Today I headed into the city with mum to see the Open Horizon Greek Artefact Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum.

It was the first time in about 2.5 years my mum had come into Melbourne and indeed travelled on a train so it was nice to see her enjoying herself. It was my little birthday gift to her to take her out for the day and have a bit of a wander.

We were lucky with the weather in that the sun was out and there was no wind. Walking through Fitzroy Gardens was lovely because there was no one about. Her biggest surprise was that Melbourne was so quiet for a weekday. Not many people about nor were the trains full and it felt like it was a public holiday.

The exhibition is on until August and they brought in some relics from the National Archaeological Museum in Greece.

Open Horizons – Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections tells the story of ideas, influences and connections that form and build communities. The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through Ancient Greece exploring how the trade of ideas and goods influenced Greek culture, and in turn influenced the ancient world

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/open-horizons/

I loved the marble statues of Greek gods (it’s pretty cool when you can read the inscriptions on the marble) but most of all, there was a lovely gold ring and on it, the image of a bull and an acrobat – a typical scene from Minoan Crete. I wonder who wore this ring from thousands of years ago?

Later on, heading back towards town, we stopped at a nearby cafe that only has a couple of people in it and we sat in a quiet corner to enjoy a cappuccino and pastry. As we still wear our masks everywhere, I’m mindful that we don’t go where lots of people are so it was perfect. It was the best cappuccino I’ve ever tasted in my life, thick, frothy and delicious. A lady around the same age as my mum sat nearby and we all started a conversation. Turns out she too was enjoying a birthday treat for herself too.

All up a lovely and quiet day in town with mum. Despite some niggling health issues I’ve been having of late, it was good to not have to think about those for a while and just chill.