A large van taxi arrives at the curb to move our ten pieces of large luggage and stuff quite literally across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel. Since the Intercon entrance is a couple of stories above street level, pushing a luggage cart up to it is out of the question.
This time we have a room with a river view. There is a concert in Elder Park this evening and the crowds are beginning to arrive. Apparently it's nonstop music from 1100-2300.
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Tennis Center, and the Torrens River footbridge.
Looking down from our room is the Adelaide Festival Centre, Dunstan Playhouse, and Performing Arts Center along with the significant improvements being made to the Riverside district.
We've arrived in time for afternoon tea and a nap.
During the day we return to watching the fifth test from the SCG. The fifth test is called the "pink ball test". It's a bit confusing. The Adelaide test was a pink ball test because they use a pink ball in day/night matches; the first in Ashes history and the only day/night of the Ashes.
The SCG test honors Jane McGrath who died of cancer. She was, by all accounts, a marvelous woman and wife of one of Australia's all-time best bowlers. On the third day, everyone dresses in pink. Both teams ceremoniously enter the field wearing pink hats and hand them to Glenn who auctions them off for the foundation.
If you're not wearing pink; go home.
Captain Steve Smith, the best cricketer in the world leads the Aussie parade of pink baggie greens.
This is a huge banner being carried around the grounds.
We turn "dinner/cocktails" in the concierge lounge into dinner. CJ had been planning to get tickets to the World Tennis Challenge event for Tuesday evening but at the last minute realized it conflicted with Strikers Twenty20 cricket at the Oval. Free cricket vs pay for tennis; no contest.
Looking around the lounge, we begin to recognize the athletes. The Bryans, the most famous men's doubles team in the world and representing the US at the WTC are at the table next to us. Mansour Bahrami, an Iranian trick shot artist and Mark Phillappoussis are across the room. Frances Tiafoe another American are also having dinner.
An Adelaide couple celebrating their 40th anniversary with a night in the hotel notice Carol talking with the Bryans. In the course of asking us who they are, we invite them to sit and talk. When the lounge stops serving drinks at seven-thirty, they invite us to share an anniversary drink with them down in the bar. The husband Ervin, is originally from Latvia. It's a very enjoyable end to a day with a very hectic morning.
Returning to the room, the FOMO concert is still in full swing down in Elder Park which is just below our room. Booming bass rocks us to sleep.
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