Melbourne #2
I've been thinking about how I should structure these blog posts - it's quite tricky to plan in advance what to write about as I don't know what I'll get up to! So you'll find there won't be a specific theme for each post, rather a random collection of what I did, observed and learnt.
The Beaches
Melbourne being a coastal city has loads of beaches nearby within an hours journey by public transport. The first one I visited was St Kilda Beach, the most popular of the Port Phillip Bay beaches. It is quite close to the CBD, and hence is typically busier than the other beaches. St Kilda Pier is a nice way to take in views of the city and the beach is suitable for swimming. The water wasn't the warmest when we went (if you keep travelling south the next landmass you'll actually reach is Antarctica!). Close by to St Kilda there are lots of restaurants and cafes to grab some food.
The another beach that I visited was Brighton Beach. Further away from the CBD, you have to take a train to get there (the trams don't reach). It's another nice sandy beach, and is quieter than St Kilda which I why I preferred it. You can swim in the sea there, and also get a great view of the Melbourne city skyline in the distance. I'm enjoying the fact that I have lots of beaches at my doorstep during my year abroad - it's a nice way to relax and spend the day with some friends. Hoping to add to the above list of beaches visited as the year goes on.
Food & Drink
There will be more on this in coming blogs, but if you like a foodie like myself, Melbourne is great! Catering for all dietary requirements and cuisines, there's so much on offer in the city from what I've seen so far. Being vegan myself, I wasn't sure how I would find going out to eat compared to London, but I've had no problems. Some of the places I've tried are linked below:
- Vege Tribe - All you can eat vegan restaurant serving continental cuisine.
- Seven Seeds - This was the first coffee shop I went to in Melbourne. Coffee culture is really big over here, so you'll find lots of independent/small chain stores. Starbucks, Pret or Costa are not big here at all.
- Queen Victoria Summer Night Market - Running throughout the summer on Wednesday evenings, there are a bunch of food trucks and stalls to try from. I've had bao buns, tacos, churros & Sri Lankan dishes all under one roof! It's located in the CBD so easy to get to by tram or walking.
- Cairo Nights - An Egyptian restaurant and bar serving traditonal food. This was where I tried Egypt's national dish, Koshari. It's a combination of black lentils, rice, macaroni pasta, chickpeas, fried onions, salsa and a special dressing.
- Mesob - A traditional Ethiopian restaurant in Northcote, a suburb in Melbourne. Ordered a combination platter, consisting of injera (fermented bread), shiro (like a chickpea flour spiced soup), yatakilt alicha (potato, carrot and cabbage sautéed), misor wot (red split lentils), Kik alicha (split yellow lentils), duba wot (pumpkin stew) and kayser (flavoured beetroot and potato).
- ST. ALi Coffee - One of the many coffee spots on campus, serving delicious coffee.
Going to try and keep these types of blogs short, to hopefully provide you with a quick overview of what Melbourne has to offer. If you have and recommendations of where I should go in the city, drop it in the comments below!
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