Melbs

I took a trip to Melbourne for 5 days. Most Australians that know me say that they think I would like Melbourne more than Sydney. After exploring the city for just a few days, I know why they feel that way.

Melbourne is a planned city and is laid out so as not to overwhelm the pedestrian. It is a very European looking city and has a very laid back vibe. My favorite parts of the center of the city are little ally ways crammed with tasty restaurants, coffee houses, and boutiques. For someone that hates franchises as much as I do it is refreshing to see these little independently owned establishments with great food and a lot of personality.

I stayed with a friend who showed me around whenever he could (thanks T-Dog!). There is nothing better than experiencing a city through the eyes of a local. I got to meet his friends and check out his hangout spots which makes the experience unique.

We spent an afternoon at the botanical gardens. The gardens are lovely and it was an amazing spot to have lunch and a chat. I love to wonder in a city's gardens. It is something I don't do enough at home, yet spend entire days doing while traveling. It might be that at home we all have this 'go go' mentality and are unable to stop and have lunch in a garden or simply walk around and check out the seasons bloom. During the summers Melbourne hosts an outdoor cinema in the gardens - unfortunately for us, the only movies playing while I was there were Sex & The City and some lame-o action flick.

Saturday night was a big night out a Richmond local pub where T-Dogg's friend manages. The pub looked as if it could have been placed in Berlin or Seattle. The high wooden bar top (yeah, I could barely reach it myself), gorgeous patio, and 3 chandelers (y'all know how I feel about chandelers) made it beautifully novel. The excitement made me drink quickly and too much - which only made me more social.

On Sunday we went to St. Kilda, which is the closest beach town. It is a very cute area with a sea salt baths. On Sundays the baths host Latin music dancing lessons and its a great place to sit and people watch (specially the people trying to dance) while having a few beers.

My last night in Melbourne I met up with Jaime (a mate I met last year in Ios, Greece) and Cat (my flat mate in Sydney) and we went to an Australian comedy show! I have to say that Aussies are a bit more cheesy than I thought they would be. Melbs is known for their comedy shows, so it was a must do!

I'm back in Sydney now and I fly into Phuket, Thailand tomorrow! I can't wait for the next chapter in this adventure!