Saturday, September 18, 2010

rewalking old steps...

Its great to discover that on one's return from a decent break a few things that were being a bit annoying before the break have righted themselves...magically! The photo downloading facility at this blog decided to play up before I took off to Melbourne last week.
Electing to forget about it... I was pleased to check it on my return and find it working again.... hence I have downloaded some pics from my time away. I must admit that I so relaxed I only took snaps on my last couple of days. I was simply too busy at first drinking everything in....and travelling light... not concerning myself with tasks!


One sunny day - waiting for the tram overlooking St Kilda Beach


on the tram... an unusual quiet time - sometimes trams seem to attract theatrical goings on!





visiting Victoria Market - where I used to once regularly shop!


NB - kangaroo salami?


In the mid 90's I spent over 4 years running a shop-front studio on this busy intersection in Collingwood. Now a restaurant - when I was there it still had old fashioned shop windows with a central doorway. I had a 3 bedroom dwelling attached to this shop-front studio...so it was quite spacious... but in the end I really missed the garden I had left to move here. In many ways it was a brilliant hub to live in... being the heart of a lively art scene with cafes everywhere.


below: 5 mins walk to Brunswick St from the studio - this lively pocket houses lots of creative people and there's an excellent art supply shop just 3 doors along through the greenery.


across the road is this abundantly stocked flower shop - 'Flowers Vasette'


below: into the city on this same sunny day for a viewing at the Ian Potter Gallery at Federation Square - love the side entrance I left by where the distinctive architectural geometry is replicated in the plastic attachment added to the permanent structure...presumably for winter's sake ... to create more shelter than is usual at this entrance?


Loved the effect looking through these fragmented shapes.





Below: outside - another angle of federation square!

Its late.... thats what happens when you download photos and start photo-shopping! Not to worry - its the weekend... have a good one everyone!

12 comments:

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

Thanks for the tour...great to be in the center of things...nice to revisit too! The first photo looks like our beach area but without the shiny yellow tram.Thanks again!

Altoon Sultan said...

It's nice to be reminded of a wonderful visit I made to Melbourne over 20 years ago; it's a beautiful city. I was simply amazed by Victoria Market; how lucky you were to be able to shop there.

I'm glad you had a nice trip and very glad that your photo upload problems are solved.

Anonymous said...

The architecture on your former abode looks just like Iowa. Except for the foliage. I LOVE trams. Wish we had a good public transport system here.
What a nice vaca. Well deserved!

Anonymous said...

Hello Maryanne,
... sometimes its curious what images you bring back from a trip... it was more of a holiday from taking photos... but I knew I'd best take some or Id be sorry!
thanks for popping by!



Hi Altoon...
I remember you have an association with Melbourne... and work in the NGV art collection. The last images are from the NGV's newer building... they now have 2 sites... close to each other... either side of the river!
The fact there are great markets everywhere in Melbourne impacts the food culture in an amazing way!
Thanks for your message (& re the downloading function) ...good to get that one sorted!



Hi Mary,
interesting to note the similarities in architectural styles across continents. Brisbane architecture and atmosphere is SO different to this southern city in Australia. In many ways it really felt like I had visited an entirely different country for a week!
The public transport is heavily used in inner Melbourne...every city needs that I agree!


cheers everyone,
Sophie

Ro Bruhn said...

So glad you enjoyed our city Sophie, it's always interesting to see your home town through a visitor's eyes. I'm glad you managed to get to Brunswick street, Beautiful Silks and Neil Edwards printing shop are two of my favourites, there's also some gorgeous little coffee shops.

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Ro!
there's much to be enthralled by when one has time to wander Melbourne... the Fitzroy/Collingwood precinct is my old stamping ground - 12 years I orbited around there...so its fascinating to go back and see what has remained of what I knew as well as the new!
Neil Edwards printing shop.... I went mad for the cotton rag paper journals and such.
What fun... thanks for popping in... have a lovely weekend!
S

Mlle Paradis said...

hi sophie thanks for the tour. i have to agree w/ mary that your old 'hood looks like the midwest of the u.s. but yeah no kidding we never had such great yellow trams or seafood mkts!

melbourne is def on my ever lengthening list but i do like the look of brisbane too!

xo

Sophie Munns said...

Hi MP...
i think you would love this city... i dont think I have ever seen images of down-town mid west buildings ... it'd be interesting to now more of the architectural threads running through a city - Melbourne had a huge Gold Rush boom that allowed for very grand Town Halls to be built in each inner city suburb - today this would never happen. Come on over... Brisbane has to be on your map for sure!
S ox

nathalie et cetera said...

Thank you for the beautiful trip! Isn't it nice to visit the world through blogland!
Victoria market is fantastic! What does kangaroo salami taste like?
I hope this finds you well.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nathalie,
Yes... I often travel vicariously through bloggers... which is sometimes very , very good.... and all without spending a cent or leaving home!
You would love this market Nat... knowing how you do like to photograph your market finds!
I have to say I was rushing through the market the other day and did not taste this salami... but Im sure it could be very good because the meat from kangaroo is known to be very lean and healthy - and tasty! Ive been thinking how it would be sensible to include kangaroo meat over beef in one's diet because its far more eco-sustainable than many other meats.
I'm well and have unfortunately been making very rare blog visits the past few weeks... just had a big slow down!
hope you are going very well!
Sophie

xxx said...

Sophie thanks for the tour.
Melbourne is a wonderlful city to visit and sometimes I wish I was living there.
Once upon a time I thought I would, but I went and lived in Sydney for 13yrs instead.
3 months is the most time I've had in Melbourne and one day I hope I get to do that again.

Great post,
thank you
Happy Sunday :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Robyn,
I can relate to your ponderings about whether to live or not live in a certain place...!
I used to think a lot about where I am meant to live... unsure where I would really feel most at home.
I had an interesting reminder with this last trip to Melbourne that although I find things so much more interesting there culturally speaking than where I am now I prefer living here.
Its not too different from where I grew up and I did have an overwhelming desire to reconnect with this climate and landscape and that seems to be by far a stronger need these days than other considerations.
I hope your get to spend some time in Melb so you can saturate yourself in what is so abundantly on offer!

lovely to hear your thoughts,
enjoy the day...
S.