Traveling for work is NOT fun and it means you make long trips and live out of the suitcase a lot.
BUT, it also can have some great rewards!
One such super reward was our FREE weekend at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne!
Yes, for points earned over the years...
123 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000 Victoria, Australia
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Where the grace of another era lives in harmony with the modern age.
Cousin Liz had picked us up at the Melbourne airport on Friday, September 3, 1993 and she dropped us off here at the Grand Hyatt.
The sun was so strong that it was nearly impossible to make any good pictures.
Pieter wearing his black leather jacket from Pond's India's Leather Garments Factory.
Yet we were happy with such a bright day!
When we arrived in Sydney a week earlier we had rain...
Still wearing my favorite leather jacket bought in the U.S.A.
The sun was so strong that it was nearly impossible to make any good pictures.
Pieter wearing his black leather jacket from Pond's India's Leather Garments Factory.
When we arrived in Sydney a week earlier we had rain...
Still wearing my favorite leather jacket bought in the U.S.A.
We arrived the same day at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, as did the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Mr. Richard von Weizsäcker with his wife Marianne.
Lots of security...
Also Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer were there at the same time.
How lucky we were for having secured our FREE room!
But it worked out well; with only ONE Presidential Suite at $ 2500 at that time...
We did secure our FREE Regency Club room with special elevator key that goes up to the Regency Club level and lounge where you had access to continental breakfast in the morning, tea/coffee service, evening service bar and hors d'oeuvres.
At present it is changed into Grand Club...
Also Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer were there at the same time.
How lucky we were for having secured our FREE room!
Our room 3014...
View of the Yarra River from our room... Again lots of glare, just like in Hong Kong!
More to the right, again view from the Yarra River.
Melbourne skyline view from the Lounge.
Melbourne skyline with me...
Nearly impossible with so much glare for capturing anything reasonable!
It is on our retina and it makes for fond memories!
Husband Pieter here captured from the lounge as well, wearing his Burberry sweater with leather patches.
Both of us felt grateful!
Melbourne is a city of memorable buildings.
Left to right St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral rises in
Gothic splendor, the dramatic spire of the
Victorian Arts-Centre, Flinders Street Station
is a much-loved landmark
On Sunday morning we went to the 11:00 Mass at the cathedral church of Saint Paul, Melbourne.
As I wrote, so much to be grateful for and that brings one close to our Creator!
On Saturday afternoon, cousin Liz came to pick us up for a stroll through Melbourne's Botanical Garden.
Such bad luck with good photos... too harsh light!
Princes Lawn...
One final photo of Liz with me with a lot of glare in the lens...
Liz took us also to her shop and that yielded this signature wooden EASEL!
Her Dad, uncle Louis made them and she gilded them, also adding those ornamental touches.
Ours is used for this pin tray on my antique oak tea cart with English Rose by Royal Doulton china.
We did have some tea/coffee with Liz in the Grand Hyatt's Regency Club lounge and than we had to say our goodbye... Short meeting but intensive!
On Sunday afternoon we got picked up by someone from the Campbell Soup mushroom farm and dropped off at the Eltham Gateway Hotel in a luxury family suite...
We went to work for the mushroom farm on Monday and on Thursday morning they moved us to a regular room at 7:00 before we went to work.
On Friday morning we could sleep in till 8:30 and brace ourselves for the very LONG journey home!
We did have one final meeting with the staff at 11:30 and we had supper at Andy Gulliver's home before he dropped us off at the airport by 20:30 and said his goodbye as he was planning to leave the company...
In 8 hours we flew from Melbourne to Bangkok, Thailand and hung around some at 6:15 in the morning before we did the next stretch of 12 hours to Amsterdam.
With only 1 hour in-between for a quick phone call with Mom, Dad was not inside, we continued the almost 9 hours to Atlanta.
We intended to sleep in but both woke up very early on Sunday morning at 5:30 and got up.
We went to Mass at 11:00 and went outside into the garden....
Thanks for traveling with us to 'Down Under' one final time!
Related links:
From Hong Kong to Sydney, Australia | previous post by me
Darling Harbour Cruise in Sydney for Surprise Birthday Party | previous Australia post by me
Working & Socializing with Staff from Melbourne Mushrooms | previous post by me
Two Cousins from Two Continents in Melbourne, Australia | previous post by me
Visiting Healesville Sanctuary in VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Australia | previous post by me
With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS Australia | previous post by me
Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me
My 1st Trip to Work in Australia and also Meeting my First Cousin Liz | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me
Trips to Australia | previous post by me
{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me
{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me
Hello Mariette, It looks like you thoroughly enjoyed your bonus weekend. I never had anything like that, but my previous company often sent me to Miami where I had family, and I could take a few extra days off and have a wonderful visit.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteOh, those were truly highlights of our long years of traveling and a most welcome bonus weekend. You also had a great opportunity for seeing your family in Miami and those memories you treasure as well.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest MAriette,
ReplyDeleteit really is amazing and wodnerful, taht you still have all those wonderful memories of special times in your life! Thank you for sharing them with us!
Hope, you are fine and you can do your days again without any more problems!
Have a lovely week,
sending Love an hugs, Claudia xo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteThose were some special highlights out of our busy traveling period and we truly enjoyed it.
Yes, I am doing fine and catching up on things big time. Enjoy the biking together!
Hugs and happy Sunday.
Mariette
Sabe bem recordar bons tempos já passados.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e continuação de boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
Querido Francisco Manuel,
DeleteObrigado e todos nós devemos lembrar que um dia, apenas essas memórias permanecem...
Feliz domingo e abraços,
Mariette
Hello. You had another great adventure in your life. Such a trip to an interesting place and stay in a hotel of such a high class, it was certainly a joy for you. Regards.
ReplyDeleteDearest Giga,
DeleteOh you bet it was! Just a couple of days for relaxing, no pressure for presenting another paper of for conducting a training seminar. Also some quality family time!
Hugs,
Mariette
Hi dear Mariette
ReplyDeleteYou're a great collector, you keep everything! Those are good memories.
Yes, fortunately it was free....
Hugs
Dearest Nathalie,
DeleteWe certainly did keep a scrapbook of special events and photos but that all is digitalized now. Decluttering our lives and making the fond memories more visible.
This was such a special bonus!
Hugs,
Mariette
So many interesting places you have traveled. I think all of the pictures are wonderful! The one of you in the skyline view is very clear and such a great capture of you.. I have always heard that Australia is a place to visit and would so much enjoy. I doubt I ever will. I at least get to visit there through your lens. Thank you, Betsy
ReplyDeleteDearest Betsy,
DeleteThank you and yes, of the 1,500,000 miles we have flown during our working years, there were many interesting places and the little free time we had, we thoroughly enjoyed it!
Australia is a wonderful continent to explore but you need time and money.
Glad you enjoyed traveling with us.
Hugs,
Mariette
I love those reward programs. How great you got a free stay at Grand Hyatt. The view from your room is incredible! Great photos of you and Pieter. The botanical garden looks beautiful. Lights sure look very strong there :-)
ReplyDeleteDearest Tamago,
DeleteYes, such reward programs are a dream and back in those days they were even better than nowadays. The view from such a height was sure incredible and for photo taking we only had the few moments available while there; too much light or not. And we only later at home discovered the outcome of such photos...
Hugs,
Mariette
That was a great reward as it's a beautiful hotel and great views of the city.
ReplyDeleteA quick trip but you got to see your cousin and visit a few sights.
The easel is very pretty and a nice souvenir from your trip to Melbourne.
Dearest Sami,
DeleteIt was a very quick trip but we came already from a conference in Hong Kong and one in Sydney and now to work for the Campbell Soup plant near Melbourne... Stealing whatever time available and this looked like a dream.
Our final visit to Australia so far!
Cherish that easel, very meaningful.
Hugs,
Mariette
HI Marietta, que programa más entretenido,, me encantaría poder conocer Australia, aunque esta un poco lejos de chile
ReplyDeleteCariños
Querida Angélica,
DeleteSeguro que esto se sintió tan bien en-entre los tiempos ajetreados de conferencias y seminarios pasamos en Hong Kong y en Sydney, así que disfrutamos mucho de esto! De hecho, ustedes están mucho más cerca de Australia que nosotros, con un vuelo directo de Santiago a Sydney en 14,5 horas. Tenemos que añadir primero un vuelo a través de los Estados Unidos, unas 5 horas con lay over aún más. Así que nunca se sabe dónde puede terminar!
Abrazos
Mariette
This is really a wonderful memory.
ReplyDeleteDearest RTC.,
DeleteAbsolutely and as such we keep it forever in our memories!
Hugs,
Mariette