Melbourne- Notice

After a looong journey home involving late flights, running between terminals like a mad person only to discover the next flight was delayed, plus a long drive home a lovely "welcome home, I love you mummy" sign and a bowl of curry was waiting for me. Plus a sleeping Busy a smiling Chef and an excited dog.

On the 1388km journey home I had time to reflect about the previous four days and what I had discovered. I had stayed in the most fabulously charming of places- Brooklyn Arts Hotel just off Gertrude st. It was full of eccentric old women who were always up for a cup of tea and a chat by the fire. I loved them! I discovered that Gertrude St is so good and every coffee, meal and snack I ate on there was divine.  I also noticed LOTS of beards and  combed slicked to the side short hair- a bit of a 1900's look. I noticed this look only in the Fitzroy area but there was a lot of it. I liked it. I noticed everyone looked cool. I noticed not for the first time- that I didn't. I noticed that didn't bother me much.

I noticed the difference in light. The light was less glarey in Melbourne, even on overcast days here, it is glarey and sunglasses are needed. I noticed not wearing sunglasses all the time. Despite living in London for 2 years in my 20's I forgot what cities that get cold are like. That as soon as you walk into any shop cafe etc it is 10 degrees warmer. I learned this on day one and learnt about layers. I noticed that lots of people thought I said I was from Belgium not Bellingen and I couldn't be bothered to correct them. I noticed that people were always friendly and the service was good. I noticed that Melbourne hasn't completely replaced the old yellow and green trams- the nice old ones thank-fully. I noticed a family friend of mine who is now almost 20 is growing into a beautiful young woman before my very eyes and it was so lovely to take her out to dinner and hang out with her as a grown up.

I noticed  the excited feeling of seeing hundreds and thousands of new faces I had never seen before day after day after day. Of seeing hundreds of pieces of art and sculpture and mediums on which to do things ( more on THAT later!!)

I bought a few pieces home from Rose st Markets and and a kiss for Chef from Industria. I noticed that I never felt lonely and that I missed Chef and Busy but not to the point of tears (actually maybe just a little tear on one night after I got off the phone) I noticed that I had to quickly rush to sit down and write an idea that was at risk of falling out of my head a lot. I noticed that I felt so inspired and full of new ideas and things I want to do and that lots of the time my head was spinning taking so much in.  I noticed that when you get together with women who's blogs your read its like catching up with old friends and not awkward at all. And it's funny. And fun. I noticed how good it was to actually talk about my blog to other people who "get" it. I noticed a suburb of Melbourne that I would have probably not ventured into otherwise had the most delicious Turkish Pide and that as painful and hard as it was I did manage to get it home for Chef to taste and resisted eating it on the plane.(and he loved in thanks Beci)

I noticed that some people are shy and I that maybe I didn't get  to chat to them as much as I wanted to to but that next time I will. I am sorry!

I noticed not for the first time that I often think about how to move to Melbourne just for a little while.

I noticed how good it is to be home amongst the trees and the forest and the warmth.

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