Brisbane
There are a lot of things about Brisbane that are unique to the city, or at least unique to me which makes visiting here so fun and reminds me daily of why I love travelling and exploring so much.
In certain intersections throughout the city, including some in the heart of downtown, the stop lights in all four directions flash red at the same time and you can cross the street kitty-corner. It's one of the coolest things to watch and talk about efficiency!! My heart dropped to my knees the first time I saw it happen though because I thought someone was running in to the middle of the street!
At coffee shops you can't ask for a drip coffee, they don't exist. Instead, you can order the equivalent of an Americano by asking for a short black, long black, flat white, or by using other various terms for coffee. They do put the sugar in for you though which I personally love. When I first arrived I asked for cream in my coffee and got whipping cream instead. I guess that wasn't a hard lesson to learn. :)
The entire city is lushes and green everywhere I turn. Every backyard and sidewalk through the city is crammed with tropical trees that stand in their place strong and sturdy like they've been here for a while and know they'll be here for a while longer. Yet, there's also a relaxed ease like everything in Australia, actually, with an ease I'm still trying to figure out!
From sun up to sun down the animals of Brisbane take over the silence and drowned out the common placed noises of the city. In the morning it's the Rainbow Lorikeets bird that has become my alarm clock and at night it's the sound of possums scouring over the roof I hear before I sleep. In my very own backyard there are lizards, possums, spiders, frogs, and about 5 different tropical birds. It's so easy to sit in the backyard and feel like I'm in some remote area of Australia instead of in the city.
There are lots of "pocket" neighbourhoods with super cute, funky coffee shops, restaurants, and boutique stores where locals take pride in their businesses. There's an area called the West End that has a very similar vibe to the Drive. It seems to be the gay and lesbian area of the city and has an artsy, hippie vibe to it. Even though it's not my scene it's comforting to be around the familiar. I definitely recommend the lamb and rosemary sausage at the Atomica cafe. Yum!
In the Culture District of the city there are two art galleries and one museum that are big and diverse. General admission is free and you only have to pay for the special exhibits if you want to see them. I absolutely love that the State makes it free to enjoy culture and art and I wish Vancouver would develop the same attitude. I can wander in and out of the art galleries and museum with no urgency to get my money's worth.
There's so much more of the city to describe but for now I'll leave it here.
In certain intersections throughout the city, including some in the heart of downtown, the stop lights in all four directions flash red at the same time and you can cross the street kitty-corner. It's one of the coolest things to watch and talk about efficiency!! My heart dropped to my knees the first time I saw it happen though because I thought someone was running in to the middle of the street!
At coffee shops you can't ask for a drip coffee, they don't exist. Instead, you can order the equivalent of an Americano by asking for a short black, long black, flat white, or by using other various terms for coffee. They do put the sugar in for you though which I personally love. When I first arrived I asked for cream in my coffee and got whipping cream instead. I guess that wasn't a hard lesson to learn. :)
The entire city is lushes and green everywhere I turn. Every backyard and sidewalk through the city is crammed with tropical trees that stand in their place strong and sturdy like they've been here for a while and know they'll be here for a while longer. Yet, there's also a relaxed ease like everything in Australia, actually, with an ease I'm still trying to figure out!
From sun up to sun down the animals of Brisbane take over the silence and drowned out the common placed noises of the city. In the morning it's the Rainbow Lorikeets bird that has become my alarm clock and at night it's the sound of possums scouring over the roof I hear before I sleep. In my very own backyard there are lizards, possums, spiders, frogs, and about 5 different tropical birds. It's so easy to sit in the backyard and feel like I'm in some remote area of Australia instead of in the city.
There are lots of "pocket" neighbourhoods with super cute, funky coffee shops, restaurants, and boutique stores where locals take pride in their businesses. There's an area called the West End that has a very similar vibe to the Drive. It seems to be the gay and lesbian area of the city and has an artsy, hippie vibe to it. Even though it's not my scene it's comforting to be around the familiar. I definitely recommend the lamb and rosemary sausage at the Atomica cafe. Yum!
In the Culture District of the city there are two art galleries and one museum that are big and diverse. General admission is free and you only have to pay for the special exhibits if you want to see them. I absolutely love that the State makes it free to enjoy culture and art and I wish Vancouver would develop the same attitude. I can wander in and out of the art galleries and museum with no urgency to get my money's worth.
There's so much more of the city to describe but for now I'll leave it here.
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