The Anniversary Tourists

Posted on by Miriam

Some of you may have heard of the movie The Accidental Tourist. Well, last weekend we became The Anniversary Tourists, in our hometown of Melbourne.

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23 years together and he still makes me laugh.

It was our 23rd wedding anniversary and, for something different, we thought we’d celebrate it with a night on the town. Normally we escape to the spa countryside of Daylesford but this year we decided we’d hit the bright lights of the city.

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Me at Crown Casino
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Pre-dinner drinks in our room

There’s something particularly fun about being a tourist in your own city, with so many great places to visit. For us however, it was more about relaxing and enjoying quality time together.

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Pre Spectre drinks at the Gold Class Cinemas

One of the highlights of our weekend was watching the latest Bond movie, Spectre, in Gold Class seats at Crown Casino. For those who are unfamiliar, Gold Class is a five star cinema experience where you can order food and drinks, served during the movie. All whilst reclining in luxuriously decadent lounge seats.

So,what’s a girl to do?  Easy. Kick off the high heels and settle in for some heart stopping entertainment.  For Bond fans who haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favour, it’s fantastic!

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Christmas over the Yarra River

That night we wandered the streets. There were Christmas touches everywhere, buskers and music filled the streets. And we watched extraordinary Christmas lights change over the Melbourne Town Hall.

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Melbourne Town Hall all lit up

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Much later we dined in a restaurant at Crown Casino. And then we enjoyed live music and a coffee waterfront over the Yarra River.

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Finally we eat! Late night meal at Crown Casino

The next morning, after a leisurely buffet breakfast we visited the iconic Queen Victoria Market across from our hotel.  Despite the stifling heat we had a great time wandering the stalls and picking up some last minute Christmas gifts.

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Handcrafted roses made from soaps, free wine tasting (never too early in the day to sample!) organic food and vegetables and plants galore.

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It’s pretty amazing what you can fit into just one night away. We walked and talked, we wined and dined, we swam in the hotel pool and we bargain shopped before our late check out saw our getaway come to a close.

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It wasn’t all smooth sailing though. The train didn’t stop at our station, leaving us carting luggage in 40 degrees celsius heat, we changed hotel rooms and I left my bag behind, causing me to have a near panic attack.

But that’s life, which, like marriage, is rarely perfect.  Like most relationships we’ve had plenty of ups and downs but through it all we’ve remained best friends. I love him more than the stars. And we laugh a lot. And that, in my book, is the key.

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The Anniversary Tourists on the train

Wishing everyone love, laughter, happiness and peace this Christmas.

 

 

37 thoughts on “The Anniversary Tourists”

  7. What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary! I remember my parents did that one year…they spent the weekend at the Lord Elgin Hotel here in Ottawa. My mom rented a limo to take her and go pick my dad up from work and then they went on a champagne tour of Ottawa before checking into the hotel for the weekend.

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  11. A very happy ‘belated’ anniversary, Miriam. I am so happy to read this post- it makes me feel I am in Melbourne now 😊
    We visited many of the places that you went to that night- walks by the Yarra River, the same lane in QV market (I was exactly at that spot).

    We’ve seen specter in AMC dine-in here, awesome movie!
    I can so relate with you on that experience too 😊

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  14. Life Is A Journey,
    But My Best Wishes Are The Milestones
    That Will Give You Hope
    And Motivation To Move On.
    Am Wishing You A Joyous New Year!
    With warmth, love and blessings from MiddleMe to you and your readers.

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  17. Great post! Happy belated anniversary, too! I did a play on the Accidental Tourist a couple of years ago – a series of 10 articles “The Accidental Vacation.” Our truck broke down in the Redwoods of northern California, and we were stuck for a week in a beautiful vacation spot. It was one of the best vacations we ever had. 🙂 I’m glad you two enjoyed a fun staycation for your anniversary last year.

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