MELBOURNE (my favourite Australian city)

Melbourne, Victoria, on the East Coast of Australia, is my favourite city in this fair country of ours. I first went there in 1998 for a wedding. Being driven from the airport, through the city to the house we were staying at, I was immediately struck by the architecture. It is such a beautiful city, old buildings with charm and character, trees along the streets, the trams clickety-clacking along and the tram tracks taking up space in the middle of the roads, the funny driving manouvre called a "hook turn", the fashion sense of the people treading the footpaths.
I went there again in 2005 for a business conference, unfortunately meaning I didn't get to see much, but I did get to experience Melbourne shopping, and the lust for the city continued!
In 2009 I visited twice, in May and June, and got to experience the night life, which is vast, rich, and fabulous! The locals (if you can find a nice one, it's about 50/50 I've found) will show you the good places, or you can walk around until you spy a trendy hot-spot (characterized by the massive line out front).
My last trip was this past February for my birthday, and it was as captivating as ever. Even more exciting for me, I went with Vaughn and one of my best friends, Alice, and got to play tour guide! Showing people I love around the city I love was one of the best experiences I've had. "Here's where to shop, where to eat, where to party, where to sightsee, my favourite lane, my favourite club, my favourite bar....."
Heaven.
Maybe it's the similarities between Melbourne and San Francisco (which is my favourite city in the whole world) that make me love it so, I'll never know for sure, but love it I do, with all my heart.
Hope you enjoy the pics.