I recently found a journal entry about the first time I ever visited Melbourne. Even then I knew that I wanted to be here one day. I’ve been in Melbourne for a little over a month now, living out of home for the first time, following my dream to become a publisher. This weekend was definately testing for me; reflecting on my original impressions and experiences has lightened my spirit.
October 2010:
Melbourne stole my heart guys…not literarily of course, because then i would be dead and besides; Melbourne does not have the physical capabilities to actually steal a heart.
So on Friday I woke up at 20 past four instead of four and left at quarter to instead of half past. Basically it was unholy early. Then on the way to the car park place we got a message saying the plane was delayed an hour, so i would be awake in the terminal instead of getting a little extra shut eye. Anyway we got to the car place, and the driver was a bum face, and I would have punched him right in the face if we wasn’t driving our car.
You could be forgiven for believing, given the above, that my holiday was horrible but, you would be wrong, all of this took place in Sydney. Melbourne was totally different.
The airport at Avalon is about an hour from Melbourne and its surrounded by canola fields. Gold and purple flew past the windows; it was absolutely beautiful and inspiring. We eventually got to Melbourne, Emma was travel sick, but that didn’t effect me (so mean) Next was the epic quest to find the Tim Burton exhibition.
Melbourne is so amazing. The streets are wide, the trams go everywhere, and there are trees and cafes and a hundred and one nice things on every street. The traffic lights have instructions on them for pedestrians and there are no filter lights, cars just wait and slip through if there is an opening. Everyone seems so calm and nice. We were staying on king street, home of the gentlemen’s club. it was gross. And it was awkward walking past and seeing guys going in there!
I LOVE Melbourne! Tim Burton exhibition was interesting, not really my style but I could see the skill in it. After that we went to the master’s art exhibition and it was gorgeous! The faces and composition and meaning of the paintings just blew me away and even the writing beside the images was fascinating. They had classic, impressionist, renaissance, abstract; painting and sculpture. Some of them were so delicate and detailed i was awed by the talent of the painters.
All of this travel was done on foot. I think we did at least 5km every day! Then we went straight to dinner at a Nepalese restaurant and Emma had goat. It was quite nice. Mum got the best dish. Then we finished the day at about half past eight. I was GONE! Out like a light and I stayed asleep almost the entire time until I was interrupted by Emma coughing and everyone switching beds.
Then day two. We went shopping. We tested out the trams and they were excellent! Our destination was the Victorian markets. Nothing special really, but we did find this food court that looked like shops from the street, but they didn’t have back walls; instead they opened out onto a courtyard. So quaint. Then we went to the Melbourne goal where Ned Kelly was hanged. It was really interesting but also sad, to read all the stories. One was about this guy they believed was jack the ripper. He buried 2 wives and five kids?? Beneath the hearth in his houses. Then another man was hanged, but something like 50 years later was pardoned because they actually found out he was innocent.
After that we caught a tram into Bridge Street where they have shop shops. I thought the tram had stopped so I stood up, but then it jerked and a basically fell on the guy in front of me and I was so embarrassed. The shopping was epic!! And I was able to find the formal dress and it’s very pretty. I also got these shoes that I had given up on, for like 80 bucks less than in the plaza. Dad and I took some weird pictures, he was doing-trying to do- blue steel and I found a batman bra…very cool. So after that we trekked back to the hotel and napped/cleaned up for dinner on the famous Lygon street. We attempted trying something exotic but ended up at Italian, which was delicious!! I had seafood risotto and ate my first scallop and oyster. Surprisingly, I liked both and thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. The least stingy seafood dish I’ve had my whole life. During dinner I almost died from laughing because, and I will tell you why, me and dad were making jokes and we said something particularly funny and made Emma laugh. The problem with this is that Emma had a mouthful of pasta in her mouth-obviously-and she started coughing and spluttering. This was amusing; slightly funny but then….we all saw as Emma coughed and a tiny piece of pasta into her fringe. Well that did it. I was gone! I almost fell off my chair it was so funny. And we teased her for the next two days…. Night two; not such a good sleep.
Day three; perhaps the best day because that is the day we saw Mary Poppins. But first we went to St. Kilda. We trammed past Middle Park, where I’m going to live, and then arrived just as some sort of marathon was ending. Not that many runners were left; more of those people who are walking but try and make it look like they’re running. We went to the markets which were awesome and lovely. I picked up some very nice bits and pieces for me and others and then we wandered up the pier and admired this gorgeous little cafe thing at the end. On the way pack up the wharf we saw this bride dressed all in white but she had on sick red heels, and I liked that. After that adventure we went home and….slept some more. Mary Poppins was next, and I spent a fair amount of time getting ready and dressing up. Well, the show was amazing. Better than Wicked. Better than anything I have ever seen ever! The special effects, the singing, the dancing; it was all incredible and I completely loved it! I wish I could share the joy that was in that play. It just lifted your spirits and made us laugh and sing for hours and hours afterwards. We found this food place called pie face and it was completely yummy and it was a wonderful night. another sleepless night ensued, followed by an incredible, slightly sad day.
It was our last day and we went out to breakfast place that mum and dad had found earlier on their walk. I had the bid breakfast and it was delish! Four pieces of bacon, two eggs, two slices of toast and spinach mushroom fried combo. YUM!! Then we went hunting for two things: the chocolate shop and this alleyway I saw on the first day that looked like it was straight out of France, Paris. The chocolate shop was amazing and amazingly scrumptious and the little alleyway satisfied my craving for a milkshake that I had had since the very first day. It also was scrumptious, thick and flavourful and cold, and was in a very awesome cup. And then it was time to go to the bus station and catch a bus back to the airport. The plane ride was short and in no time at all I had left Melbourne behind… for now.
The joys of nostalgia….
Most of it is about food, I love eating!