Australia Trip 2014

For so many of you a trip to Australia is a bucket list – for us – it’s “going home”

It is where I met my husband, where we lived when we first were married and where our daughter was born.  She gets the best of both worlds in being half Aussie and half American.

In a world where money was not an issue and it didn’t take so many hours to get there –  we would not wait so long between trips.  We have so many happy memories and so many dear friends and family there.  At some point I will come back and add more of the pictures of this trip – but unlike other trips we take, the details from this one will be easier to remember.

The first half our trip was in Melbourne.  Melbourne is the capitol of Victoria and located in the lower southeast corner of the country.  If you lay the map of the US on the map of Australia – the land mass is very similar in size and shape.  The population is over 4 million and it always places in polls of the most liveable cities….and also as one of the most expensive.

We arrived on Saturday – with missed flights, lost luggage, lost passport, holdups in customs….you know, just how you like to conclude a 30 hour trip……  It was raining.  I don’t have many pictures from that day.  We spent it with friends – catching up and eating out.  So the “picture tour” will start with day two!

It was a glorious Sunday afternoon – Mother’s Day.  We were staying out in the country.  So we opted to drive part way – park near where we used to live (and where we would be staying the next day) and take the tram into the city.  Outside of Europe, Melbourne has the largest tram system in the world.  We parked near a little park that was one of a few that I would take a daily walk with Karisa when she was a newborn.

We headed to Lygon Street – lots of past memories there – many of which center around food and coffee.  Oh, to be in our 20’s again!  The late night runs for coffees and snacks, the laughs, the memories with friends made on that street!

Once upon a time it was nearly all Italian – but many other ethnic places have since sprung up.  I didn’t have to Yelp where we would eat, we knew exactly what we wanted……Souvlaki and Gelatti.  And, we knew right were we wanted to go to get it.  It did not disappoint!

From there we walked to the Victoria Markets.  The place was positively bustling.  They didn’t used to be open on Sundays (but then again when we moved – nothing was open on Sundays).  I know we literally had just ate……..but what are you to do…..so little time and so many things to eat!