It was 5am on July 28 when we arrived in Melbourne after a 22-hour journey and a short stop in Dubai. We flew Emirates because it's the fastest way. Needless to say we took a long nap before heading out to explore the city.
As you know, our trips are very organized. The first thing we do when we plan our itinerary is to divide the city map in areas. Then, we make a list of the places we want to see on each of those areas. We also make a schedule but this is never 100% accurate because we never know how long it's going to take to get to a place or how long the visit will last. But we get something approximate. My other main tip -if you follow the blog, you are probably tired of hearing me say this- is to create a Pinterest board because that's where you'll find all the cool stuff to see.
Today I want to share with you our Melbourne itinerary. We spent three amazing days in this beautiful city. Every day was busy and we walked for hours but you know, Spain is very far from Australia so we wanted to make the most of our trip at all times.
DAY 1:
Our hotel was close to Flinders Street Railway Station so we pretty much walked everywhere. The best transport option in Melbourne is the tram which is free around the city centre. The first place we visited was St. Paul's Cathedral, then we walked into the cobbled Hosier Lane famous for its edgy graffiti. Out next stop was Fitzroy Gardens where you can find Cook's Cottage. This is actually the oldest house in Australia, it was moved brick by brick from England to Down Under. We ended our day seeing the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the Mr. always asks for sport stadiums to be included in our itineraries). As it was winter in Australia it got dark really early every day so on our way back to the hotel we got to see the city lights and the skyline along the Yarra river.
Yarra River
Hosier Lane graffiti
DAY 2:
After getting a good night sleep we caught and early train to Brighton Beach. I had seen the colorful bathing boxes on countless occasions and I was really excited to see them in real life. You can read more about Brighton Beach on this post. We came back just before lunch and after refueling at the famous Betty's Burgers we continued visiting city landmarks such as Parliament House, the iconic Princess Theatre, the Old Treasury Building and Carlton Gardens. We arrived at Saint Patrick's Cathedral right in time for mass. Attending a religious service abroad is an interesting experience.
It was the last day before we had to say goodbye and board a plane to Cairns. We enjoyed a wonderful morning at the impressive Queen Victoria Market. We visited the arcades which are little shopping centres from the 19th century with unique architecture. Our favorites were The Block Arcade with its mosaic tiled floor and Royal Arcade with its one-of-a-kind shops. They are a must if you are looking for special gifts or craftsmanship to take home like I do (I don't like tourist souvenirs). We spent the last hours of the day in the Botanic Gardens and visiting the unforgettable Shrine of Remembrance, a memorial to all Australians who have served in war. It's hard to describe with words how we felt after the visit, it made a great impact on us.
WHERE TO EAT
Pilgrim Bar, below Federation Wharf there is a waterfront venue that caught out attention by the lively atmosphere it had on our first night in Melbourne. We hanged out with the locals and warmed up while enjoying drinks and a light dinner.
Betty's Burgers is located in central business district (the locals call it CBD). The decor is a mixture of American dinner and beach bar so colorful and pretty that will surely lure you in. Their other specialty is concrete, a super-thick milkshake.
Chuckle Park is one of the best bars in Melbourne. It's tucked away in a lane off Little Collins Street. Decked out to resemble a camping-style outdoor space complete with faux grass, tealights and a caravan, Chuckle Park offers a relaxed vibe with Mexican influenced food.
Hopetoun Tea Rooms, we ended up here looking for desert after an incredible lunch at Chuckle Park. This is a small Victorian tea room located at the charming Block Arcade. With a window display like theirs, it's impossible to not walk in.
Queen Victoria Market is mainly a food market but you can also find about everything else: clothing jewelry, souvenirs...you name it! However, our favorite part were the food stalls. Just take a look at the pics to see why.
Queen Victoria Market
Lunch at Chuckle Park
Shrine of Remembrance
We were so tired at the end the day that very often we didn't feel like going out for dinner so we used to go to the closest supermarket to get a few things and ate at the hotel room. Instant soup has become a classic for us. As soon as we arrived to a new city we asked where the closest Woolworths Supermarket was.
Two things surprised me while in Australia. First, I was surprised by the amount of hashtags everywhere to share your photos on social media, they were even in the streets. Another one was that we found the doppelganger of a few of our friends and relatives, oh we had so much fun with this! Has it ever happened to you while abroad?
Stay tuned for the next installment of The Australia Series. Next stop is Ayers Rock! The second stop on our itinerary was actually Cairns but unfortunately I barely have any photos to share. The coolest place we saw was The Great Barrier Reef, but we don't own an underwater camera. I know, I know, who goes to The Great Barrier without the proper gear?... I've learnt my lesson and since Christmas is right around the corner maybe it's time to get a GoPro. Do you guys have one? Do you recommend it?
xo Cristina
FOR THE STYLISH TRAVELER