L&L Archives: Melbourne, Day 4

Day four in Melbourne started… poorly.

I was already in a grumpy mood, and the city immediately matched my energy. The tram was packed and when it came to a sudden stop, a man and his stroller launched forward, slamming into my stomach, and my hot coffee went flying. Down my shirt. Onto another girl’s face. A true community experience.

After denouncing the tram and going home to change, I reset the day at the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition. I had tried to see it back in LA, but most of it had already been taken down. Seeing the full show here was incredible. I’ve always loved McQueen’s work, but seeing the pieces with the full staging, (lighting, music, set design), turns it into something bigger than fashion. It’s closer to theater.

Afterwards I was starving, so I walked to an Italian spot called Brunetti and ordered a pizza and a mushroom croquette. I demolished both. (Minus the crust. I have limits.)

Later I joined my final tour to learn a little more about Melbourne, widely referred to as the cultural capital of Australia. We talked a lot about the laneways, which are basically alleyways that Melbourne has turned into an art form. You’ll be walking down a normal street, glance to the side, and suddenly there’s a narrow little lane packed with restaurants, bars, and shops. Depending on who you ask, there are around 160 of them. Fun fact: the narrower the laneway, the newer it is.

For dinner I went to Shujinko, which is supposedly the best-rated ramen in Melbourne. While there, I realized I’d been in Australia for two weeks and had not yet tried Vegemite. That changed quickly. And not in a good way.

And that was my final day in Melbourne.