If you were here we could...

So, if you were here we could start the day with a lovely breakfast at my favourite cafe in Fitzroy. Its called Marios [no apostrophe as it is owned and run by 2 Marios] and it has been serving fabulously flavourful food for more than 20 years. The service is brilliant, the food is exceptional and best of all, it is wonderfully affordable. We would sit at the window and people watch while we plot to make the world a better place.

Image by Julian Kingma of Kingma & Kingma, Melbourne

Once we had the world set to rights we could wander up Brunswick Street and visit Kleins Perfumery. You would love Kleins. A girl's notion of heaven where lotions, potions and all things gorgeous are concerned. I went there on Saturday with my lovely friend Janine. She lives not far from Brunswick Street and as we both love hanging out there, it is often where we catch up. I digress.

Kleins. Love it. You and I would spend hours in there browsing the hundreds of gorgeous glass bottles full of liquid lusciousness. I know; I have wasted many an hour meandering, inhaling, applying and losing myself in the peaceful ambiance. Are you convinced yet?

Once we've emptied our wallets onto the counter at Kleins, we could then walk up to the shoe shop on the corner. I had been in there often over the years but for the life of me I do not know what the shop's name is. Anyway, we would waste a little more time here trying on boots. I love boots and given your recently confessed love of all things ranch like, I think you would too. I tried on a pair on Saturday. Gorgeous does not do them justice. Sadly, they did not offer lay-by so I'll have to head back there in the next week or so because I can't live without them. Honestly, I simply can not.

Tell me what you think...

After our boot-lusting venture we would undoubtedly need another coffee. We would most likely head to Jasper Coffee. I love Jasper. They were the first coffee business to introduce Fairtrade coffee to the coffee snobs of Melbourne. The shop is lovely, the aroma of roasting coffee is wondrous and the fact that they support so many producers in far flung places who would otherwise be exploited by the coffee barons is great.

We could have a cappuccino or a latte in their lovely little courtyard. We could surely fit in a pastry or a slice of lemon tart. Just to finish off the afternoon that is quickly fading for if you were here you'd know it was well and truly Winter in Melbourne. We do a funny Winter here. The sun still warms the skin so when it shines, the earth does seem slightly warmer and the chill, to some degree, leaves us alone.

However, the sun is wont to set each day so as the chill returns, so do thoughts of warm clothes, warm drinks and lovely warm food. If you were here no doubt head home where we would spend time in the kitchen, whipping up a stew or some soup or a Moroccan tagine to fortify our bodies and feed our souls for we are Nigella!

I'm feeling rather melancholy my dear. I do so wish we lived in the same city so we could hang out and laugh. I do laugh so much when we are together. Perhaps we should Skype soon