Melbs: Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry
I’ve now been in Australia for a week and all of those days have been spent in Melbourne. I’ve been to many markets, coffee shops, beaches, restaurants, bars and stores. I really like most of the city but there are some things I cannot vibe with or that have caused me strange reactions. Since nearly everyone reading this will be familiar with Facebook, I’ve broken down some of the things I’ve encountered in Melbourne into six categories: Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry.
Like
Fairy bread: Before my trip, I knew what fairy bread was but didn’t know why it is beloved. For those that don’t know, fairy bread is buttered white bread covered in hundreds and thousands (aka sprinkles). It is then cut in TRIANGLES. The bread isn’t toasted so when you bite into it you have freshy squishy bread, butter and the crunch and sugar of sprinkles. Since I love butter in my baked goods but never add it to toast, corn, potatoes or anything else as a condiment, I was not in love with fairy bread. It is good but I reckon someone that has an affinity for butter would like it more. As for the love that Aussies have for it, fairy bread is a treat served at childhood birthday parties!
Love
Queen Vic Winter Night Market: I loved every bit of this market. The night I went was rainy so the crowd was very manageable. The large shed where the market is held was filled with heaters and fire pits so I was never cold. There were at least a dozen food vendors and two or three dozen artisan vendors selling anything from earrings to candles and kangaroo leather bags. I had the four cheese pasta but could have happily picked from at least three other food stalls.
Flat whites: Flat whites are definitely my favorite coffee drink here in Australia. They are simple but delicious!
Lt Billy’s Breakfast: Wow! My friends and I had breakfast right next door to Alaina’s apartment building at a restaurant called Lt Billy (Lt means little here) and wow. I ordered the Billy’s Farmed Breakfast and it included: “eggs your way, bacon, roasted field mushrooms, roasted Roma tomato, bratwurst, hash browns, house made beans & toast.” I had egg whites and they were so incredibly fluffy. Honestly, they were unlike any egg whites I’d had before. The bacon was so flavorful and filling. Just as England has better bacon that America, so does Australia.
Affogato Toastie: Maya and I went for breakfast one morning at a little cafe called Affogato. We wanted to wander and find somewhere cute. Affogato sat in an alley and had six or so tables outside and even fewer in the restaurant. We read the menu and both found options we would enjoy. I had the Bacon Toastie, which is a panini type sandwich with: “caramelised onion, crispy bacon and tasty cheese.” I also added smash avocado and wow. A lot of the food I’ve had at cafes in Melbs makes me saw wow. We just don’t have such delicious, flavorful and fresh food.
Public transport: Efficient, easy and so well connected.
Friends: If it weren’t for the friends I met on that overnight bus from London to Edinburgh, I wouldn’t be on a three week holiday in Australia and I wouldn’t have Melbourne’s best tour guide letting me stay at her flat! I love that we can have fun at happy hour, on a tram, in a cafe or walking the beach.
Donuts: So many donuts and all are so good. Alaina took me to a bake sale today and the best donut I've ever eaten was there. It was a tiramisu donut from a place called Short Stop. I wish I'd taken a photo of the description but I know it had an oozing center of heaven.
Haha
Water Main Break: Four police cars reported to a broken pipe. A few nights ago at the end of our Alaina-guided bar crawl, we queued for fries from a shop called Lord of the Fries. There was a burst pipe of sorts with brownish water flowing over the sidewalk, down the road and into a drain. Four police cars reported to it and I couldn’t help but laugh. I’ll give Melbourne some credit and say that it was a Friday night and we were on a very busy road so I imagine there is always a fairly large police presence to take care of the drunkards. I was also told that there was a football match so extra police are generally patrolling for that, however, four police cars and their drivers all directed pedestrians away from the water and then around the police tape.
Wow
Rain, Clouds, Sun: I said it in my last post but Melbourne does go from sunshine to rain and then to clouds and rain again in just a matter of minutes. I was shocked the first three days of my trip but now I’ve accepted it. It is shocking but endearing.
Chook: I went to a poetry reading with Alaina and Maya and there was a man carrying around a chook. What’s a chook you ask (I asked as well)? A chicken. There was a man walking around a pub with a chicken in his arms. He cradled the chicken as he sat in the audience and also when he went to the microphone to read.
Sad
No Iced Coffee: Australia has iced coffee but isn’t iced coffee as I know it. It is more of a coffee milkshake. Cold coffee, a scoop of ice cream, chocolate powder and maybe whipped cream. Delicious, but not at all my venti black iced coffee from Starbucks and it does make me sad. Iced coffee is so refreshing to me and I miss it!
Angry
Alcohol Tax: Australia has incredibly complicated taxes on alcohol and they are super high. A six-pack of an Australian pale set me back $20. As did four Pimm’s premade drinks. Not cool, Straya!
International Stamps: One international stamp costs $3. Three dollars! That is a lot. I have Forever international stamps from the US Postal service and those were only $1.15 per stamp.
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