Walk down a random alleyway...

I love it when you're wandering along, caught up in your own thoughts, when something catches your eye and you double-take. I'm in Melbourne, so this kind of thing is likely to happen (love those laneways).

Today it happened twice. The first time was in a building that housed some interesting boutiques - a massive retro store (more polyester dresses than you can poke a stick at), and a dark but quirky fashion store (think 'bird wings made into broaches' kind of aesthetics)...but the cool bit was a random lift...which this young man is the lift operator for - it's positively delightful! He's decked it out with plants and even a taxidermied bird and was reading a book and was quite up for a chat! The building has nine floors full of mostly art studios. Where was it? Can't tell...no really, have no idea and will probably never be able to stumble across it again.

The second bit of coolery was a very 'sciencey' cafe at the back of David Jones in Melbourne (shhhh, don't tell everyone) - I want to pack it up and take it back to Brisbane with me. It's called Sensory Lab and has a coffee subscription you can take out and get freshly roasted, specialty coffee posted to you.

I love coffee - a double shot flat way is totally the way to my heart! Melbourne has a lot of cafes, cool, funky, hole in the wall cafes. I have my favourites in Brisbane of course - Aromas in the Regeant Cinema has been my regular for...over 15 years! My recent local favourites are Ugees, Posto, and the West End Coffeehouse (all in West End, Brisbane). Great coffee and staff who have that mix of professional friendliness whilst giving you that feeling that they'll remember you and probably say 'hey' in the street. 

If anyone has any favorites they don't mind sharing (either in Melbourne, Brisbane or wherever), please let me know!