Melbourne 4 to 10 April
Went to visit 001 since he moved into his new house 2 yrs ago. When I reached the airport was plesantly surprised to see Mr K at the coach stand waiting for me. Didnt even know he was coming from Sydney too!
Melbourne to me was a diluted version of Europe and cheaper. Trams, horses, cyclists, buses, cars pedestrians interlink like clockwork. The age old tram system is still a working system and works well.
Walking past the many bluestone buildings were a delight. The old buidings here were made of bluestone which was in abundance while those in Sydney were made of sandstone which was local there. The bluestone was bluish black in color and made the buildings gothic looking with a touch a of romantism.
The cafe / coffee culture is still very much alive, with tastefully designed cafes each its disctinct character. Most of them belong to the class of casual chic where old is mixed with new and put together very nicely. Behind each seemingly random combination is a careful consideration of how people eat, dine and live. The latte cup is the same size every cafe you step into, as if like a golden rule not to be broken: a smaller small cuppa of glass served on a white porcelian saucer. Starbucks does not survive here. And yes the coffee is fantastic.
Along the way I see construction workers having a sandwich during lunch and mucking around. Typical Aussies, boisterous, blokish and a fun loving bunch. Their police seargants also looks much better and smarter than ours.
At nights we will get a bottle of red from the bottle shops and watch Aussie TV with thier distinctive Aussie humor or just talk about old times. Just like the good old student days.
One of the most livable cities in the world what else can I say? Just a few small touches that I really appreciate and I wish Singapore will do:
-All the cafes serve unlimited supply of free water that you can help yourself to.
-In the city and tram stops, there are guides that show directions and help you find your way around. They will give you a free map. These people are usually retirees with a sense of passion to make Melbourne user friendly.
-Post Easter is not a bad time to go, with post Easter sales and before it turns really cold.
-The tourist tram is a good way to go around the city for first timers. They stop at all the must see stops.
A big thanks to 001 for bringing me around the hidden and undiscovered areas of Melbourne as well as the F&B institutions, and this is what Melbourne is all about.
Melbourne to me was a diluted version of Europe and cheaper. Trams, horses, cyclists, buses, cars pedestrians interlink like clockwork. The age old tram system is still a working system and works well.
Walking past the many bluestone buildings were a delight. The old buidings here were made of bluestone which was in abundance while those in Sydney were made of sandstone which was local there. The bluestone was bluish black in color and made the buildings gothic looking with a touch a of romantism.
The cafe / coffee culture is still very much alive, with tastefully designed cafes each its disctinct character. Most of them belong to the class of casual chic where old is mixed with new and put together very nicely. Behind each seemingly random combination is a careful consideration of how people eat, dine and live. The latte cup is the same size every cafe you step into, as if like a golden rule not to be broken: a smaller small cuppa of glass served on a white porcelian saucer. Starbucks does not survive here. And yes the coffee is fantastic.
Along the way I see construction workers having a sandwich during lunch and mucking around. Typical Aussies, boisterous, blokish and a fun loving bunch. Their police seargants also looks much better and smarter than ours.
At nights we will get a bottle of red from the bottle shops and watch Aussie TV with thier distinctive Aussie humor or just talk about old times. Just like the good old student days.
One of the most livable cities in the world what else can I say? Just a few small touches that I really appreciate and I wish Singapore will do:
-All the cafes serve unlimited supply of free water that you can help yourself to.
-In the city and tram stops, there are guides that show directions and help you find your way around. They will give you a free map. These people are usually retirees with a sense of passion to make Melbourne user friendly.
-Post Easter is not a bad time to go, with post Easter sales and before it turns really cold.
-The tourist tram is a good way to go around the city for first timers. They stop at all the must see stops.
A big thanks to 001 for bringing me around the hidden and undiscovered areas of Melbourne as well as the F&B institutions, and this is what Melbourne is all about.
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