Good morning Monty...

There are still many colourful trees ....we enjoy seeing them all on our walks with Monty in Newport.

And there are many creative gardens on the verges ....

Was so excited to visit Chadstone Shopping Centre...the last visit was years ago...it is the biggest shopping centre in Australia

Pete and I weren't at Chadstone for the shops ...we were there to see HOME - An Exhibition by Rone....Rone is known for his large scale installations created within abandoned and forgotten buildings. Pete and I saw one of his exhibitions in Perth some time ago and we were so enthralled with what we saw. Rone combines portraiture, interior, sound and atmosphere to create emotionally charged environments that blur the line between art, reality and storytelling. This immersive exhibition reconstructs a Chadstone shopfront as a familiar yet disquieting Australian weatherboard house. Visitors step inside a space that feels once intimate and nostalgic where materially rich time-worn interiors sit in contrast to the controlled architecture of the centre.

HOME is experienced as a 20 minute walk through, allowing audiences to fully absorb the detail, mood and emotion of the space at a considered pace. 

There was so much that brought back memories of our childhood.

The first room at the front of the house...a main bedroom...I think I had one of those paintings of the ballet dancers....

...the formal lounge room...

....the small objects in every room were so interesting...

I thought this little piece was beautiful...Tash would love it too...

...the hallway...some beautiful old paintings hanging there...

Probably the room that we gave the most attention to was the kitchen...my goodness we saw so many familiar items that we hadn't seen since we were children.

In his installations Rone frequently paints hauntingly beautiful women.

...the dining room...a very familiar tablecloth...

...and a very old piano and some very old sheets of music...what an experience...I hope we get to see more of Rone's exhibitions. Rone's real name is Tyrone Wright...

We did do a little shopping too.

 

A beautiful Sunday morning ...Pete and I decided to visit Footscray Park...an walk along the Maribyrnong River with Monty...We could take him off the lead and he had a fabulous time ...

I have been seeing these flowers often from the car and wondered what they were... the plant is called Torch Lily...

We walked down one side of the river and then back up the other side...in the distance you can see the Flemington Racecourse stands.....

...it was such a still morning....

...quite a few people out on the river in their canoes...there is an Amateur Canoe Club in the park....

A bonus...we were able to see the Flemington Racetrack ...neither Pete nor I had been to Flemington Racecourse before...

Michelle is home from London, so happy to see her....

Paul and Jeremy joined us for dinner so they could catchup with Michelle and hear all about her trip to London and France...we all had a nice time I think.

 

...the old and the new...a photo taken from Federation Square... Pete and I were on our way to the Ian Potter Centre..

...to see a marvellous exhibition ..."Mother. ...Stories from the NGV Collection"

...some of my favourites...

Extraordinary!

From the Ian Potter Centre we walked up to Little Collins Street to meet Jeremy for lunch...

You always get a fabulous cup of coffee in this city...

...we had a scrumptious lunch and a great discussion about a book Jeremy and I have just read..."Yesteryear.."

On our way to Flinders Station I noticed this building...inside was amazing......

I just love all the Melbourne arcades...

 

 Pete and I decided to visit Williamstown this morning.... a good decision, the water was like glass...stunning weather...

One of the many gorgeous homes in the area...

Down by the yacht clubs....

It was still a little foggy over the city...

In the afternoon Pete visited the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Albert Park and swam some laps...he thought the facilities were quite amazing.