Overnight in Melbourne. SSG Manor In Its Most Perfect Vogue Living Incarnation.

I  never thought I'd see the day.  I'm as close to packorexic as I'll ever be.  Mr SSG lent me his new wheeled duffel bag.  It did take the gloss off my light packing achievement to find out that this is in fact classified as a 'long trip' piece of travel luggage.

We even had to tighten the straps on my duffle bag.  Folds of bag were just hanging there.

The lounge proved to be the perfect spot for breakfast and a dual layer application of Revitanail.

We stayed at The Sofitel, Collins St, Melbourne.  It occupies several floors of a busy shopping complex.

There were lots of interesting things in our room.

A Nespresso machine!

Fortunately, even without George Clooney's assistance, I managed to get the machine to work.  Eventually figuring out that I had to fill the water compartment was a pivotal step.

Coffee purists, I couldn't help it.  These machines are genius.   

Finally, a cup of coffee.  Only Nespresso (and George) could make decaf taste that good.  I think our kitchen really needs one.  In red.  Mr SSG is industriously filling up the bench space in our kitchen to make sure this doesn't happen.  I suspect he has a few ideological issues with coffee in pods endorsed by Mr Clooney.

But there was more....

Hermes toiletries.

A pair of comfortable sofas.

Floor length views in the bedroom.

Offering views of the Melbourne CBD below.

A perfectly made bed with a fancy touch screen remote for the lights.

I have a confession to make.  It was all going so perfectly me pretending that I was living in SSG Manor but in its incarnation as its Most Perfect Vogue Living Self.  Until I realized I couldn't get the light remote or the phone to work.  Or switch on the bedside alarm clock radio.

The sun set over Collins St and those magnificent old buildings and lamps.

And I did a quick change from Magpie supporter to adopted Sydney-sider going out for drinks in Melbourne.

Which basically involved lots of black (roll neck sweater, skinny jeans and clutch) to reference Melbourne.  The Sydney side of things was a pair of statement heels.  Those Louboutin pony skin leopard Dorepi 100s.

The Sofitel has a club lounge that serves meals all day.  Starting with breakfast, then a light lunch, canapes and drinks and finally desserts (chocolates and biscuits) and hot drinks later in the evening.

Breakfast menu.

The pastries were the best I've eaten in a hotel.

Eggs Benedict with hash browns and spinach.  There's a lot to be said for cooked breakfasts.

Where there are eggs and hash browns, so too must there be tomato sauce (not pictured but available self served at the buffet counter).

I didn't have room for my turn down chocolates (shaped into shoes).

Irish chick lit and chocolate.  The simple things.

I'm going to eat them while I read the new Cathy Kelly novel tomorrow.  Because it's a long weekend Monday.

Have a lovely day tomorrow, Sydney-siders.  I think we're the only ones with the long weekend this time round.