I already miss Melbourne, and we just left. All I wanted was to stay for a few more days, but now we’re back, and the weather seems to match my mood perfectly; this Monday, it’s storming and the streets/train stations are literally flooding.
Melbourne felt like the city I had been missing in Sydney. The architecture, the people, the food were everything I wanted out of my study abroad experience. Every meal was incredible, but what stood out the most was the matcha, which was easily the best I’ve had in the world. The shopping was equally amazing. Maddie and I spent a solid six hours browsing through stores. Our original plan had included a beach day, but those hopes died quickly when the sun decided not to come out. Instead, it was cold and super windy.
I expected to hate the walking tour on our first day, but I ended up really enjoying it. We covered so much ground, got in an insane number of steps, and saw all of Melbourne’s most famous landmarks. One of the most unexpected highlights was stumbling across Holmes, our home away from home. The rest of the day was spent sightseeing and, of course, more shopping. That evening, we found a super cute bar, where our bartender, Nick, entertained us with hilarious tidbits about Australian culture like their slang and the phenomenon of Melbourne Black.
Sunday was our last day and our only completely free day, so we wanted to make the most of it. We had planned on visiting several markets, but after waking up much later than expected, we had to cut a few stops from our itinerary. On the way to the Gallery a rally in the city disrupted the tram route which prevented us from getting off at our planned stop. We had to walk, but we happened to come upon Queen Victoria Gardens, where we got to see lots of flowers and animals.
It was a hot day, so spending a few hours inside, surrounded by incredible artwork, was the perfect escape. After that, we took the free trams to Fitzroy Market. While it wasn’t entirely our vibe, it was still fun to explore, and from there, we headed straight to our dinner reservation. Dinner was at an amazing French restaurant, and I can confidently say it was the best meal I’ve had in Australia so far. It was the perfect way to end our trip.
The weekend was long, but perfect nonetheless. With four weeks left in Sydney, I’m determined to make the most of my time here and see as much of the city as possible. I’m on the hunt to explore more beaches and find hidden gems before heading to Singapore.