I just came back from a very lovely very long weekend in Melbourne. (Well, not just come back, long enough to have done a million things at work).
I have come to the conclusion, and excuse me ladies and gentlemen for being indelicate because you know I just hate that...that Melbourne completely shits all over Sydney. And I am going to move there at my earliest possible convenience!
Melbourne is cleaner, friendlier, better mannered, far more intelligently designed, more cultural and more beautiful than Sydney. It was wonderful to spend five days away from the ear-splitting traffic noise I usually have to put up with (I'm talking about the buses here) and to be able to cross a road without having to wait ten minutes. There was also considerably less spit all over the pavements. In Sydney I often feel queasy about walking the streets even in my stinky old trainers!
It was especially delightful, as I was strolling to the theatre to see the ballet (also delightful!) to come across a stage with a band playing, free, for the benefit of all and sundry on Friday night. I had the strongest feeling of being right in the centre of a city with a real vibe, a social life and a real focus on people. It reminded me of the month I stayed in Krakow, Poland. What a change from Sydney, where as a pedestrian you feel like you're an unwanted nuisance who's in the way of all the cars. OK, so we have some nice places, such as Darling Harbour, but you've got to take a little footpath over a motorway to get to it! Hardly the vibrant heart of the city! On the other hand, I felt like Melbourne is a city where you could actually meet people, walk around and have fun.
Top travel tip from me: Have lunch at Joe's Garage in Brunswick Street. You get an enormous pizza or pasta dish, plus a glass of wine, for just under $10! You can then order an obscenely big piece of gorgeous cake for dessert. (Hint - share it with someone!) I was all set to go there every day, but the Man wouldn't let me, so we only went on 3 of our 5 days there!
My bags are packed!
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2 comments:
OOO I'm SO glad you had such a great time in Melbourne! Is it not gorgeous? Does it not just make you want to leave Sydney?
I have long thought Melbourne is by far the best city in Australia, but then I do have a slight bias...
Joe's Garage is brilliant, and up the road is a place called Bimbo's - they do $4 pizzas over the lunch hour... and they are brilliant xo
Hmm, Bimbo's...I shall try it when I move to Melbourne, thanks for the tip!
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