Last Few Days in Freo

My last few days in freo were awesome! Thursday morning started with breakfast at the quirky Freo icon X-ray Café. It looked like a restaurant bar you would find on a camping trip by the beach, open air with wood beams, picnic tables and funky local art. Sarah and I sat on the front deck eating delicious melon and figs dolloped with thick greek yogurt. Later, Penny came to pick me up with Ally, an American student studying in Perth for the semester. We wandered around the market, which was amazing, definitely different than all the London markets I had just visited. The smells of patchouli and thai food lingered in the breeze streaming below the canvas rooftop where only triangles and squares of light found the floor below. Piles of multicolored and multiscented soaps decorated table tops, skirts formed a tent of fabric layers and tables showcased fresh fruit, sushi and health tonics. Too bad I couldn't take anything with me since I still had to move again. Back on the sidewalk, the afternoon breeze swirled the pulsing sunrays into a perfect summer day. We walked closer to the beach and decided to have lunch at the brewery everyone keeps telling me I have to visit, Little Creatures. It looks pretty industrial from the outside, with three big steel gray buildings then inside you can see the big metal brewing tanks before emerging on the patio overlooking the ocean. We sat on a picnic table in the shade and ate fresh crispy frites, delicious zucchini and gruyere pizza and a tasty pumpkin, beet and feta salad. I sipped a glass of their bright ale, so refreshing. Great food, a nice drink and fun company made me very excited, it was such a great lunch relaxing in the breezy ocean air.

I couldn't believe how many amazing people I had met in Australia so far, I don't know how I am so lucky to meet the best people no matter where I go. After lunch we met a few guys and another girl named Caitlyn and hung out at More and More café while they ate lunch (I was told I need to go back there next time I'm in the area since the food is really good and it is an art gallery). We all talked for awhile then someone mentioned a didgeridoo shop that we had to visit, so they decided to show us and give us a lesson. Digi breath was so cool! The walls were stacked with handpainted digeridoos, some small and some huge. The guys we were with played some awesome sounds, then I tried to play sounds until my mouth was numb. I did better than I expected but it really just sounded like a an elephant singing along with a really bad trumpet player. Anyway, it was cool and one of those Australia moments. So Ally went to learn kite sailing, the boys left and Penny, Caitlyn and I went to visit Tom at the chocolate café. After a delicious espresso with ice cream, Caitlyn and I went to meet Elizabeth, another American student. It was kind of cool to meet Ally and Elizabeth because I remember my first time traveling and studying abroad, everything is so new and you think it is so cool if someone brings you to a place that only the locals know about.We decided to go back to Digi breath and ask the guy who worked there to play some stuff for us, he was so good! He made the strangest sounds and tried to teach us, you are supposed to blow through your lips to make them roll and vibrate then you can say words really slowly like di-ger-i-doo or make high pitched "dingo calls" in the back of your throat as you blow. I wasn't that talented but it was fun to try. After we were tired of blowing spit, we walked over to another brew pub called Mad Monks to try out some beer and enjoy the sun. Their wheat beer was pretty good, tasted a little salty or something but good. Tom joined us a little later and brought some chocolate from work. We sat and talked, watching dreaded hippies with "bum bags" walk down the street below until the sun started to drop behind Cappuccino strip. Such an amazing day, I couldn't stop smiling.

We all headed back to Sara's house and hung out on the front porch while Sara cooked some burgers, eggplant and veggies on the barbecue. I feel incredibly relaxed here, on the other side of the world with friends I met hours ago, listening to my new favorite bands sing from laptop speakers. They listen to my style of music here, really chill sometimes beachy stuff. So far I've heard their favorites: Bella & Sebastian, Mumford & Sons, Julian & Angus Stone and a few more. It is so cool to hear new music and even cooler that I really like it. They are all about being as non-mainstream as possible here especially when it comes to music. It's pretty crazy that they listen to artists from all over the world equally including American singers that I have never even heard of. They have this music station or organization or something called Triple J that plays indie type bands from a lot of genres. That night I got to see a local Fremantle band in action…we went to Clancy's Pub for a Matt Gresham concert which was totally amazing, he was so good and crazy energetic, jumping around beating the rhythm on the wooden box he sat on to play his guitar. He got some really interesting sounds out of his guitar which he played it on his lap most of the time. I definitely want some of his music once I have internet to download it. An amazing day that ended in a really cool night. Best day so far!