I didn’t realise how useful this series was until I arrived home in Melbourne this week and had a complete mental blank about my favourite restaurants, bars and cafes.

I browsed through some old Sunday Stories posts while making a mental note to eat more omega-3s, and not only was I pleasantly surprised by the yummy, lovely places I used to love, but by the ups, downs and inbetweens of my first few months living in Melbourne.

I had good intentions to re-start this series in New York… but here we are.

As I wrote in my recap of two months in the USA, I had an amazing time in the states, but I am very, very happy to be home in Melbourne.

Out & About in Melbourne

The weather this weekend has been absolutely beautiful, so we haven’t wasted a second of it.

We do about 99% of our grocery shopping at the South Melbourne Markets, which I love because it takes a chore and makes it a really pleasant way to spend a lazy spring morning. On the way, we swung past Giddiup for a takeaway coffee, one of the many buzzing coffee shops in South Melbourne that we’ve been meaning to try. Naturally, it did not disappoint – they do a really good job of an almond milk flat white, that I didn’t miss the milk one bit.

We spent Saturday afternoon in the Fitzroy Gardens. We made ham, brie, rocket & dijon baguettes at home and brought them along, and some diced fruit – completely fuss free. I was disappointed to see that the 90,000 daffodils they planted not long before I went to the U.S. were already dead and flat, but I had the best time just chilling out on the grass.

I love when you spend long enough laying outside that the sun starts to cast its spell on you, and sets every part of your body into a state of deep relaxation. It was a nice reminder that you don’t need to go to the beach to get reach that level of relaxation – I also really enjoyed not shaking sand out of my hair all weekend!

One of David’s work friends had his engagement party this weekend, which was super sweet.

I also had my first French formal French lesson this week! Enrolling in a French class has been on my to do list basically since I left highschool, and six years (!) later I’ve finally started. Free apps and podcasts have been a great interim measure, which I’ve also been using to get a basic understanding of Spanish and Italian, but there’s nothing like speaking with a native speaker to hone your language skills. I was super nervous, especially as I missed the first two weeks of class when I was in the U.S., but everyone was really nice and I feel like I’m up to speed.

Highs

Spring in the city!

Coming home though was really special, especially as spring has arrived! When I left Melbourne I was done with the bitterly cold weather, winds that chill you to the bone, and grey, uninspiring skies. I was tickled pink to come home to so much greenery! Melbourne is a little obsessed with its green life, and the city has an Urban Forest strategy – you can actually find out the species and life expectancy of every tree in the city. Not the species’ life expectancy. The life expectancy of the individual tree.

Many streets are shaded by an unbroken canopy of green and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

In the Bourke St Mall, there are quite a few pretty painted bikes tied to poles, being used as pretty billboards.

Friends!

This week I’ve caught up with a few of my nearest & dearest, in person for coffee dates, dinners and over the phone for my friends back in Brisbane, now that we’re in the same time zone. I skyped with my family while I was away, and have kept in touch this week too, but it was great to be able to catch up with people in person this week.

Coffee!

Two hours after our plane hit the tarmac at Tullamarine airport, I was cradling a warm flat white at my favourite brunch spot in South Melbourne, Chez Dre. Compared to the bitter, watery coffees in the states, my creamy, smooth flat white was heaven.

Energy!

Now that the days are longer and the mornings are considerably warmer, I’ve naturally waking up early and bouncing out of bed. I love the peace and quiet of the early mornings (even though I work from home and spend all day alone, the mornings just feel that much more peaceful and productive). I really struggled to wake up in winter, to the point that I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me. When I’d visit Brisbane I’d be fine, and realised it was just the cold and the dark that gets me down a bit.

I’m very happy to have a big extra chunk in my day again <3

Maps!

Now that I’m home, I can start working on my bespoke illustrated travel maps again. I have several clients booked in for the end of the year and the start of next year, and I can’t wait to put their beautiful adventures into paint & ink. If you’re interested in a travel map, read more about them here.

The corner store

The lady who manages my local convenience store has always been really lovely, but her reaction when I walked back in yesterday was so sweet! We had a big chat about New York, and she said she was really happy I was back. Either I spend way too much on Fruit ‘n Nut bars and magazines, or it’s just really nice to be back in my neighbourhood.

Lows

Under the weather

I spent most of this week fairly under the weather with a head cold. Coupled with an aching ankle after slipping on some wilted spinach at the South Melbourne Market (this is what I get for trying to be healthy?), I was a little bummed to spend a couple of days in this beautiful weather, all cooped up at home!

I was dying to go for a cycle or run at the time, which made me extra restless.

If this is the lowest point of the week though, it’s been a pretty good week.

Qantas

The inflight experience with Qantas international flights is one of the best, but their check in staff at JFK and LAX were pretty rude and not very helpful.

We booked & paid for seats in a bulkhead row on both our flights home, months in advance. It was a long process which involved about four-six phone calls and waiting on hold for 40+ minutes every time. Long story short, we checked in and we were not in the seats we’d paid for – for either flight.

Mistakes happen, but the check in staff at JFK were pretty rude about it, which annoyed me even more. To get a refund, I also have to call up the service centre…again. Luckily, the staff on the actual flight were awesome – warm, friendly and attentive. I wasn’t hungry once (big thumbs up on an intl flight) and the entertainment was good.

Reading

I haven’t read any books since I arrived home, but I have a few I bought in NYC that I’ll jump into next week. What I have been bingeing on lately are travel blogs – my longtime favourite, Alex in Wanderland, and a new favourite, Stories My Suitcase Could Tell. I actually met Katie, the journalist behind the blog, at a coffee date (which turned into dinner…which turned into drinks) in New York. She’s a Scottish expat from the beautiful Outer Hebrides, now living just outside New York with her American husband.

Watching

Far from the Madding Crowd

I watched this one on the plane and enjoyed it way more than I expected! I sometimes struggle through period pieces, but this one had enough drama to keep me entertained and I appreciated the generous doses of rolling, green English countryside while I was cooped up in the plane. I’m also a little surprised to realise that Carey Mulligan is quickly becoming one of my favourite actresses. I don’t know why this surprises me, but it does.

Long story short, Bathsheba (Mulligan) is basically a poor farm girl and orphan, until her uncle dies and leaves her his estate. Overnight she’s rich! Things get complicated when three men, a farmer, her wealthy neighbour and a soldier all fall for her and compete for her love/money. Cue a bit of peacocking, sexual tension, stolen looks / kisses/ rolls in the hay, a wedding, a few funerals and a prison sentence.

And no, the title did not make any more sense after I watched it.

Eating & Drinking

I haven’t been anywhere new this week (although my list is long!), but I’ve been reacquainting myself with my favourites.

First stop on Sunday morning after landing, after home for a shower, was Chez Dre in South Melbourne. Their flat white was superb (as are most in Melbourne) and I really enjoyed their “Avocado Lux” – sourdough, avocado smash served with a sprinkling of cashews and other nuts, to which I added a poached egg. The perfect Australian breakfast.

You can find some variation of the smashed avocado in just about any café across Australia now, apart from the lagging few well behind the curve and those who deem themselves to be so far ahead of the curve, that smashed avo is passe. I think it’s a stayer because it represents Australian cuisine perfectly in a simple dish – fresh, simple, relatively healthy and perfect with a flat white at brunch.

Copycats have been popping up all over the world, most notably in New York City. The city’s smashed avocados look good, but so far I haven’t seen anything like what I can get at home.

Soho, Southbank

Apart from a handful of other coffee spots, I also made a beeline for Soho in Southbank, for dinner with my uncles. Their San Daniele pizza is one of my favourites! A reliable spot with good, fresh Italian, tasty cocktails and a solid wine list, all for a reasonable price among the touristy Southbank promenade restaurants.

Bomba, Lonsdale St

My friend Liv & I get a different lunch special around town each week, and this week we went to one of my favourite Spanish restaurants, Bomba. Their weekday workers lunch is made of up three small courses for $15, with $5 sangria. I had a simple tomato & prosciutto starter, tender lamb with chickpeas and the freekah salad. Not bad for $20!

Photo of the week

I haven’t touched my DSLR this week, but this iPhone photo of some wild daisies growing in the Fitzroy Gardens is a happy sign that spring has well & truly arrived.

On Instagram

This picture of what I call the “Barbie Dream House” in Charleston, South Carolina, has been my most popular Instagram post this week! Follow me on Instagram @wanderbug_world

Barbie Dream House Goals 💕💕💕💕This waterfront street in Charleston’s Battery neighbourhood is lined with extravagant mansions – unlike the other residences, this one is a B&B, so you can play Charlstonian billionaire while you’re in town ☀️ // #charleston #discoveramerica

A photo posted by The Wanderbug | Genevieve (@wanderbug_world) on Oct 20, 2015 at 3:39am PDT

Fresh off the press

A little slow on the posting this week, I’ve been pretty busy catching up on sleep, writing, friends, work and bills. Here are some from NYC:

Recap: 2 Months in the USA

Free Sunset Cruise: NYC’s Floating Lobster Shack

Bookshelf: Travel in the USA

Brunch & Boating in Central Park

Wandering the Upper West Side

Wanderlusting

Right now I’m dreaming of a week off, just to spend in Melbourne. I’m still relatively new to the city, and apart from weekends and public holidays, haven’t had a great deal of time to just wander around. After spending so long away, I’d love a few extra days off just to enjoy my new home.

Words

“Live every minute fully because you’ll never get it again.”

One of my mum’s many nuggets of wisdom, particularly poignant after receiving some sad news this weekend. I started this post earlier in the week, so I’d already written the “Lows” section – the last line of that section isn’t quite accurate anymore, but I’m glad at least that earlier in the week I could count my blessings and keep a little perspective. Life can change very quickly.

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