My logic for getting trolleyed last night was that today is Good Friday, tourist 'stuff' would be closed, and so it was therefore the most appropriate opportunity to get off my face in Melbourne's gay bars.
Not only do I wake up with a hungover, I also wake up next to someone else. Quite how he got there I have no idea. However, I am quite sure that, along with all other such incidents during my time here, the presence of a young Australian male in my bed was due to my desire to discuss matters of cultural interest with somebody from another country, and absolutely nothing to do with any desire for sexual gratification. I would just like to make that clear.
Anyway, I'm in Melbourne - Australia's second city. And, boy, do people from Sydney like to point that little fact out. The rivalry between the two places is practically as old as the nation itself. Melbourne used to be Australia's principal city, but over the last few decades Sydney has surpassed it in population and status.
The two places are very, very different (which is something of a relief because otherwise it would have been rather pointless coming here). Sydney is often described as a brash, full-on Northern American style City - Melbourne more European, relaxed and cultured. Put another way, in Sydney you spend your day marvelling at extravagant sights and enjoying the sea and surf, before an evening of hedonism in the numerous bars and clubs. In Melbourne you enjoy fine food, great coffee, read books and meet interesting people.
Quite frankly, all of the above is fine with me. I chose to live in Sydney primarily because that is where it is easier to find decent work. It's also warmer than Melbourne and has a bigger gay scene. None of this means I can't enjoy Melbourne, and I certainly do...
I have brunch and coffee near where I'm staying before heading down to St Kilda beach. It is immediately evident how different this place is to Sydney. There is no surf or lovely long golden sand - this is more Bognor than Bondi. There is, however, a lovely pier that affords a great view of the city.
St Kilda is one of the main backpacking destinations, but because we are now well into Spring and Melbourne is one of the coldest parts of Australia, drunken young Brits are refreshingly absent from the area. The place does indeed have a European vibe, with the smell of different restaurants dominating your senses walking along the street.
It is quite liberating knowing that because it's Good Friday and everything is shut, I can wander around aimlessly and do whatever I want without feeling guilty. It's a perrenial trait of mine - arrive in a new place with lots to see, sleep in late and do little, then curse myself.
Walking around Melbourne is a real treat. And because I'm not bound my an inteniary dictated by a guide book, I literally don't know what's round the corner. I stroll into the city - well, hike would be more accurate given how long it took - and then stumble across all sorts of places, including the state government buildings, the botanical gardens, China Town and so on.
It is without doubt a very 'British' city, but unquestionably with its own distinct identity. I absolutely love the place. Don't worry Sydney, you're still my number one, but everyone needs their bit on the side...
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