Before I even get started:  Please let me apologise for a few technical issues we are having on Tipsy Pipsy at the moment. Pretty sure that by next post it will be all sorted. If not, please refer to the above

Today I have taken the short flight to Melbourne …(the one where you are up for a minute and then down the next and it is a complete waste of points to upgrade to Business!)… Tinerate, am in the Garden/Education/Stay Alert Stay Safe/The Place To Be … (Seriously??? Me thinks there may be an identity issue )… state, not for fun and frolic although I would be loath not to squeeze some of that in, but to see my tried and trusted skin guy, Dr. GG. The man I have been seeing since I went to uni over here and knows me and my quirks soo well. And also knows that I am c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y over having to even begin to describe my trunk load of history to a new person. Just love him

Anyhoo, before I even booked this trip, I decided I was going to do this little jaunt differently to how I have done it in the past where I have rushed in, zoomed around madly checking off a list of errands and, if lucky, wedged in a few quick catch ups with friends. Very hectic and no time left for just being!

So instead of all the above I have deliberately made my appointment for later in the day to give myself time to fossick around and, hopefully, discover some of the gems of this city hidden beneath (or above) the dog-eared pages of the average tourist guide.

Now we all know that magnificent Melbourne is known for its thriving art scene and theatre culture…Oh, and sports. Can’t forget the footy …

And, whilst talking arts, just an aside bit of trivia…Hosier Lane is the most photographed street in the city and shouldn’t even ‘be’ as graffiti is illegal in Victoria. (I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in SA, NSW, WA etc as well but, Oy Vey…) Back to point, I am guessing that this particular law isn’t too highly enforced as there was a bunch of very rap-trend street artists designing when I wandered through.

But more on that later because today I took a long long (read exhausting!) walk all around The Tan (wanted to feel like a local), through the King’s Domain north gardens and then cut across to Fawkner Park till I hit Malvern road which I then wandered along to the fabulous shopping just north of Commercial road. Brilliant boutique restaurants and exclusive clothes stores on this little strip

Anyhoo, some of the charming sights and oasis pockets I stumbled upon made me wonder if I was still in the capital of Victoria…

…then there was this…

While others left no room for doubt …I was certainly in the Australian epicentre of cosmopolitan

Till next time.

Tipsy Pipsy xo