It was probably not the best week to be travelling by plane. Not with the tragic news that was emerging, the discovery of the body of Emiliano Sala, the Argentinian footballer, whose plane disappeared from the screens of radar whilst flying to the UK.
I was thinking of the folly of flying just days later, as we were thrown about inside the plane like the contents of a cocktail shaker. Very shaken. Very stirred. The dips in altitude were so severe it took me right back to being a teenager, and daring to ride the Revolution at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Losing your stomach for those thrilling few seconds. However, this time, I was less thrilled. I know one or two people who wouldn’t have handled this situation with quite the same sense of decorum.
As we were flying budget, with JetStar (who I still confuse with EasyJet), I suppose that the fact we were now ‘wheels down’, and safely in Melbourne is all I could ask for. That we had to fly into, and out of different airports is another matter altogether. Fans of Ryanair in Europe will no doubt feel my pain.
Once in Melbourne, and until at least we had to fly back, the ambience, and comfort level were ratcheted up a couple of notches. Staying at the Pan Pacific, right on the Yarra River, by the Melbourne Conference Centre, ensured we would get a good nights sleep. And we did. With possibly the world’s best black out blinds. Bearing in mind that at home in Sydney, it is so bright in the mornings that I might as well have a torch trained on me, then anything that blocked out the morning sun was sure to be a winner. With complimentary access to the Pan Pacific Club Lounge, with complimentary hors d’ouerves and wine between 5pm and 7pm, I was in my element.
However, I had to be restrained with the nibbles, as on Saturday night we had a dinner reservation at Donovans, right on the beach at St Kilda. A local institution, for over 22 years, Donovans lived up to, and probably exceeded my already high expectations. Friendly and attentive service, without being over bearing. In restaurants I sometimes get all cranky when I’m left feeling that advice on the wine list starts to feel a little patronising. Not here. If anything was to leave me feeling cranky it would be the fact that I could only choose one entree and one main course. The menu had an excellent selection, and I could happily have gone back the second night.
I landed on the goats cheese souffle with mushroom sauce, and for main, the outstanding seafood linguine, with Moreton Bay bug. In keeping with recent dining experiences, this was the first time I had eaten Moreton Bay bug. The name does nothing to increase my appetite. And they look even worse. But when I tell you this little beauty is like the best lobster tail, you may, like me, find yourself changing your mind. As Victoria was having a meat dish we chose to pair different wines to our dishes. Donovans accommodates this with a very good selection of half bottles, elegantly served in carafes. I went for the Pewsey Vale ‘Block 1961’ Riesling 2017, from Eden Valley, South Australia, whilst Victoria paired an excellent Wilson ‘Stone Craft’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 from Clare Valley, also in South Australia, with her Tasmanian grass fed T-bone.
Sunday dawned just a little bit dusty, nothing to do with those whisky nightcaps, and following breakfast in the hotel we had a walk across town to shake off the cobwebs. The Melbourne skyline seems to change every time I am here. The top of town gets more “Manhattan like” with needle style skyscrapers going up in a lot of places. I do worry that there will be a tipping point, beyond which Melbourne will start losing some of its character. It has built a tourist industry out of its lane ways, packing them with great bars and cafes, whilst using the walls as open air art. The more these older buildings are demolished to make way for modernity, the more I worry this great city will lose some of its charm, and character.
Jumping on a number 64 tram, we headed, at least we thought we were, towards Brighton, a suburb that we hadn’t previously visited. After a tram ride that took longer than we expected, probably due to the sheer number of people travelling to the St Kilda music festival, we disembarked at the last stop, only to find ourselves in East Brighton, and still a 45 minute walk away from the beach, through suburbia. Putting our best foot forward, we marched through a very salubrious set of neighbourhoods, before finally smelling the sea, and reaching the famous, and very colourful, bathing boxes of Brighton Beach. As with most “famous” things in this Instagram age, we were not the first there. The beach was packed with selfie stick toting tourists looking for the perfect shot. In amongst this, there were actual locals, owners of these bathing boxes, who were looking to have a quiet Sunday by the beach. Looking around me, I’m sure they haven’t had a quiet Sunday at the beach for quite some years.
Getting back to the city, from Brighton, proved to be even harder than getting there. We took the decision to have lunch in Brighton village, an amazing pizza at Allegro, then jump on a train back to the city. This would be much quicker than the rattling, labouring tram. Well, it would have been, had there been trains that day. Waiting on the platform, with many other unsuspecting travellers, it wasn’t until a few scheduled trains hadn’t arrived that we came to realise it was a day for “train replacement buses”. Oh my. We decided to call up a friendly Uber driver, got back to the city, and helped to shake off the stresses of the day with a couple of cold drinks by the river.
Melbourne is a city we have visited a number of times before. We usually tie it in with a visit to the Australian Open. An event that gets better every single year. This trip was planned around things that we hadn’t previously done. Spending more time in St Kilda. Visiting a new restaurant in this beach side suburb. Making the short (it should have been) trip out to the beach at Brighton, and experiencing a different side to this great city.
Flying home, thankfully with less turbulence, I was again reminiscing on a fabulous weekend, in one of my favourite cities, and my thoughts switched to “when can I come back?”
