Laneways... getting off the beaten path

I think it was while we were sailing that Nomes said to find all the really good bars and cafes in Melbourne, you have to devote a day to wandering the laneways. So we did just that, and Naomi and Donnie joined us. Except we got a late start to the day, so it was a good thing that Nomes did some homework to get us a starting point. And we may have had to stop in a hostel to find some of the places on a map. We wandered around, and Naomi used her tour-guide knowledge to explain why Melbourne has these great laneways (she'll correct me, since my explanation may go a bit pear-shaped). Apparently there were two blokes involved in Melbourne's city planning. One was, of course, Hoddle, who favoured large, impressive streets in the manner of Paris. The other, who may or may not have been Batman, wanted crazy little laneways like parts of London. And they reached compromise.

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We walked and walked, had a few beers at interesting places, indulged in cheap-as Chinese food, 2 for 1 cocktails, and the best steamed buns this side of Asia. Good stuff. Followed it up with lunch the next week at Switchboard, which is possibly the cutest cafe in Melbourne. The two girls who run it must be very good friends, since they work together in a converted broom closet, offering delicious homemade food. Across the little hallway, they've converted another closet into what's been described as an art deco showpiece, wallpaper and all. It's just lovely.

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