Oxford 130

One of my favourite Leederville establishments is open again for business.  It was sorely missed whilst it was closed for renovations.

Some passers by may wonder what the renovations were, as at first glance nothing seems different.

Regulars will, however, notice that the ceilings have been replaced, some new lighting has been installed and some retro pink/purple wall decorations introduced.

Thankfully, one of the things that hasn't changed is the terrific coffee.

It's not just about the coffee......

Cafes should not be just about the coffee.

We have some excellent cafes in Perth where I like nothing better on my days off than to linger over the morning paper and a good coffee.

Whilst some would say it is hard to make a great coffee, it is equally as difficult, if not more so, to create a great atmosphere.

Perth has suddenly got it.

Pictured below are some clever design features in three Perth cafes which help to create the very different atmospheres of all three.

See if you can work out which cafes they are.

The Essence of Melbourne

The essence of Melbourne for me is:

Fossicking in the Chapel Street Bazaar.....

A perfect coffee....

The casual elegance of the cafes.....

and the studied elegance of the shop windows...

I have just spent a wonderful three days there and not even the sideways rain and freezing temperatures (12C) could prevent me from being out and about. I have come to expect bizarre weather conditions whenever I visit Melbourne - the last time I was there we had to wade through knee high freezing floods to get back across the City to our hotel. It all just adds to the excitement.

There will be more of Melbourne in my next post.