Gaol, Melbourne Museum and Dinner on Lygon St.

The Melbourne Gaol (pronounced "jail") is a popular attraction and both boys wanted to visit it.  The first part of our visit was experiential.  We were taken to be locked up in the newer part of the gaol which was used up until 1994.  We had a really kind gaoler who didn't yell at us too much.  I still found the experience creepy and sad.  My crimminal identity was Edith Tolleson and I was booked for 'stalking.'  I am pretty sure it was the red tights that were causing the commotion though, and my lawyer could have gotten me out.  Alan's identity was stealing from a jewelery store.  John Roy's was less probably than anyone's:  driving under the influence!

In the slammer.  

 

 

 

There really are padded cells!

The older part of the gaol was even creepier.  It was truly dark and cold.  Almost all of the cells on the three floors had a little exhibit about a criminal.  The hangman's scaffold was at one end of the second floor.  Many of the executed had death masks on display.  Overall, it was a rather dismal set of circumstances to spend the morning contemplating.

Alan in the older gaol.

 The Melbourne Museum was more cheerful.  We learned a lot about the history of the city, some more about aboriginal culture, and then a science exhibit about the brain.  Looking at a display about mental illness was interesting after having just been in the gaol all morning.  When the museum closed, we met Mark for dinner.  We selected the Italian area of town tonight, called Lygon Street.  As we walked down the restaurant lined street, there were people near each menu to entice you to pick their establishment.  I think this must be cold, hard work!  We ate at Sale E Pepe.  They gave us a round of free drinks and 25% off our bill, making the price more like what we would pay in the States.  Everyone liked their dinners, too!  We may head back up there again tomorrow.

When I woke this morning I had that "vacation feeling" where I was really going to have to be selective since we would be leaving an awful lot of this city unexplored. We're about halfway through the trip!