We flew in to Melbourne on Friday morning, took the bus to Melbourne station, then promptly got on a train and spent two more hours travelling to Bendigo to visit some friends and family (previously documented trips 1 and 2). We met up with my oldest friend Caitlin and her sister for lunch (we're so damn photogenic, as you can see below) and all we did was laugh. Maybe eat a little, but mostly laugh. She's my kindred spirit - a sister-friend. We wandered around Bendigo city for a while (it's honestly beautiful, but so tiny!), then met my cousin Louisa who would take us to our accommodations for the night.
May I just gush for a moment: my Aunty keeps the most amazing home. Her furniture has captured my heart - all beautiful, antique pieces with classy, decorative flourishes - and is filled with interesting trinkets and memories of a life well-lived; a world explored. She has created some beautiful stained-glass pieces, and while we're on the topic of windows; she and my uncle kept the windows from the old farmhouse they bought and, now that they've renovated, have inserted the beautiful old window frames into their new walls. The backyard is large (it's a farm) and impressive; fruit trees, vegetable plants, herb patches, flowers, sheep, dogs, chickens. We drank beers and laughed as dinner was prepared (sitting at the old, wooden farmhouse table and looking out over the expansive yard - the dog, Hugo, watching us intently from the other side of the huge, glass double-doors). We ate a vegetarian feast and drank delicious red wine as our cheeks got rosier and our laughter more raucous. There was a bonfire; rugged up in every item of clothing I had with me (and more that was loaned from the family), we rushed outside after dinner and roasted marshmallows while we talked about travel - my youngest cousin running around, setting small weeds on fire and giggling.
On Saturday morning, we awoke with smiles on our faces. Visiting this beautiful home - surrounded by nature and filled with happiness and nourishment - never fails to refresh me. We ate breakfast with the family before heading to the train station on our way back to Melbourne. Our favourite holiday activity? Exploring the city. We wandered the streets of Melbourne for hours, occasionally stopping to look in a shop, take photos of the street art, or eat some delicious sushi.
At dinner time, we met our wonderful friends Keren and Simon for some beers at The Carlton (a really cool little pub, which I highly recommend checking out), before heading out to Schezuan food and red wine in China town. Holy cow, we laughed a lot! The food was incredible (and delightfully spicy), the wine was tasty and flowed freely (it flowed all over the table, where some of us were concerned), and the company couldn't be beat. After dinner, we meandered our way to the nearest tram stop and hopped on; homeward bound.
In the morning, Keren cooked us up a giant feast, as she is the world's Most Wonderful Friend. We ate zucchini and beans and mushrooms and eggs and drank coffeetea (breakthrough beverage of this year, my friends) before heading to the local bric-a-brac markets. We wandered for hours! Rufus and I didn't buy anything, for fear of it breaking in our luggage, but Keren and Simon each found some little treasures. It would be (and was) a great way to start a Sunday - wandering through the markets, searching through the mounds of random items to find the small treasures hidden throughout. It's a great reminder to slow down and take stock of your surroundings.
In the afternoon, we met with our friend Brad, who recently moved to Melbourne for work. We ate some delicious Vietnamese food and wandered up and down the main streets in the area, marvelling at the abundance of cool stores. We stopped off for coffee (absolutely delicious coffee from Industry Beans) before parting ways for the evening - him off to bed to prepare for work the next morning, us to the gig that called us to Melbourne in the first place: Coheed and Cambria with Circa Survive.
The gig was absolutely incredible! I've been a fan of Coheed and Cambria for many years and it was great to finally see them live! After the show, we caught a tram back to Brad's house to sleep on his (new!) lounge room floor. In the morning, it was raining. We caught the tram back to the CBD in search of breakfast, and breakfast we did find! Hardware Societe is home to the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. The servings were generous and absolutely delectable, the croissant was the best I've had, and I discovered that I'm not allergic to pistachios! Huzzah! We spend the day wandering around the CBD once more, (eating churros and soup, and drinking peanut butter beverages) before heading to the airport, and boarding our flight home.
I'm so, so happy to have had the opportunity to take this little mini-break! The time spent resetting my headspace in Bendigo contrasted so perfectly to the excitement we felt while exploring Melbourne. We spent time with some of my favourite people in the world, and (as always, you know me by now) ate some amazing food. Alas, back to reality... but really, that is reason enough to smile these days! I recently got a new job which I am incredibly excited about! Rufus and I are in a ridiculously happy place in our relationship, my birthday is in two short weeks, I've been cooking some wonderful meals (zucchini fritters with tahini dipping sauce, garlic roasted pumpkin with a balsamic reduction, plain old stir fry) and exercising regularly, we helped some friends move house over the weekend then cat-sit for my parents, and I am reading The Happiness Project; which I could not recommend with more enthusiasm.
How are you?! Let's play.
