Garden State Takes Garden City: Melbourne!

There are a few things you should know about Melbourne before I get started...

- It's pronounced "Melbin"
- It has been deemed the world's most liveable city
- It is the hometown of many Australian celebs (Michael Hutchence, Kylie Minogue, Cate Blanchett, members of Temper Trap...to name a few)
- It is known for it's impressive street art and cultural diversity

Flinders Station in Federation Square

View from the balcony in the boys' room

Federation Square

Our entire abroad program flew down on Sunday morning and we were given most of the day to explore the new city. I loved Melbourne almost instantly. Lush trees lined wide, steeps streets while narrow laneways were confined off main streets, almost out of sight. The laneways are a huge part of the city and are often missed by wanderers. Essentially, they house Melbourne's secret treasures: unique galleries, modest boutiques, and humble bars. Discovering different laneways made me feel a connection with the city - as if we shared a secret.

On our first night, we ventured to Melbourne's "Little Italy" located in Carlton. Restaurant owners stood on the sidewalks and tried to entice us to come in. We finally settled on one place, though I don't remember how because they all looked the same and offered the same things. We had a nice family dinner (I finally got pumpkin pizza) and then traveled down the street further towards one of their famous bakeries: Brunetti's! I ended up getting gelato, of course.

Brunetti's

As part of the academic trip, we were required to attend a couple tours. My first was on Monday, where we visited the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). We were able to view some exhibits that highlighted Australia's finest moments in film and TV history. Cool stuff. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch at Grill'd where I had an incredible lunch, followed by swimming in the hotel pool! For dinner, we found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Shanghai Dumplings. Probably shouldn't have trusted the dirty water cups and food that everyone felt was questionable, but I preferred not to question and just eat as I was starving. At the end of our meal, we received our "check," which was a small scrap of paper with a few numbers and chinese characters scribbled onto it. The total per person was about $5 or less per meal, which was a thrill compared to what the going rate seems to be ($16+), but at the same time it should've been a red flag from the start. We paid and got the hell out, agreeing that it would be better not to speak of the whole experience again.

Our next stop was Pony Fish Island, a "floating bar" located at the base of a bridge in Melbourne Harbour. We had a great night there, and I think it is because the conversation centered around New Jersey and home. Always a favorite conversation topic :)

Pony Fish Island