Where's Miles? How am I supposed to get anywhere without him? Oh, that's right, I don't have a car and personal driver with a CAP in my real life. That's only part of Book Tour World, along with other people picking up my towels, making my bed and washing my pants. Oh well.
Here are some wonderful things I encountered while I was back in my beloved Australia for the tour.
1. Aussie lady writersTwo of my favourite , pictured above, at a lovely drinks party hosted by my bezzie mate and publisher Julie Gibbs. Left to right Lee Tulloch, Marion von Adlerstein, Julie and moi. My great pal Robert Rosen - Mr Snaparazzi - took the shot.
2 Coin-operated hair straighteners in public loos
Image is everything in Sydney and to make sure you never have to worry about your hair getting a little bit mussed up - it can be a bastard on those humid February days - a company called Glide puts coin-operated hair irons in the loos of night clubs and bars. Brilliant.
3. No Starbucks in Melbourne
I am reliably informed that all the branches of Starpukes that opened in Melbourne closed down because no one there would drink such foul coffee. Australian coffee is the best in the world - better than Italy. Trust me on this. They use weird UHT (Ultra Horrible Turtle milk) in Italy. In Australia you get the perfect roast on the bean, highly-trained baristas and delicious milk. And the right vessel for each style of coffee. I loathe the tankards you get for lattes in the UK. They should come in medium-sized Duralex glasses.
4. Hako Japanese restaurant
This is some of the best Japanese food I have ever eaten in a very groovy Shoreditch style interior. Perfection. 310 Flinders Lane. 03 9620 1881.
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ReplyDelete'Australian coffee is the best in the world'.. high five. And Melbourne the very best. That's why I couldn't currently live elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteNot to forget the best edibles, the glorious clothage people wear and the delightfully unpredictable weather :)
So very happy that you have this web page, this blog. I have been reading your column since I was 15 years old and I completely love your writing. More of it is such a Very Good Thing.
I have just finished reading How to break your own heart and loved it. I couldn't put it down! I am always impressed with how you conjure up such unique - and likeable - protagonists who are so different in character and voice from the ones before. Found your blog and found mention of another book you have out... Is this too good to be true? xx claire
ReplyDelete4 fabulous ladies in one shot. Well, 5 if you include the photographer...
ReplyDeleteDammit Maggie, given the cheap hackwork that represents newsprint these days, are you Australia's last witty, literate journalist? It's a conclusion I have been forced to draw :(
ReplyDeleteLoooove Shoe Money, Handbag Heaven and Pants on Fire. Very happy to see you have a blog!
wouldn't you love to be tall like Lee Tulloch and be able to wear a gorgeous enormous necklace like the one she has on??
ReplyDeleteMs 5'2"
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ReplyDeleteThere are some very unfortunately resilient Starbucks left in Melbourne. I must say, whilst I loathe them in my hometown for all the reasons you mentioned which are all complete gospel truth, in New York (and dare I say even in the UK?) I think that they are in the upper end of the quality spectrum, which is to say that they aren't complete dregs. But yes, us Melbournites are gleeful snobs about our coffee and rightly so.
ReplyDeleteI've also been a very long-term reader of your GW column and books and am so glad you're online too. Hooray!