Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne was my favorite city that I visited in Australia and in my top 10 favorites cities I’ve visited in the world. It successfully strikes a fair balance between big city (read: skyscrapers and commerce) and cool hipster neighborhood (read: amazing restaurants/bars, open air markets, and modern art). Very walkable metropolis with tree-lined streets, manicured public parks, historical buildings, and a culturally diverse 4 million inhabitants.
A couple interesting fun facts about Melbourne:
- John Batman is credited with colonizing Melbourne. When trying to name the city, “Batmania” was in the running. Obviously, it didn’t work out but the name ‘Batman’ is on everything. Batman Hill, Batman Ave, Batman Gardens, etc.
- Highest ratio of people to cafes in the world – It is so hard to decide where to eat!
- Originators of the 8 hour work day (THANK YOU!). The slogan was: “8 hours work, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest.
- Queen Victoria Market – Largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere
- Home to oldest surviving China Town in the Western world
I’m convinced that the best way to get to know any big city quickly is to go on a walking tour. We tried “I’m Free Walking Tours” in Melbourne which is similar to the Sandeman’s New Europe Tours I’ve mentioned in other posts where you pay the guide what you think the tour is worth. As usual, the tour didn’t disappoint as we wandered through Melbourne’s unique arcades (alley ways lined with cafes and shops), learned the history, and ended the tour with a great view of the city which I used in my cover photo. There are 2 tours daily that meet in front of the State Library of Victoria at 10.30am and 2.30pm. After the tour, you can always go back to the areas you were most interested in.
One of my favorite areas was the Fitzroy Neighborhood which is a trendy area within walking distance of the CBD (Central Business District) of Melbourne and it has hundreds of unique restaurants and bars. Seemingly every establishment has live music from jazz to alternative to Indian. The music spills out onto the street as well as the smells from the kitchens. Your senses are exploding and it is so hard to choose where to pop in because everywhere looks, smells, and sounds intriguing. My advice would be just walk in somewhere that matches your fancy and grab an app/drink. If you like it, stay and enjoy. If not, keep moving because there are lots of places to see. Rum Diary Bar was a great stop as they served up the best Dark and Stormy I’ve ever had. Their house made ginger beer is freshly juiced ginger, a dash of coriander, and comes out of a canister that carbonates the juice when it is shot out of the nozzle. It has some bite to it, but pairs with Goslings Dark Rum (of course) to make an exquisite cocktail. Must try! For Seinfeld fans, you must visit George’s Bar, which is dedicated solely to Jason Alexander’s TV character George Costanza. Paraphernalia and pictures from the hit sitcom line the bar walls and there is a even a huge mural of George on the side of the building.
Graffiti is actually a huge staple in Melbourne. There are alley ways or lanes all over Melbourne that are covered in graffiti art. Everything in the lane is fair game to paint, including dumpsters, AC units, etc. The more popular lanes actually have ‘art curators’ who hire graffiti artists as well as decide how long the paintings stay up. The most famous art lane is Hosier Lane which is an absolute must-see. The graffiti paintings only last about 7 days before they are painted over. The best way to explain is through pictures:
The Block Arcade is another place to walk through. It was built in 1892 in the Victoria era style of architecture and is the major shopping arcade in the CBD. It comes complete with high glass ceilings, mosaic tiled floors, and historic statues that rivals the arcade in Milan, Italy. Melbourne is actually home to largest collection of Victorian era architecture in the world, even more than Great Britain itself. The reason is that Britain had melted all of their original steel railings during World War II because they were running out of raw materials.
While in Melbourne, also check out Boiler Room (amazing whiskey bar that also serves fried eggplant bites seasoned in Old Bay), Lily Blacks (the original 1920’s craft cocktail bar), and Roof Bar (great rooftop bar with views of the city). Lastly, Queen Victoria Market is a must. Open air market with tons of vendors, amazing food, and four stages for live music.
Port2Porter Review: Domaine Chandon Winery
Most everyone has tasted Domaine Chandon Champagne at a wedding or some other celebratory event. POP! goes the cork, pour the bubbly, and the party starts. It is commercially produced and distributed around the world as a Champagne or sparkling wine of choice. Chandon has three locations: Argentina, Napa Valley – California, and Yarra Valley – Australia. When you arrive onsite at the Yarra Valley location (45 min outside of Melbourne), it is very clear that Chandon is very well-established based on the gigantic facility and flawless landscaping.
They have a nice interactive tour that takes you through the wine fermenting process, the riddling room, and lastly their tasting room with veranda showcasing a majestic view of the vineyard. Riddling is a particularly interesting process that is unique to Champagne. After it has been fermented, the Champagne is bottled and brought to a riddling room to be kept at a 75 degree angle. A ‘riddler’ rotates the bottles by one-eighth turn daily to begin the process of removing the dead yeast cells. Riddlers may turn 20,000 bottles in one day! After the riddling process, the dead yeast is removed from the bottle, the cork is applied, and poised for the next celebration.
The best part of Chandon (besides the Champagne) is the view from their back veranda. Rows and rows of grapes extend into a mountainous terrain and picturesque landscape. Rose bushes are put at the end of each row of grapes to 1) symbolize what kind of grape is growing and 2) warn if pests are starting to infiltrate the vineyard. The rose bush will show signs of infestation and is a warning sign that they need to spray their grapes with pesticides so they don’t lose their yield for the year. Either way, the rose bushes put an exclamation point on an already gorgeous vista. Chandon is a comprehensive and commercial-style winery with established, mouthwatering wines and spectacular panoramic views.
Chandon Vintage Brut Rose’ 2012 – Sparking Rose’ that is a light, fizzy day-drinking wine. Fruity smell with complex, delicious taste and refreshing finish.If Valentines Day had a wine, this would be it.
Chandon Sparkling Pinot Shiraz – Sparkling “Christmas wine” that smells like dark cherries and blackberries. Bubbles on stay on your tongue accentuating the sweet notes of cinnamon and nut meg and finish with a crisp, smooth berry aftertaste.
Great review and tour of the city, made me feel like I have been there!!!
Love the pics. Everyone should read your blog before going to Australia. They would save themselves a lot of time and aggravation. Thanks for sharing. Your description of the wines really want to make me try some. I like a sweet wine and I actually brought back some ice wine from Canada which is very sweet if you haven’t tried it. Will share with everyone when we all get together. Love Ya