flower. Also, the tulip farm in Melbourne was first started in the 1930s, when a couple from Holland fled the war and arrived in Melbourne for shelter.
My favorite yellow ones...
Mommy amidst the beautiful flowers...
Gorgeous tulips
Field of tulips...
That's the place we went to...
Daddy and some art piece in the middle of the field.
Turkish pancakes - the cheese and spinach ones are yummy!
Dutch
The symbolic windmill
After the tulip farm there wasn't any more time to drive up further into the Dandenong Ranges. Initially I wanted to visit the lavender farm in Lilydale too, and bring them to the William Reckett Sanctuary and Mt. Dandenong. But we got to give those a miss since we're meeting Dad's friend for dinner in Box Hill, and we can't possibly be late. Therefore we drove to Box Hill, and dinner was at this Greek tavern called Mihalis. I didn't like the food there... Too salty. Dad and his high school friend were talking, and it's just me and Mom, and the wife and children of Dad's friend. Not too interesting.
Sunday 12th: My parents' last day in Melbourne... Didn't do much since we're all tired from Saturday's trip. Mommy's feet hurt so I got to cancel my plans to visit Brighton Beach. In the end we went to the city again, and did some shopping before going to Crown Casino again, and this time round, it was Mommy's suggestion to have buffet again, so I brought them to Sante - a cheaper yet more variety buffet. Mom liked the cakes there, and Dad feels that the Asian selection was much better than Conservatory. We sat there for hours and talked for hours. Called back to Taiwan and talked to some of our relatives in Taiwan. I haven't talked to them for a long time now...
Yummy cakes that Mom took...
My first course...
Mommy...
Me and mommy...
Brought my parents to take photos with Melbourne's symbolic street graffiti.
And that's it... One week in Melbourne, and it passed by so quickly. Time always goes by quickly when you are having fun! I miss my parents so much now, but what can I do? Hopefully I will get to see them soon~
Now it's time to start slimming down already. I swear I've gained so much weight recently, and worse still, I've had 2 buffets in a week. So terrible of me!
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