Cool and a bit damp in Melbourne

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When Cathy finally arrived at Melbourne - her train was an hour late - the weather was atrocious.

It was cold, wet and very blowy - Antarctic winds are not unknown here, and we nearly got blown over trying to cross the street.

What to do on a day like that? Get under cover and go shopping!

Off we trotted after the storm had abated to the Queen Victoria Market, a massive affair with loads of fab fresh food and many interesting things... and, most importantly, all undercover. (Cj: the fruit and veg were very appet, the ‘handicrafts’ much less so).

Later we headed down into the heart of the central business district (CBD) where there are some great examples of “old” buildings....we’re talking circa 1900 so not old at all... and some very quaint lanes and alleys. These revealed interesting restaurants, weird but rather good graffiti and quirky speciality shops. (Cj: Melbourne was founded, if I recall correctly, only in 1835 - the first Parliament was held in 1901 - so it really is very new. The ‘historic’ buildings are almost all Art Deco: I suppose the 1920s was when the economy here hit its stride and produced enough wealth to fund them. There are many, interspersed with much less interesting newer stuff). There are many very tall tower blocks, none of which were here in 1997.

Sunday was again rather cool and windy so we resorted to actual shopping...visits to Uniqlo, Muji, and others resulted in piles of stuff... glad we have 30kg baggage allowance for the journey home....

The weather prospects for our last two days look better...so here’s hopping.

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