A Day in Melbourne

Australia has a strong coffee culture which is deeply routed in the clothe of Melbourne.  Many of our coffee drinks originated from here including the flat white which I particularly enjoy.  The number of coffee shops we saw while here was astounding.



We started our stroll of the city walking towards the Yarra River.  It was early so we had the streets mostly to ourselves.  There appeared to be tourist river boats much as you would see in Paris on the river which makes me think that there’s tours to be had. However, this would have to wait for a longer visit to the city.

The architecture is interesting in Melbourne with a mix of the old with the modern.  One of the streets is known as the upscale shopping street with outposts of Gucci, Hermes, etc.  We went into a couple of stores to look around and also to see the interior of the buildings.






The city was starting to wake up so we went down a laneway to find breakfast.  Little cafes lined the street with seating in the middle.  We found a spot where we could watch the crowd and have a bite.

Street art is everywhere, some of it quite interesting.  We visited a couple of the more famous alleys where we could photograph the artworks.  We also went into a couple of arcades where we found ‘the oldest barbershop in the world’ and also a Haigh’s Chocolates where we stocked up on some of their lovely offerings.  The library was also an interesting stop.








The city is connected with a very effective tram system which makes it very accessible for pedestrians.  We caught one that was very full to go to the waterfront at  St Kilda.  Swimsuit clad visitors dotted the beach while others were visiting Luna Amusement park.  We found a restaurant nearby for lunch before heading back to the hotel.




Melbourne hosts a month-long comedy festival ending this weekend.  We had booked a couple of shows to get a taste of the offerings.  The first was in a small bar with a room in the back where chairs were set up in front of a small stage.  Harley Breen is a well known comedian and actor in Australia.  Our hosts have known him for many years and thought we would enjoy his comedy.  It was a very fun, fast paced show where he told stories about his life and his family. 




Our second show was down the street in an older theatre.  We were seated in the balcony away from any potential harassment by the comedians.  Wankernomics is a two man show making fun of all the ridiculous language being used in offices these days rooted in consultant speak.  If you have ever worked in a large organization the show was almost too real to be funny.



We had a few minutes to kill before dinner so we stopped in for a cocktail and the Gin House.  They had some fun creations on the menu and we each tried a little something different.




Dinner tonight was at an Italian institution, Grossing Florentino Cellar Bar.  Part of a group that includes a white tablecloth restaurant upstairs, we sat on the sidewalk and enjoyed some fine Italian fare. Light rain did not dampen our spirits as we sat under large umbrellas.  We walked back to our hotel for our last evening here.

Tomorrow: On to Tasmania


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