Mom Comes to Melbourne!

First we took a walking tour of Melbourne and met all the local buskers.

 Here's my friend Zane playing his yayli tanbur. It's a Turkish instrument. I met him when I was busking at the St. Kilda Farmer's Market and as two American buskers lost in Australia we bonded and had dinner. Then I saw him twice again on the street busking! He is funding his whole trip with it, he has to make $40 a day to keep it up (he almost always does!)  He also couchsurfs - (there's a website where you can stay with friendly locals willing to let travellers stay on their couches). He's planning to busk around Europe as well!

 This guy was rapping and beatboxing, pretty good!

 A friendly pianist busking on one of the dozens of pedestrian walkways lined with (very expensive) cafes and shops

 He let me have a go too!

The Royal Arcade, one of the snootier walkways 

An excursion to the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, the best I've seen anywhere! So beautiful!

Mom walking on a war memorial

 

 

Kinda looks like DC, doesn't it?

 

 Me and mom on top of the city!