Very nearly real

I arrived in Melbourne this afternoon, after an early-ish start to the day, and two plane flights to get here.

I’m finding it hard to really believe that tomorrow evening is The Book Launch – I’m excited, nervous, and have to keep reminding myself that this time tomorrow, things will be well under way at Dymocks in Collins Street. There’s quite a crowd coming, so it should be a fun, if busy, event.

In the meantime, Melbourne is a city that I love, although I haven’t visited much in recent years. I wandered around the shops for a while this afternoon – after having afternoon tea at the Hopetoun Cafe in The Block Arcade, a personal tradition I started when visiting Melbourne as a teenager. The historian in me loves the fact that people have been having afternoon tea there for around 100 years!

The sun was setting as I walked over the pedestrian bridge over the Yarra River – wisps of pink clouds draped the skyline behind the tall city buildings, and the light that magical twilight with touches of apricot settling into dark blues.

Tomorrow I may do some more exploring, before coming back to the hotel to get ready for the book launch.

My book launch. Tomorrow.

Now I just have to decide what to wear!!