bats 'n possums 'n ... beet root on burgers?

so, I just returned from possum and bat spotting. yup. you heard me right. kelly, mike and I had a fabulous dinner after a lovely leisurely day of shopping, at the large, manic Queen Victoria Market. it reminded me of a combination of markets in Thailand, just a little bit cleaner (thank god). massive amounts of knock-off clothes, jewellery, gadgets and cheap souvenirs, but most importantly, rows upon rows of fruit & veg, meat, seafood, cheeses, breads, olives, dips, etc. very exciting for me. I offered to make dinner tonight so we had an antipasta tray, then butternut squash soup, a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, strawberries and avocado, and porterhouse steaks. probably only a few of you would enjoy details of the food so i'll refrain. anyway, it was delicious, but of course too much so we walked it off in the park behind their apartment, whilst engaging in a search for possums and bats (flashlight in hand). the bats screech, it freaked me out. I got a pic of a possum for proof.

so melbourne........is a huge mish-mosh. extremely multi-cultural, heavy European influence, anything-goes wacky fashion (lots of black!), crazy back-alley lounges/bars/clubs, huge variation in architectural style, TONS of cafes (coffee is hugely important to Melbournians), an emphasis on art & culture. going back to the bars... last night we hit 4 with a knowledgeable Cdn friend of K & M's. most of them had 3-5 flights of stairs to get to the roof-top patio, all have crazy design and decor and most with art on the walls, and the one that stands out for me, called "The Croft Institute", had a medical theme, all white inside, you head up the staircase the bathroom and it instantly feels like a mental institution...you get to the women's washroom, open the door, it's all white, metal, quiet and friggin' scary, and there's a gurney sitting against one wall. I thought I was in a scene of "Saw". Kinda wishes someone was with me.

anyway, its a very cool city. it makes you realize how *small* Vancouver is.

the first day here I wandered around by myself all day, mostly in the downtown core, i dont have a great sense of direction ;) didn't do too many touristy things, took a free city circle tram just to have a look around, got a cell, hit 2 food joints that had been recommended, one Greek, one Italian, the later was better for the experience, a walk away from downtown in the Italian district, but was a little weird to be eating dinner by myself! but I did it. had a great day all alone, then Friday I did *nothing*. not kidding. just sat around all day after sleeping in. don't be jealous :) met up with Kelly downtown after work, had drinks at a pub down by the river, stood outdoors along with 200 other white-collar workers. it was the first hot Spring day in the city so everyone was out. (they have tons of outdoor/streetside cafes and rooftop bars here, its very refreshing.) met up with mike & their friend joe, had some dinner --- my very first aussie burger with EGG & BEET ROOT. I'd heard about them and was excited to have it. was huge but tasty. and to think I'd almost gone for the kangaroo...

I've booked a hostel for tomorrow evening, so it will be my first true venture out on my own! a couple days later, I will hit St Kilda, a suburb in Melbourne, right on the beach, supposed to be a great backpacker vibe so we'll see how that goes. will let you know! hope everyone's well. xo