Down Under Day 1: Melbourne

All we saw were grey, overcast skies when we touched down in the morning. We were convinced that was the kind of weather we were going to get for our next 10 days. But we soon came to realise that Melbourne's not known for having 4 seasons in a day for nothing.

We caught an airport shuttle bus to the Cosmopolitan Hotel, this boutique hotel which we had booked in St Kilda. [If you are like us and don't mind staying in the outskirts of the city, i would highly recommend this hotel. Clean, modern and affordable rooms and just a minute's walk to the nearest tram stop, where you can hop on a tram to get to the city].

After a short nap to recharge ourselves, we made our way to the city and were greeted by gorgeous, sunny, blue skies. Amazing how different the weather could be in just 2 hours.

Hello, sunshine!

At the tram stop, figuring out the tram system

The modern tram, which looked more like a small train

We had lunch at Fifteen, where we enjoyed the $35 2-course express lunch which was accompanied by a glass of wine. We both chose the pumpkin soup and the lamb bolognese pasta which was really al dente. Unfortunately i don't have any good photos of the food because the lighting was dim :(

Fifteen - Good food for a great cause

After lunch, we walked around a bit and took the free City Circle Tram, which was a 45 min ride to get a feel of the city. Got mesmerized by the trees dressed in autumn colours at Carlton Gardens and got off to snap some pictures, before hoping back on the tram to complete our tour.

Collins Street

On board the City Circle tram

The Carlton Gardens which i just realised, is a World Heritage Site

As we didn't know if we were going to get the same clear weather on another day, we made our way to the Eureka Skydeck 88, which was located at the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower, to enjoy the sunset over Melbourne's city landscape.

The Eureka Tower

Spotted a couple who had just gotten married taking some wedding photos at the Skydeck. The bride was dressed in a tank top and a tutu ballerina skirt with sneakers, while the groom was dressed in a vintage grey suit. Really cool!

Sunset at the Eureka Skydeck 88, the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere

St Paul's Cathedral from one of the viewfinders

Dinner was back at Nando's, St Kilda. First time trying it and we liked it. We picked the least spicy flavour though. I wonder if the one at Singapore is as good.

Must.eat.chicken. NOW!

One of the many meals which contributed to my 2kg weight gain from this trip

The secret to Nando's Chicken