THE City

Melbourne. 

Capital of Victoria. 

Population 4.1 million. 

THE city to be in Australia.

I did things a bit backwards. I moved to Perth. I had never been to Sydney to see the Opera House. I had never been to Melbourne to watch to footy and have a cup of coffee. But as soon as I started saying I was moving to Australia,  I started hearing the Melbourne rumors.

• It is home to the biggest horse race in the world, and they get the day off work for it.
• They have the best (wanky) coffee. I saw a coffee shop in Perth advertising that they had "Melbourne coffee for Melbourne prices".
• The restaurants have awesome food. Heston Blumenthal opened a Fat Duck there. But don't think you can get a reservation. There was a ballot in October for the $525 dinner (not including drinks).
• Of the 18 teams in the AFL, 10 are essentially in Melbourne. Plus it's the home to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground for those uninformed who need an explanation).
• It's the only city in Australia with "culture"
• You get four seasons of weather in a day (not really a positive but makes things interesting)
• Effective public transport, free trams!
• It's currently the world's most liveable city, And has been the past four years.
• It has real shopping. They had a Zara long before Perth did. Plus they have an H&M.
• You could probably spend weeks eating and drinking your way through Melbourne, but more on that in the next blog...

Needless to say Melbourne had a lot to live up to.

 But even with all these wonderful things, Melbourne to me, will always be home to the hook turn.
Imagine driving into a strange city at night. You don't know where you're going. There are  one way streets and streets for trams only. Add in the fact that you haven't driven in almost two years. And the last time you drove was on the other side of the road (minus that brief stint in New Zealand. You want to turn right from the left side of the road so you get into the left lane. Then you see a sign that you can only make a right turn from the left lane. What?! (think making a left turn in the US from the right lane).

It's bizarre. Luckily I read some Australia tourist book before I moved here and vaguely remembered this crazy idea. Apparently it's so you don't block the trams. They need some warning before you get in the city. Maybe a sign on the highway saying, "BEWARE: Get in the opposite lane to turn. We thought it'd be funny". Not funny Melbourne. Not funny at all.

After getting over the absurd hook turns, it was hard not look up and notice that Melbourne has some pretty buildings.

The Royal Exhibition Building was home to Australia's first Parliament (before Sydney an Melbourne got into such regular arguments and decided to create Canberra).

The railroad station overlooking the corners of Flinders and Swanston Streets is spectacular. Apparently the plans were originally intended for Calcutta (or Mumbai), but somehow they ended up in Melbourne where work got underway. Once they realized the error, it was already to late. Or so the rumor has it...

Melbourne is an old city, by Australia standards. When the ships brought passengers (aka convicts) over from Europe, they needed ballast and used iron. When they returned full of Australia goods and cargo, they left the iron on the docks. Those thrifty Australians turned it into superb wrought iron railings and fences.

 

And who could forget Australia's favorite building, the MCG, home of AFL football. 

But I'd say that's just water under the bridge.

But what good is a building if you don't go in it? 

Or between them...?