travel: Melbourne

Melbourne is the city I would want to be if I were, in fact, a city.

There are loads of pretty things and pretty people, and pleasant places to eat breakfast for lunch, and drink for lunch.

I must confess I see the city differently now I am, shall we say, a drinker. I both admire and enjoy the many and varied watering holes a lot more than I did when I lived there. I will not be giving an eaters/drinkers type tour blog, but I did want to make sure you all understand just how much I love Bar Etiquette, a humble bar on Sydney Road Brunswick, with delicious drinks and (much to my delight) happy hour lasting from 5 to 9pm, between which hours, all jugs are a mere $10. And boy oh boy are they tasty.

I wasn't drunk all the time (although I did meet up with my ex, with whom I split up over the phone from Whistler some 18 months ago, and a drink or two were definitely necessary)...

Non-drinking highlights include:

• summer. Yep, the sunshine, the general light, air, warmth, blue skies, green grass... not to be underrated in the slightest. It was humid, I did fear that I might melt, but I got through it mostly in tact. The morning I left Whistler, the lovely token Candian Lisa (whom I really do love, lots) came to pick me and and we got the car, sort of, accidentally caught in the 17cm of snow that had fallen the night before... coming from that to Australian summer in all its glory was delightful, if a little shocking (don't worry, i had tow-truck connections, and we were rescued in time to get me to the airport... happy day!).

• acting the faux student at the highly prestigious (read: full-of-itself) University of Melbourne. I was once lucky enough to be allowed to be an Arts Student there (and let's face it, isn't an Arts student a faux student anyway?), people watching all the absolute hotties that are laying about in the sunshine, just, y'know, learnin' shit ... It's a fashion parade. That was why I never really fit in there. I refuse to wear heels to uni. Heels?!?! But the boys are darn attractive, i'll give 'em that.

• the coffee, ohmyfuckingod the coffee. North America, give it up. your coffee does not even deserve to be in the same UNIVERSE as the coffee of Melbourne. Religious experience.

• the amazing bread selection at Queen Victoria Market. just grand.

• a lazy day in bed with Thea, my lovely, who cooked me the best breakfast ever, with much bacon (because again, North America, your bacon is a travesty) and then let me lay about admiring her new house/room/ bed specifically and the one-eyed cat who i'm pretty certain believes he's her boyfriend.

• vege bar tastiness with willow and laila... and the breakfast/second breakfast catchup the next morning too... ohhh coffee mmmmmm

• my hostess with the mostest, beth, whom i love and who, joyfully, is coming to visit ME in less than a month.... wahoo i say!

Melbourne certainly felt familiar and friendly, with many close friends to see and catch up with. But I confess: it's not home no more.

It was joyous and rewarding to see my friends Mat and Tash, who are about to have a bebe all of their own, who I was relieved and pleased to realise really DON'T hate me despite the fact I left their best friend (the ex) high and dry and moved to Canadia.

It was great to be at uni too, for a second (oh, i also saw the black swan, boy is THAT a messed up movie) but I do not belong there. I don't dress well enough, like I said, and this is a pattern repeated all over town. It's all fashionistas and hipsters and fuck, i just like my hoodie/denim/sorels/toque combo. it's how i roll, right?

with some careful thought (not really, i've barely had time to pick up a beer, let alone a pen) I think that maybe no, Melbourne is not for me.

so on to the next place in search of an answer to the vaguely annoying question that has been haunting me of late: am I over Whistler yet? is there somewhere else i'd rather be?

And i just realised while typing this that I forgot to have dumplings. Fuck.