Outta Istanbul, Marvelous Melbourne revisited.

Aha..thought you'd gotten rid of me for good, didn't you? Looks like you're in for a surprise...i've not laid down my hat, so... as the saying goes..it ain't over, till the fat lady sings! And there's no fat lady in sight whatsoever....besides, there have been 2300 hits to this Blog since I last wrote, so I figured....hmm...somebody out there still enjoy my rantings....

Revisiting Melbourne after ten years was like a blast from the past, plus...ehemm....I'm 10 years older now, OMG! Where did all those time go to?? while there are a few changes, Melbourne remains almost the same as when i left her. There is Docklands now and the car park next to the Victoria Market is no longer there. Besides that, Melbourne still is the center for Cultural and other sporting events, not forgetting it being a fashion hub for many acclaimed designers. you just need to stop and observe and soon enough, you'll realise that you are actually surrounded by gorgeous people, magnificent buildings and yum yum... wonderful FOOD!!! All the food that I had was great! Not once was I disappointed with the food while in Melbourne. Or... could it be that  i was too easy to please, when it comes to food? Maybe... but, hey.. who cares! Now that remind me of something.... if you go to Melbourne.... you must, MUST eat the oysters!! Au naturel, of course. It is sooooo yummy.... it's so fresh, it's actually sweet. It sort of melt in your mouth. I think I could have dozens at one sitting, no kidding...it's that good !!! Go on..try it... you won't regret it, I promise you !!

Melbourne is a very tourist and student-friendly city. Wherever you go, no matter what you do, you can rest assure that the city is well equipped to meet your requirement as a tourist or a student. It has so many facilities and services to cater for these group of people. It is not surprising then, that it has been voted many times over as one of the most desirable city to live in. Marvelous Melbourne indeed!

Being a picky and cost-conscious tourist that I am, the first thing I'd scout first would be for a  free transportation to go round the city. and .... what did I find? i didn't just found a free ride, i found TWO free rides! And... listen...it gets better! There's even a free (volunteer) tourist assistants who operate from morning till evening to assist you while you're in the city. I have never met such great services before and the free rides that I just mentioned are actually Hop On Hop Off type of services. 

well... there's nothing much to say here actually. what to say about something that is  almost 'perfect'? it's a great city and those pioneers who first set foot on Australia centuries ago, either in search of gold or being 'sent away'.... really did a great job building the nation. It is still a "Land of opportunity" and if you worked hard doing whatever you're doing.... rest assured.... you will make it here. everybody  has an equal rights to everything. Is it any wonder that everybody wants to migrate to Melbourne, or Australia? The pot of Gold is still there waiting for anyone who dares make the extra effort.... maybe someday....maybe someday.......

The Iconic Flinders Street Station. This is the hub of all train services in Melbourne. Do not be intimated by its splendor for once inside the buildings, you'll find many eager and friendly staffs waiting to assist you with your travel planning. You just need to look confused or lost, and before long, there'll be someone beside you to help you out of your predicament. And they do it voluntarily and you needn't have to pay for the services. So..there is no touts or scammers here. Noticed the unique color of the building? 

The beautiful St. Paul Cathedral, just across The Flinders. So many weddings have taken place in this great cathedral.If you stood across the road, you'll have a magnificent view of  St. Paul ,The Flinders and The Federation Square. It was a Saturday and some roads were closed due to footy match. And... there were police stationed everywhere... 'tho I don't think Aussies fans are worse than the British hooligans...

This car is making a "Hook Turn". I think you can only find this 'turn' in Australia. Cars going to right had to go to the left, wait in the middle of the road and turn to right when the junction is clear. ONLY in Australia can you find such patient and tolerant drivers. Compared to Istanbul's drivers, Aussies drivers are angels behind the wheels!! If this driver were in Istanbul, he would have ended up in an emergency ward somewhere, i'm quite sure of that hahaha... 

There is a Tourist bus shuttle that will take you to many interesting places (even to The Victoria Market) and you can hop off  or hop on anytime while its making its round. Complete with an informative narration either via a recorded system or live  narration from the driver himself. And the driver that I had that day was very witty,too. How marvelous!

Tourist shuttle that will take you to all the interesting places and a round trip will take about 1.5 hours. You can Hop On or Hop Off anytime and anywhere you want. There is  a shuttle every half hour, not bad, eh? 

The Shuttle stops at The Queen Victoria Market, so you can plan to visit this historical landmark according to your schedule. It is soo convenient and is such a pleasant way to see the city. Noticed how clean the city and streets are? 

Tourists and school trips to The QVM. Most of the tourists that I talked to were from other parts of Australia. The school children are locals and the trip was organised by their school. So... I was not the only 'alien' at The QVM on that day hehe..

And then, there's a vintage Tram  City Circle No. 35  that goes around the peripheral of the city. This tram has longer operating hours till late at night. However, I found it a bit scary as  it was doing at least 90 km/hr! And the tram is more than a century old! We were literally hanging on for dear life hahaha...and the driver and his assistant was one stern and no nonsense couple. It took away the fun and joy of the ride and I alighted  after a couple of  stops. Ahhh... that must have been the only non-tourist friendly encounter that I had. Maybe he got up from the wrong side of the bed hehe. It was more fun to walk, I figured .... and I was right!   

A free vintage tram that circle the city of Melbourne. Do not be fooled by its age or looks, this tram  runs very fast. and everyone should have a go on it as it's quite an exciting experience. I didn't finish the circle as I figured that walking would be more interesting and it was! 

He was waiting to be invited to share my lunch! Unfortunately, the fish and chips that I had was too good to be shared with him... yeah, I can mean sometimes....

Aussie's sense of humor.....

Another Aussie Humor ?? 

This...I believe, is one of the most beautiful flower stall that I've ever seen. It's at corner of Little Collins and Swanston Street. Almost everybody who passed through the stall, will stop to take photos of it. 

Vertical garden at The Town Hall.

It's spring time in the Southern hemisphere and flowers were everywhere. In fact, they were having a Tulips Festival when I was there but I didn't make it to the event due to time constraint....arghh...what a shame!! I'd loved to tell them that tulips originated from Turkey!! See if they'll chase me away hahahah.....

I guess, he's still waiting for his Cinderella, huh? Doesn't he know that Cinderella must go home at a stroke of midnight? Nobody told him yet? Guess not !!

So many beautiful carriages..... reminds me of the time when Princess Diana married Prince Charles...that was truly a magical wedding....

A National Heritage shopping Arcade, The Block Arcade. This has to be one of the most beautiful shopping arcade in the world. The tiles and the detailing on the floors, facade and ceilings are breathtaking! It is soooo pretty, so dainty and at the same time soo commanding. What a splendid architecture !!

This panel explains it all..... what an exquisite find....

Pay attention to the detailing...... and symmetry.

These cuties really caught my eyes....Dafel toys....oh how i wish i was seven again !!!

Need I say more? Only one word to describe it..... gorgeous !!

Look up and observe the details and the masterpiece...

The mosaic, the columns, the ceilings......what lovely combination!

No.... the Aliens have not landed in Melbourne! They are just waiting for the traffic light to turn green. It's been a long day and they seemed so tired while making their way home.

Hehehe....gotcha !!
They are actually bronze statues !! I have no idea why they are there but my guess is.... they are to keep you company? So that, you are technically, never alone while in the city? Maybe? Or..does anybody out there has any answer?

Eye candy and real candies at The QVM. Hmm...eeni meenni minee mooo.... 

Home made (or brewed) wine at The QVM. You can find many similar stalls selling such wines....

Wine by the barrel at QVM......

Doughnut prepared in-situ. 10 years ago, it was a plain hollowed round doughnuts but today it is balls of doughnuts filled with strawberry jam. Frankly, I kinda like the original version...that was ohhh...soooo.....yummmy!!

The doughnuts were only sold in bag of 6. So i had it for breakfast, lunch and tea treat but still could not finish all 6. Shh..I won't tell you what I did with the other 2 pieces....

Still at QVM, this stall is selling all kinds of sauces and flavored mustard. And they taste great....you can test them all to your heart's content....which I did, and went home with 2 bottles..... one hot relish was named " Hell's flame" and one man volunteered to try it out for me. turned out that it was not 'hellish' enough for him.... 

My favorite stall..... how I wish I was ......seven again ?? And how I wish I had some extra cash on me that day... it was not meant to be... sob sob....

The air of Melbourne is always filled with beautiful music, coming from many talented buskers that you will bump into at almost every corner. It's such a pleasure to just stop and listen and watch them perform...they are really  really  talented. And you'll notice that most of them have their own CDs. There are simply so many "Rod Steward" or "Richard Clyderman" waiting to be discovered. I think these are mostly students and I won't be surprised if they became a Surgeon in a few years time. A singing Surgeon...wow...that would be great, I don't mind having one looking down my tonsils!

Buskers and performers at The QVM. These guys are fantastic. It's sooo soothing to hear them sing after the 'guilt attack ' after burning a hole in your wallet at The QVM !! And..the braided guy is quite dishy, too.... don't you think so??

The Bunny was a performer and the guy in green cap was just clowning around. This bunny had a lot of spectators as he entertained them with the 80's songs and dancing to the tunes. The city is  always filled with sweet music and it always has a sense of fiesta when the sun goes down. Each street and corners would have its own performers and attraction. There was another guy playing an organ on corner Russel St. and Bourke St. And he plays them well!!

REALLY ??  Do you notice the Calorie?

SERIOUSLY?? Did you see the caloric value of the burger?
Isn't that a caloric value for a WHOLE DAY for most people? People who do not do any active activities but just sit in front of the PC? People like you and me??

Wow.... check out the Calorie !!!!

Special mention :

My relative graduated with some friends from Monash University and the convocation was held recently at the Clayton Campus. Well done .... Cynthia and the rest....you guys did great!! We are soooo proud of you !!!!  Hip Hip Hooray !!!!