Day 8: Cricket

Sleeping in was a rare treat, as we woke up at 7:30 for an adventure jog in a new direction. We jogged through beautiful new areas, finding small parks, old buildings, cafes, and so much more. Melbourne is home to so many hidden gems, every street leads to another discovery, another masterpiece of architecture, another couple walking their dogs. We returned for a workout, then set out for breakfast at a new spot we ran past an hour before, Trutrack. This hidden cafe was empty except for two couples, and by the time we left there were 15-20 visitors, many of which were part of a older cycling team. The food was amazing...

We worked on thesis (I mostly edited photos from yesterday), then set out for our first Cricket experience. We started our walk at the Shrine of Remembrance, a dedication to the Australian solders who lost their lives in The Great War. A short ways away, we walked through the Botanical Gardens on the way, and it's by-far the largest and most diverse botanical gardens I've walked. We arrived after several miles to the cricket stadium. Initially, the rules seemed complicated and strange, but as the game progressed, I found it to be a pretty entertaining event. As the match began, the crowd rose and stood in total silence for a minute to mourn the loss of the three adults and child who died in yesterday's manic driving incident downtown. Melbourne was in a state of shock, as acts of violence don't occur nearly as much as they do in the United States.