Melbourne

Last week we took our first steps out of Sydney and got a cheapo flight to Melbourne, courtesy of JetStar. Should have known that, being a budget carrier, "Melbourne" was not going to be Melbourne airport, but rather a converted airplane hanger an hour out of the city in the middle of nowhere. The city is a change from Sydney and with plenty of wide boulevards with trams down the centre, victorian buildings and wide pavements, it certainly feels a little more European. As if to cement that, within an hour of arriving I was already eating my first panini since arriving in Australia. Predictably enough it was raining all day (and much colder than Sydney) so we spent the whole time ducking in and out of Melbourne's hidden alleys and arcades - all full of little cafes and restaurants - a contrast to the streets of Sydney. Lucked out a little on the hotel too. Thought we were booking into a small renovated Victorian building and a tiny room, and that's exactly what we found. However that building just served as a front to the big high-rise behind it where all the bedrooms were. Got bumped up to a deluxe room because the original wasn't clean on time; nice.