Toruk: The First Flight is the name of Cirque de Soleil’s most recent show in Melbourne, which Mr Rosanna and I took the kids to for the first time on Saturday. It was glorious on Saturday afternoon with Melbourne bathed in a sea of light. We took the train to Jolimont from Clifton Hill station and walked to the Rod Laver Arena, which is currently undergoing construction.
We walked past the City to Sea 15km course all set up for yesterday’s run and noticed too, a number of people wearing poppies for Remembrance Day. There is something magical about the number 11 and yesterday was the 11th day of the 11th month. It was good for my boys too to see the statues of Australian football and cricketing heroes lining the boulevard to the MCG and then subsequent monuments to Australian tennis heroes outside Rod Laver Arena. I hope that one day there will be more female heroes as well.
We really enjoyed the show, and it was visually spectacular but friends who’ve previously been said they were disappointed with it, compared with previous shows. It was quite the commercial production and more theatrical in style so I can understand some people having that opinion. Still, we had a great time and were glad we had arrived early given the thousands who turned up to watch.
We caught the train back to Clifton Hill in a perfumed carriage full of young Stakes Day race goers and families which also gave the day a sense of occasion. It was lovely to see all the young human fillies dressed up and on their way home on such a glorious day out. 
We ended up grabbing some Japanese on Burgundy Street in Heidelberg where there is both Sushi Galore and Momoco Sushi to choose from, but walked past the booked out (for a private function) Train Yard which we still have yet to visit. Given Bobo’s Diner in Ivanhoe has now closed, the beer garden at the Train Yard looked very enticing. Still I’m happy to report that The Pioneer cafe in Rosanna has now opened and there looks to be a brand new cafe, the Arthur Street Deli opposite Hoppa & Joe on the corner of Heidelberg Road and Arthur Street in Fairfield. Gone too at the moment is the old Amcor Paper Mill torn down for the upcoming YarraBend development and suburb in itself, which will house a huge number of new residents but have its own facilities including a health and wellness centre.
I am now gearing up for my final Bold Thinking Series lecture of the year on The future of Universities, which is almost completely sold out. It’s been challenging trying to coordinate the briefings between the MC (and La Trobe alumna) Virginia Trioli and the three Vice-Chancellors from Melbourne, La Trobe and Monash Universities who are such busy people that even their ‘free’ time is scheduled. Stay tuned…
Miss Rosanna 