On the weekend we had our first non-family guests – our friends Stef & Lachlan. It was so much fun having them stay with us and getting to enjoy our new city with old friends. One new Melbourne must-do for me was shopping on Chapel St – I hadn’t visited since I moved! It was better than I remembered, dangerous knowledge for my bank account.
The highlight of the weekend was finally seeing The Lion King – worth every cent! Thirty seconds into the show I was already making a mental note to see it when we go to New York. Loved it!
Eating & Drinking in Melbourne
I don’t think I ate anywhere new this past week, instead returning to old favourites with my friends. We ate at Kettle Black in South Melbourne, Soho and Rumour in South Bank, Magic Mountain Saloon and Dansk in the city.
When we went out, we went to Fall from Grace, Eau de Vie and Niew Amsterdam. I’d heard a lot of hype about Niew Amsterdam, but have to admit I was a little disappointed, after the extravagance and attention to detail in the others bars. It’s a cosy, underground bar, very similar to Charlie’s Bar just down the street. Exposed brick, bar tables and a few booths. Nice enough for a quiet drink with friends, look for the sign with the windmills.
At Eau de Vie, we finally had enough people to get one of the large cocktails to share. They come in this gorgeous antique vat, filled with a different cocktail to the one we are served in our glasses. We could mix and match our cocktails to our heart’s content!
Fresh off the press
Dubai’s Natural Wonders & Manmade Marvels
New York City Bucket List – with my trip coming up, I’ve made a very ambitious NYC wishlist. Is there anything you’d add?
InstaLove
This week you loved the fairy floss sunsets over the beach in Nice! For daily travel inspiration, follow me on Instagram @wanderbug_world
Reading
With my US trip just a few months away, the states are on my mind – and on the pages of my iPad. I’ve been reading Apple’s America by R.W. Apple Jr, a collection of essays on 40 American cities by the late food critic and passionate amateur historian. His essays are intelligent, articulate and provide insight into the history and culture of each city.
Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent is a lighthearted, slightly crotchety and entertaining insight into the small towns of the USA.
I’ve only just started on Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck, who is better known for his American classics The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice & Men. Dutch writer Geert Mak has actually replicated Steinbeck’s roadtrip decades later, and written about it in In America, but I’ve only read the free preview so far. I’ve also been dipping into the essays of my favourite travel writer, Jan Morris, who isn’t American (she’s Welsh), but has travelled the US extensively. ‘ve only
I’ve also been dipping into the essays of my favourite travel writer, Jan Morris, who isn’t American (she’s Welsh), but has travelled the US extensively. Coast to Coast is one of my favourite travel books.
Watching
Apart from The Lion King at the Regent Theatre?!
I watched Bowling for Columbine this week. It made me sad, but as it’s quite an old documentary now, none of the information was particularly surprising, as shocking as it was. I can imagine it was groundbreaking at the time though and it was an interesting insight into gun culture in the US. It was also a sobering antidote to the America I’ve been reading about this week.