Off, today (Monday) to St Kilda. This is a seaside suburb of Melbourne with some wonderful old architecture. Includes this, the oldest roller coaster in the world. Built in 1912 by the people who created Coney Island in the States as part of the Luna Park amusement park. I believe they’re all called Luna Parks in Australia now.

There is a row of four of these cake shops on the main street which look as if they have been there for ever. I remember coming here 25 years ago and there seemed to be a whole street of them. I think they’ve been replaced by restaurants and cafes.

There is also a theatre and used to be a palais de danse – I saw an old photo. There is also a pier with penguins and some sort of endangered water rat living under it.

Otherwise, it’s been a fairly idle day. The weather is reasonable – sunshine, breeze, no smoke…..

Tuesday – Christmas Eve

The temperature is 26 degrees and the news keeps telling us about fires (think perhaps they could have some British rain sent over) but apart from that, it is very Christmassy. Checked out of the hotel and went to the Victoria Market. Still lovely fruit and veg and delis etc but a lot of ordinary market tat. Fabulous home made Italian lasagna for lunch.

Went to the cinema to see the new Star Wars – me, kids and nerds – and remembered as I was about to go in that I’d left my passport in the safe in the room. Aargh. Got it back safely eventually though. This is my hotel. Used to be the Bank of Australia.

The film was fairly as you’d expect – fabulous special effects, slightly anodyne plot and characters. Everyone still with us who was in the original films (Denis Lawson! Billy Dee Williams!) was in it, everyone still with us whose character has previously died (Harrison Ford! Iain McDermid!) was in it and even those who died in real life (Carrie Fisher) were in it. And, of course, a happy ending.