After being in Melbourne for a few days, here are some fun morsels we've discovered about the city!
The Coffee is DELICIOUS! There are lots and lots of small cafes that serve coffee drinks which put Starbucks and yes, even Peets, to shame. We're slowly learning the local coffee lingo. Here's what we know so far... Short black = one shot of espresso, Long black = double shot of espresso, Flat white = espresso with milk and a little foam, Latte = espresso with more milk and more foam. Steph ordered an Americano and what arrived was a full cup of espresso with a splash of milk. She was super-charged for the rest of the day!
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| Skinny Flat White |
The food is also delicious, but rather expensive. Despite what we were told, the food in Melbourne has been very tasty. Matt's favorite meal was a hearty open-faced steak sandwich, topped with a fried egg. Steph's 3 favorite meals were a pork-belly sandwich, BBQ pork buns, and Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). However, we've found the prices are more expensive than in the US.
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Steph's new favorite book!
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Doughnut with custard
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"I know it looks weird, but it was delicious!" - Matt
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Transportation is easy by car or tram. So far, Matt's been OK with driving on the wrong (left) side of the road. We'll keep you updated on his progress.
If you need to get around the city, the Tram is very efficient and easy. There aren't any ticket takers on the trams, so everything is based on the honor system. Every so often, the Tram Police will board to check everyone's ticket. If you're caught without a ticket, it's a $180 fine! Yikes...
ABBA World: The Official Interactive Exhibition! We randomly found this traveling exhibit during the last few weeks of its Melbourne stop. The exhibit was 100% ABBA and 100% AWESOME! We learned about ABBA history, saw the sequined ABBA outfits, sang to ABBA songs, and danced to ABBA videos. ABBA is LOVED by Australia (see also the movie "Priscilla Queen of the Desert") and Matt (after repeatedly listening to ABBA tapes during family road trips).
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| Dancing King |
Lots of sites to see in and around Melbourne. We've walked all over the city and found some fun sites along the way!
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| Royal Botanic Gardens |
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| More Royal Botanic Gardens |
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| Or "Positively Dreamy" |
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| Victoria Market: lots of fresh produce and fun goodies! |
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Matt is confirming where he thought the market was located.
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Steph said the market was "definitely" to the left.
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| Shrine of Remembrance |
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| Bridge across the Yarra River |
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| Yarra River |
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Restaurant in China Town
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| Federation Square |
Transportation is easy by car or tram. So far, Matt's been OK with driving on the wrong (left) side of the road. We'll keep you updated on his progress. 
