Leaving Melbourne & catching a flight back to Sydney tonight. Lunch at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms is our grand finale. No Scones today, we had them yesterday. I have my eye on those scrumptious cakes instead. We’ve done a couple of hours of walking around the Quilt Exhibition so we’re set to order & enjoy.

Hooray, No queue. The waitress even remembers us. My friend decides on Zucchini flowers filled with scallop & spinach mousse in a chick pea beer batter to start. I select turkey & cranberry sandwiches but the waitress convinces me that I can do better by having the zucchini flowers as well. I wanted plenty of room for my cakes. An outrageous upsell, if your gullible. I am, today & order the zucchini flowers as it comes with a salad of rocket, mint,tomato & onion. I miss my greens. For tea we have some  wonderful Green Tea with pear & the Chocolate, Vanilla Rooibos Tea. Fruit is always my favourite.

Just watch the world go by as you wait for your food.  The Block Arcade is a bustling place full of temptations. Perhaps, some of the men need a bored husbands seat or to come & have tea or coffee while they wait. Handbag widowers my friend calls them. Hopefully, we’ll get to Haigh Chocolates to get some treats for Easter.

The Zucchini flowers are delectable & so light, as I was promised. The salad finishes it off beautifully & as we’re not bustled there’s plenty of time for dessert before we join the throngs returning interstate.

Perhaps, we need a bigger table!

So many choices for dessert. It’s not just the usual sea of chocolate & sugar and there’s a few options with fruit. We choose the Pavlova &the Raspberry & Apple Crumble. Yummy, see for yourself !

SCRUMPTIOUS! Instead of the usual sickly, sweetness this pavlova had a real marchmallow texture inside. I had no trouble eating it at all. My friend was equally happy with her crumble. I spied a high tea too. The top layer was fruit. I must return & try it. The Hotel Windsor has the style & the space but this looks a bit easier going & cheaper at $45. High teas have to be booked at Hopetoun’s online & would you believe they are having a Hatter’s High Tea Party on 2nd September, during Fashion Week. More Temptations!!!!

Sadly, we must leave . Life goes on.

Our luggage is safely stored away in lockers at Southern Cross Station where we will get the Skybus to the airport. There’s plenty of luggage storage here & the shuttle runs so frequently you don’t need to book & it only takes 20 minutes to the airport. It’s about $10 for the locker & $16 on the skybus.

Sadly, my friend has a different flight & we have to part. We’ve had a terrific time & I will cherish the memories forever. The calories haven’t been counted but you don’t do this every week do you?

My flight is delayed at the airport for 3/4 hour or so & I’m dissapointed by the dry crackers & cucumber yoghurt on my Qantas flight. Not even a cup of tea!

Yes, we’ve been great places, eaten some wonderful scones & food and shared great times. I shall always remember my more nimble friend trying to jump on a tram, not realising it was going the wrong way. I was so relieved the doors shut just in time. In the dark, things look so different. Life is like a tram, isn’t it?