On Thursday we arrived back from spending a week in the Melbourne CBD and it is so nice to be back to the peace and quiet of regional Queensland. I didn't realise how I missed hearing the birds in the garden here as the only birds I saw in the city were sparrows in the food halls (yes really) and seagulls in the fountain outside the National Gallery of Victoria. In hindsight it probably wasn't a good plan to spend the week in the city and if I ever visited Melbourne again I would be more adventurous and hop on a few trams out to the suburbs. The crowds on the streets there are quite daunting and you wouldn't dare to try and turn a corner in front of the tide of humanity crossing the roads from Flinders Street Station etc. as I am sure you would just be knocked over. I actually hid behind a post one day until it was safe to come out and change direction :-)
However, having accommodation in Collins Street meant that a lot of sightseeing was able to be done on foot and we only caught one tram while we were there. Across from our hotel, Breakfree on Collins which was recommended by a friend, we just had to take a short walk down to The Block Arcade which I discovered last night is part of the Golden Mile Heritage Walk which sounds interesting although you have to pay for the tour. The most popular part of The Block Arcade are the Hopetoun Tea Rooms which always have ten or so people lined up outside waiting to go in.
Their display window is really something to behold.
The cakes and tarts look amazing....
...and I finally succumbed and bought a raspberry tart which I didn't realise cost $13!
We went there just after the tea rooms opened for the day and didn't have to wait for a table. So if you are planning on going there don't leave it too late in the day.
The heritage listed Block Arcade which was built in 1892 was modelled on the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele in Milan and has a magnificent glass dome as well as the largest mosaic floor in the southern hemisphere. In the above photo can you see the two trumpeters beside the clock? Well, on the hour, they turn to each other while a stirring song is played. I am not sure what the name of it is but it is well worth listening to if you happen to be there on the hour.
You can walk through the arcade from Collins Street to Elizabeth Street. I would highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the city.
Just up Collins Street going towards Swanston Street you will pass by Dymocks book store. I had wandered by a few times before one of The Home Maker's Forum members said there was a UK shop and Morris and Sons in the same building so I had to take a look-see and sure enough, when I headed up to the first floor there was the Queen sitting there having a rest after a day in the city :-) The shop is called Treats from Home and it is full of sweets, teatowels and all kinds of souvenirs from the UK.
Next to it is a store that every crafty person will love called Morris & Sons
which sells the most beautiful wool, quilting fabrics, threads, patterns etc. It is well worth checking out and I am sure you won't be disappointed.
Also in the same block is St.Collins Lane which apparently used to be the Australia Arcade. It is now a very modern arcade with the dog in the photo above at one of the entrances. There are fashion stores there as well as a modern food hall which sells almost exclusively Asian food. I had to go looking for a cup of coffee and finally found one at a Pizza shop. There are a lot of Asian food outlets in the Melbourne CBD. Personally I found the Block Arcade more appealing than the modern St.Collins Lane which probably says a lot about my age. LOL!
I have a few more photos to share with you so will do that in future blog posts as I know that a lot of people visit Melbourne. Funnily enough as we were getting on the Skybus to the airport when leaving, a lady I knew from my nursing days back in the 1970s was getting off the bus as she was just arriving in the city and then I met another familiar face at the terminal. Small world!
There seemed to be quite a bit of rain while I was away judging by the weeds in the garden so I think I will be occupied for a few days tidying that up. I hope you got some rain if you were hanging out for it as Queensland and other regions have been so dry.
Sounds like you had a great time, Chel.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm in Melbourne, I'd like to visit Block Arcade and Hopetoun Tea Rooms.
Nil, you will love a visit there.
DeleteI love those parts of the city of Melbourne too!
ReplyDeleteYes it is a very interesting place to visit but I wouldn't want to live in the inner city. Much too crowded.
DeleteYou did a lot in a week Chel. Did you end up buying any wool?
ReplyDeleteNo Nanette. Apart from some gifts for my grandchildren all I bought were a pair of cotton socks from a Japanese shop and a possum merino shawl which was on special. It took me a week to get my head around the fact that NZ is trying to eradicate the possums introduced from Australia as they are ruining the forests and the native wildlife.
Deleteso glad you had this experience, Chel, I quite enjoy the city now and then, the history especially. How's that weeding going? xx
ReplyDeleteSue, I arrived home with a sore throat so have been taking it easy over the weekend. It looks like a fine week coming up so I will start the weeding very soon.
ReplyDeleteMelbourne is a great place to visit but I would hate to live there, the weather is very fickle. I too like the Block Arcade and enjoy wandering around the little laneways, bookshops etc. We got back from our beach trip to find there has been quite a lot of rain here too so I quickly got out into the garden to pull weeds while the soil was damp so easy to pull them.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of where you visited in Melbourne, Chel. It is such a busy city, I remember the "fun" of trying to make our way to our hotel while pulling along our luggage through those crowds! The tearooms look amazing; we never made it to them but did have a lovely morning tea with my sister at a french patisserie which was lovely. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos. Meg:)
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