#3 - Catching a Break / Melbourne Part 2.

Inside-out | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 400 — *Inside-out | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 400*

A few of my favourite pastimes include frequenting cafés, markets and art galleries – items that were also on my ‘Melbourne to-do list’ (of course).

Among the cafés I visited, the most memorable definitely have to be Drugstore Espresso in South Yarra, Hammer and Tong in Fitzroy, and The Kettle Black in South Melbourne.

The Perfect Pair | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 400 — *The Perfect Pair | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 400*

Drugstore Espresso is situated along Toorak Road, just down the street from where I was staying. They had seating up on a mezzanine, and bench seats looking out towards the shop front. You could tell that this humble café was a really popular place among locals to grab their morning coffee. The industrial interior incorporating timber and vintage styling brought warmth to the space and definitely won my heart over. I’ve forgotten what I ordered – but it was a twist on the classic eggs benedict and had fried polenta chips, which was the best thing ever (My first time having polenta – I think – I’d definitely recommend it!). Plus lovely coffee and friendly service – what more could have made an even better brunch?

(Did I also mention that there was Zumbo Patisserie and Fancy Nancy in the apartment where I stayed? Didn’t have a chance to try Fancy Nancy yet, but definitely going back for some high tea!)

And don’t fret – I’ll talk about Hammer and Tong and The Kettle Black in my next post.

That morning was followed by a stroll through Lovers’ Walk and window-shopping along Chapel Street (which has every shop and boutique you could hope for).

I remember walking into a very quirky shop (why – of course – what’s new?), and in it there was an old school arcade machine that I played around with before casting my eyes over everything they stocked. I came around to a wall of greeting cards – that obviously had funky messages on them too – and among the few that caught my eye were ones that said “Get in the jar / I want to keep you” and “Addicted to you and I don’t know what to do”. But the one that screamed at me had this inscribed on the cover:

“If you ain’t got dreams what the fuck you got?”

What do you think of?

Well, I thought to myself,

“What dreams do I have?”

That moment – the few seconds wherein I pondered my potential response to this very intimidating card – was a slight epiphany.

But then I questioned in rebuttal,

“Do I need to have a dream? Must I be aiming for something specific?”

“Can’t I just do what makes me happy? Live in the moment, perhaps?”

Sometimes I wish we lived more hedonistically – rather than pragmatically. It’s become so much of the ‘survival of the fittest’. (Reality depresses me)

(hmmm)

Anyway.

The food scene and culture are what struck me as uniquely characteristic of Melbourne. There’s so much variety in terms of food; you can also see how dedicated they are to fresh produce and coffee.

‘Culture’ is a very broad and subjective concept – one that’s very hard to specifically pinpoint – but I felt that Melbourne definitely has a laid-back, creatively driven atmosphere that fuels the arts and entertainment.

I had the privilege of watching my first ever musical at the charming Regent Theatre. On top of that, I was treated to front row seats to The Lion King! To say it was an amazing experience would probably be a massive understatement – it actually blew me away. Everything from the orchestra to the costumes and the theatrics just came together to make the perfect musical.

The next place I had to visit was Queen Victoria Markets.

Truthfully speaking, Queen Vic Markets wasn’t exactly what I was expecting – I imagined more stalls selling handmade craft and second hand items. In my mind I was envisioning a variation of Finders Keepers. Instead, Queen Vic was a large compound selling mainly fresh produce, deli, and souvenirs (a lot of souvenirs) – which was of course really interesting as well.

It was also pouring with miserable rain that day – but the overcast conditions gave me some beautiful photographs and I had some jam filled donuts so that was ok (heehee).

The gloomy weather, however, didn’t deter me from braving the elements to marvel at the Pink Salt Lake in Westgate Park. I’ve never laid my eyes on anything quite like it – so of course it was a scene I had to eternalise (on 3 types of film and my iPhone).

Some things in life are just worth the risk.

Pink Salt Lake | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 800 — *Pink Salt Lake | Nikon F90 | Fujifilm Superia 800*

(To be continued)

With love,

Emily.

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#3 - Catching a Break / Melbourne Part 2.