Slowly finding our way around Adelaide, which is another very nice city and has a very relaxed feel about it, at least compared to Sydney.
We've now got the buses sussed and have got ourselves a Metrocard each which will let us ride on trains and the tram as well. It works pretty much like an Oyster card. We now know that we are around 25 mins bus ride from the station and centre of Adelaide at peak time, although this time could be reduced if there wasn't a bus stop about every two bus lengths when you reach the main street.
We met up with Kingy yesterday to check out the cricket ground, which is still under development and in parts resembles a building site. They are making a fine job of it though and it will hold around 50,000 when completed. It's expected to be ready for the Aussie Rules football season in March.
Unfortunately they were not running the ground tour due to the work taking place, but we were able to visit the Bradman Collection. The great man is well worthy of the honour and even though England upset the locals when they showed he didn't like it up him with some bodyline bowling in the thirties, he did go on to return the favour with interest in a career with stats which will never be matched.
We were also able to take a good few pictures of the ground and then watch the England players in the nets.
Went on later to dine in a sports bar which had a surprisingly good menu and I was able to get a spaghetti Bolognese, on spag bol night, just the way I like it. I think they use Dolmio too. Happy days.
It was back to the Adelaide Oval this morning for the start of the second test and within five minutes the players were off the pitch due to rain. Not only that, but it was blowing an absolute gale and was freezing cold. It literally felt more like Yarmouth in December than a South Australian summer. I mentioned to an Aussie I was talking to that it was also tipping it down in Sydney when we arrived there and it followed us to Brisbane too. He just said that I might just like to piss off in that case. Funny! Fair enough though I guess.
As for the cricket, it was probably Australia's day, although it could have been better for England had Carberry not made the worst drop I've ever seen in a test match late on. England were also unlucky earlier when they were on the wrong end of the unsatisfactory side of the DRS.
At least we got plenty of sun later in the afternoon and I was able to add a little more red to my slowly browning and ever more flaking skin.
I can't help feeling that tomorrow will have a huge bearing on where the Ashes are going to end up and really hope that Carberry's drop isn't too costly.
Either way, the plan after play is to get the tram over to Coopers Stadium to see Adelaide Utd take on Brisbane Roar, so another long day in store for us.