Kensington, crepes and bus drivers

It was very cold today.  The warmest temperature was 12C and it was windy so it was very very cold for me.  Ate and I were making fun at how we were shaking when we were at the Southern Cross Station.  Ang lamig!

From Kensington Station, I walked with her to Chubb and agreed to meet two hours after at the first coffee shop around the corner. So I headed back to the other end of Macaulay for a stroll. I like the coffee shops scattered along the street.  Para syang sari-sari store, marami at magkakatabi.  And they're all cute and small, each with its own charm.  Nothing intimidating.  It makes you feel like walking into it and having a cup of coffee while killing time would be a very good idea.

 

train station

 

 

 

Aside from coffee shops, they also have these small shops that sell vintage and specialized stuff.  And of course, the dainty bookshops.  More than anything, I love the atmosphere when you are made to feel welcome even if you are just looking around.  Upon entering into one of them, the owner asked me if I needed any help or was just looking. I said I was just looking and was waiting for someone.  She told me to enjoy.  Im sure it would just be fine even if I stayed there for an hour without buying anything.  But kindness is always a win for me, the perfect marketing strategy.  So I impulsively bought two books :) One by Hanif Kureishi and an Australian author.  Good gob, wayward bookstore!

wayward books, 172 bellair st, kensington
image grabbed from the net

image grabbed from the net

After that, I went to one of the cafes to wait for Ate.  It was called Luncheonette.  It was a tiny cafe, and again, a cute one (the cafes there are really endearing).  I had late which I sipped for an hour haha They had all sorts of magazine and one featured remodeled places which were transformed into modern day homes like former bakeries, boathouses, etc.  I really like these concepts, the sort that preserves a part of the heritage of the place and making it comfortable for moden day living.  That's my dream for our old house in the province.

 

view from luncheonette
173 rankins road, kensington

On a side note, the people are very generous with pleasantries. People say hello.  It is a place where buying coffee is not just a business transaction but also a social experience.  It's not just about asking what would you like and how much would that be but also engaging in small talks.  Makes a recipe for a good day.

When we got back to the city, we went to AIX creperie for afternoon tea.  Again, it was a small place.  It could probably accommodate just 6 or 7 couples inside and about 3 outside.  And as always, it has that certain warmth which always appeals to me.  Lots of wood and old stuff.  And they kept on playing Beatles over and over again.  Winner ang place!



aix creperie 24 centre place, melbourne
 

 

 

I had lemon and sugar with feverfew tea while Ate had something sweet (which I forgot) and chai tea latte.  The crepes were soft and chewy, my kind of goodness. I just found the lemon too strong though.  Maybe next time, I'll squeeze the lemon myself so as not to drown the sweetness of the sugar.  When it comes to the tea, it's a different story.  Ate's was fine.  But mine made was another episode of those "sometimes your adventurous spirit doesnt cause you good" moments.  It was too bitter for me! The menu says that feverfew tea is good for headaches and migraines but after drinking it, oh boy, kung hindi lang sayang, itatapon ko kaagad.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way home, we took the bus from Box Hill.  This is not the first time that we had to chase the bus because it was already leaving the exit gate.  But there were two kids who were worse than us.  They chased the bus even after it left the gate.  They kept on running after the bus while it was making its way out of the terminal.  And Im really glad that the driver was so considerate.  He stopped and waited for the kids to board.  Kung dito yun, naku sorry ka na lang.  Makaalis lang ng 1 foot sa bus stop, gola na.  In another instance, my sister and I saw our bus but we were on the opposite side of the road and we were still far from the bus stop.  We waved frantically without expecting that we would still catch it because it already left the stop but to our surprise, he stopped and waited for us even if he was already far from the stop.  Ang galing!