Thanks to Debby's generous offer to extend our stay in Melbourne for an extra day we set about discovering other sites in the CBD.
First on the list was the famous Victorian Market, a set of extensive sheds sub-divided into specific areas ranging from fish & meat through veg & fruit to more general goods (clothing, gifts, etc). To make us work harder Debby had provided a detailed shopping list of items needed for the "surf" evening meal (think the task from the Apprentice X 10). Items included a dozen open 'Coffin Bay' Oysters, Banana Prawns, Rockling fillet, Danish Feta cheese, tomatoes and lemons. In the end we actually had an easy job as many stalls were selling the various items so we chose the busiest ones on the assumption that the locals always know where to shop.
We also managed to have a good look round some of the non-food stalls and saw some great products. Returned home with the goodies (the oysters have to carefully handled!) and then on the free tourist bus to see the sights of the city. Nicola had already done this tour but did not mind a repeat for my sake. Excellent if you are new in town and need to get your bearings.
Once at Federation Square we headed towards the Bloc Arcade to see the fashion shops and more cafes. Melanie would be in her element here, the shoes alone were worth a photo. I have never done as much window shopping in my life and it confirms my view of the tremendous cafe culture that is a feature of life in Australia.
We also came across some police cadets practicing traffic control at a busy intersection and holding up both traffic and pedestrians simultaneously. It did give us the chance to establish that jaywalking (something we have been guilty of) is an offence so now we have one more thing to look out for.
I had the chance to see admire the great views from Debby's office and base jumping a distinct possibility for those interested.
While we packed our bags Debby created a smashing feast from the artefacts (Jack and George another big word to look up) from our shopping.
Menu
Entree:
Coffin Bay Oysters with freshly squeezed lemon jus.
Mains:
Pan-fried Banana Prawns in garlic
Fillet of Rockling
Banana Prawns caramelised in onion and herb sauce
Dessert:
Fresh Fruit Salad
Mango Yoghurt
Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
And so to bed.