We had some delays on the way to the Sydney airport and arrived with no time to waste. Nonetheless, we made the flight and it was uneventful. We had stunning views from our corner room on the 44th floor in the middle of the CBD.
Melbourne was about coffee, jazz and art. We arrived during Jazz Fest and went to three official events. The first was to hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing Gershwin Reimagined. Troy Miller not only conducted the orchestra, he also played the jazz drums, piano and glockenspiel. The first half of the show was familiar and the second half was more innovated. Next we heard an outdoor lunchtime show featuring Phoebe Day. She had a raspy voice that was reminiscent of Billie Holiday. It was very cold and raining so we huddled under the awning of a nearby building with other jazz fans. The second set was cancelled when it started pouring. Typical of Melbourne weather, the sun was shining by the time we walked back to our hotel. The third show was Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton. She was an unexpected breakout star from the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom and performed for more than two hours without an intermission. The opening band featured Aubrey Pound. She is a rising jazz star who can both sing and play the trumpet. Additionally we listened to street performers playing jazz around the city.
Exploring art galleries did not lend itself to photographic mementos and the few museums we visited did not allow photographs either. We followed the Terra-cotta Warrior exhibition from Wellington to Melbourne. We did not go to the exhibition again but we really enjoyed looking at the chocolate warriors on display in our hotel.
The street art is everywhere and the city walls and laneways are often called the free galleries of the city. There are maps (and apps) showing the best street mural hotspots. Many named alleys like Hosier Lane, Centre Place, Croft Alley, Duckboard Place and AC/DC Lane have a creative mark on almost every surface. There was more tagging (and artists working) than in other cities but also many large-scale murals, mosaics, posters and sculptures.
Everyone we spoke with about Melbourne mentioned the amazing coffee scene. We had finally figured out that Cappuccinos are served in a mug with a little chocolate sprinkled on top and flat whites are served in a glass. Both have a little more milk that we would use at home but we are traveling. So, it was fantastic to learned about an off-menu order particular to Melbourne called A Magic. It is a flat white with three-quarters coffee (ie less milk). Our favorites were Commonplace Coffee Brewer, Travelers, Industry Beans, Alimentari, Higher Ground and Little Rouge. We would have to be here for months to try each cafe and coffee shop in the CBD alone!