Melbourne, Australia

Most of my work was done early in the day, that left the afternoon for a very long walk. It ended at the Victoria Winter Night Market, but started at the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum. The REB was built in 1879 for major exhibitions and is still in use today, having been a mass-vaccination site during the pandemic. There are tours, but none available until long after I’m gone. I did sneak a peak through the cracks of a doorway.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

This is a little bonus, perhaps my new favorite monument – erected completely out of spite.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

What may be my only night during Women’s World Cup group play that I don’t need to edit, I got lucky – a fellow I know through work back in Georgia told me his favorite aunt lived in Melbourne and he connected me. Whenever I travel, I love getting to meet new people and talk with them about their lives.

His aunt brought her husband, two sons and a daughter-in-law along. This could have gone horribly wrong, but we ended up talking for nearly four hours. It was a spectacular evening.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

After looking at the schedule, this was the only day where I felt I could get down on the pitch and make some photos myself. I requested a ticket and was able to spend the first half behind a camera, reliving a little of my last Women’s World Cup, 24 years ago.

Would I have made an editor happy? Maybe? I haven’t practiced this as much as my kids have, so they clearly outshot me. But I don’t think I would have been fired.

Germany beat Morocco, 6-0.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Today, Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzine walked onto the pitch at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for a familiarization. Tomorrow, she may become the first player to wear a hijab during FIFA competition.

After MD-1 activities, I took the long way home and found some lost souls.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

I wasn’t sure how busy the days were going to be (very, it turns out), but on my Melbourne to-do list was a visit to Albert Park and a walk around the roads that are used for the Australian Formula 1 race. At about 3.25 miles, it’s a good hike around the lake, but so worth it to look at the corners I’ve seen so many times on the broadcasts.

Because the park is open to the public the rest of the year, it’s technically a temporary circuit. All the grandstands are gone, the barriers moved away. But you can see the pavement that delineates the track and the curbs the cars so violently hit. On pit road, you can also see remnants of the team’s markings, used to judge the precision with which the driver places the car during pit stops.

The ride out and back, via tram and some walking, was lovely, as well.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

The students had their first match, the only one with a noon start, so we were heading back in the late afternoon. A lot of energy, a lot of learning today. That left time for an evening walkabout.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

The winds started the day off briskly, the afternoon had us at the Melbourne Rectangulr Stadium for MD-1, the news conferences and familiarizations on the day before the match. Christin Sinclair and coach Bev Priestman spoke befor eleading the team out onto the field.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia