We woke up to the radio announcer telling his listeners that it was the coldest day in Melbourne in years.

In some parts, it was -5 but outside it was -2. No wonder my nose was so cold!

The house was freezing and the only thing that was different to any other winter day was that Pud our cat, who usually stays asleep on a chair in the lounge room, had instead settled himself beside me under the covers in bed. He obviously felt the cold too.

I wondered what I could do today to enjoy the glorious crisp cold and cloudless Melbourne day. Andrew was going to work from home all day but I always need to get out for a bit of fresh air.

I can’t always stay inside as I like to walk and explore.

I decided to walk around my old university grounds given that it was school holidays and there’d be no students about. Maybe followed by a short trip to my favourite library in my city – Brighton Library?

So with that I got up, got dressed, had a bowl of porridge and headed out.

A Cold Start

This is what I was met with. First I had to defrost the car and put warm water on the windscreen to melt the ice that had settled there.

A short drive later I had arrived at Monash University. I parked the car and started wandering and taking photos.

About half hour into my walk, a security guard came up to me and asked me what I was doing. I explained that I had been a student there in the late 80s and I was exploring my student haunts. I regaled stories of how the science labs looked like and the lectures I attended and watched his eyes glaze over. Soon enough, he left me alone.

Ah the joys of being a grey haired woman with a penchant for waffling on to strangers so they could then realise I’m harmless and leave me alone in peace….

I’ve realised that’s a great strategy. Just keep talking and talking. Young people would rather get back to scrolling their Instagram then talking (or even being seen) with an old person.

And with that, he didn’t want to hear about the story of the time I blew up glass beaker in a chemistry experiment gone wrong, he turned around and waved goodbye with a lazy arm in the air.

So long, security man!

I turned around and continued my walk and photo taking. Here’s what I saw….

I enjoyed my time there and even bought a book and a pen at the shop at the Student Union (now called the “Campus Centre”). I did wonder if this new name had something to do with the general feeling of corporatising universities. I shared my feeling with my friend who explained it as:

Overall, I felt the grounds and buildings were ultra modern, clean, tidy and proper. Very unlike the university in my day that had posters glued on every vertical surface, noise, chaos and mayhem of students sitting on the grass. Loud conversations and music and laughter. Dare I say it, although it was pleasant enough to walk around, it felt a bit sterile.

Off to my next stop.

Brighton Library

When I tire of modern buildings with weird and jarring modern artworks and sculpture that make no sense to me, I head to my most favourite library in Melbourne because its design was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.

I like this place because it blends architecture and artworks from the late 1800s, art deco buildings and a building of the 1960s in a garden and space that is pleasing to the eye and spirit.

I shared to her how I felt different in places that were of different time periods preferring the past than the future.

Maybe she’s right. There’s something to be said about taking note of our surroundings and why we seek out spaces that comfort and calm us.