The Beauty of the Bike

There is great value in owning a bike in Melbourne, and not just for off-road biking adventures. Without a car, we rely on bikes for getting most places. We discussed a few times recently that we might go down to the city to check out Costco. I'd heard that Costco stocks a few American-style foods, so I was excited to do some investigating. Erik looked at the map and decided that we could bike there. I was absolutely apprehensive at first, stating that it was all the way in the city and I wasn't sure that was a good idea. However, when I looked at the other option, public transport, and realized that it was rather inconvenient to get to Costco that way, I gave in. Turns out that there is a bike path almost the entire way from our house into the city! How cool is that?! I'm glad that Erik "won" this decision so that we were able to discover this great way to get into Melbourne. I'd estimate that we biked there in about 30 minutes, faster than we would have arrived by public transport! The bike path actually goes right by the dock where the container ships are being loaded and unloaded, which I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I didn't have the camera, so no pictures, but I will share a few pictures of a bike ride I took a few weeks ago on my way to Erik's work.

Part of the Maribyrnong River Trail that would be so much more attractive without the huge power lines!

This is right outside of Erik's building. Ugly power lines messing with this nice view too!

On our way back from the Costco trip (we did NOT end up joining, but are considering the option if we can find someone with a vehicle who might be willing to drive us there occasionally...I think it will be worth it just to get the bags of Mexican-blend cheese!), we made our first trip to the Footscray Market. At the market we picked up lots of yummy fresh fruits and veggies for pretty reasonable prices.

We got all of those goodies, plus 4 ears of sweet corn and another tomato that we ate for dinner last night, for less than $20. Not a bad deal, eh?

That sweet deal makes up for the $16 margarita that I had last week when we went out to try some Mexican food at Mamasita. :)  Liquor is not cheap in Oz, so I understand why drinks are more expensive, but I honestly never thought I'd pay $16 for a drink. I have to say that it was a fantastic margarita though, and I would definitely order it again! There was a line out the door when we arrived, but we decided to wait a bit for a table and we were glad we did. The best thing on their menu was the corn on the cob that is flavored like it's sold on the street in Mexico. It was heavenly! The guacamole was a hit too, even with Erik, who isn't the biggest guac-lover. It was a fun night out and I think that we will most certainly head back to Mamasita in the not-too-distant future. If you come visit us, maybe we'll take you there! ;)