I love my time in Melbourne....

Coming from a smallish country town and going to the city can be pretty exciting....so when my brother said he was renting a house out just off Brunswick St in Fitzroy I was a little excited to say the least....It was walking distance to the Melbourne Garden Show where he was exhibiting and just around the corner from The Rose Street Markets which were closed when we were there in January and only a quick tram ride into the city to catch the sky bus to the airport.....too easy!!!!!

'all you need is love' was spotted on a wall while sipping on a coffee and just called me to photograph it....

Here is my little worker man Sasha, at the Garden Show working for his uncle. 

I loved this easter shop window display...

the view from the roof garden in Fitzroy

some street art...this was actually painted on to the front of a house...

Brunswick St

Jason's two gold medals from the show...

another window display..

just because...

What about you...are you living in the country and excited by the city or from the city and excited by the country?? 

Have a lovely weekend xox Jo

Camberwell Markets and St Kilda.....

Our last full day in Melbourne and we headed off to the wonderful bric a brac and second hand clothes market - in Camberwell. It reminded me a little of the Rozelle Markets in Sydney...

Country Road boots for $1....can't go wrong there....and 1 or 2 or 3 dresses....I love this place. Oh and a red and white spotty umbrella....yay!!

and after our trip to Vietnam this time last year we have a bit of an obsession with the bright coloured Vespers.....I would love to get around Mullum on one of these.

Me at Luna Park at the short(er) and stumpy mirror...

Icecream on Acland St - St Kilda

I just loved this cute little lane way!!

And my (other) obsession with the beach boxes....we drove around and around until we found these amazing ones at Brighton Beach.

Today we found op shops on Chapel Street open on a Sunday until 6pm.....I am in heaven....another crochet blanket to add to the collection.

We have walked, trammed it and driven ourselves to exhaustion and loved ever minute of it....we will definitely be back to visit Melbourne again....

I will be back in blogland in a few days - not exactly sure where we are heading but I guess we will work it out soon.

Lots of love xoxo Jo

day 2......Fitzroy....love it!!!!!

Fitzroy...

each day just gets better.....more vintage shops than I have ever seen in my life.....window shopping was all I could cope with by the end of the day....

Great street art......

Also I have never seen so many shoe shops in my life....just had to buy a pair of leather boots in preparation for the coming winter.

love the cobblestone alleyways

great op-shops....

Spotted Meet me at Mike's although it has closed down the shop front....still nice to put a place to the name.

Oh, just had to take a photo of these toilets...if you are from Melbourne these space age contraptions would not be a novelty BUT they sure are to us country folk....we don't even have any traffic lights in Mullum. Everything is done by pressing a button (even the toilet paper) and sensor operated (water and flushing).

We are easily amused!!!!

Onto Camberwell Markets in the morning and then St Kilda.

Hope you are having as much fun as we are.....are you???

xoxo Jo

10 things I LOVE about Melbourne...

Have I told you I LOVE this place.....I want to move here.....????

Today we walked from our B&B in Richmond all the way into the city....about 10 km..... my legs are aching.....but good aching....

Anyway here is my 10 things I LOVE about Melbourne....

1. the shopping.....$100 Elle Macpherson bras for $20 at the Bendon Outlet shop.

2. LOVE the architecture.

3. the easiness of the tram system.

4. the great variety of food.

5. the sophisticated yet casual feel.

6. street theatre and buskers on most corners

7. the street art

8. dog and bike friendly

9. the crowded, funky lane ways with interesting eateries, bars and shops.

10. did I say 'shopping'.

Flinders Street Station......the oldest metropolitan station in Australia and a Melbourne Landmark. Also one of our busiest thoroughfares - more than 260,000 people pass through daily.

street art

street theatre

Met up with the wonderful and ever so talented Rada Priya at Two Monks on Bridge Road. Rada is one of Justin's ex-students at Shearwater, graduating in 2004.

funky alleyways

Skateboard exhibition.....history of skateboarding in the 70's and 80's as well as an exhibition of urban art on skateboards..

the Yarra River

Off to Fitzroy tomorrow.....yay.

XOX Jo 

Melbourne here we come....

Leaving Anglesea and heading to Melbourne brings a couple of firsts for us.....our first Beach Boxes and our first tram sighting....

Beach boxes are the coolest things....I could fill it with all my wool and felt and crafty goodies.....oh I guess we could pop some beachy type of things in there too....

As we drove into Queenscliff (where we caught the ferry over to the Mornington Peninsula) we spotted 'The Chocolate Room'....being a lover of chocolate we just had to pop in.....chocolate fondue with local fruits.....

Also found this cool little shop called 'artisan's artwork' which Rani and I bought a few little things from, including the cards by 'lalaland' below to put into frames.

the ferry from Queenscliff over to the Mornington Peninsula takes around 45 minutes..

The first spotting of the ever so cool Beach Boxes.

and the first spotting of the Melbourne tram..

I love this place already....can't wait to hit the streets tomorrow....

Take care and be back soon xoxo Jo