Melbourne - Top 10 Memories

We had been in Perth for around 5 months following our move back from London in December 2007 and the birth of Giles in January when Simon was relocated to Melbourne by the company he was working for at the time. We started off in 1 bed short-stay digs and ended up owning a fantastic apartment in South Yarra in a great location that became the basis for so many good times and an unbeatable quality of day to day living.

As our time in Melbourne draws to an end, I am reflecting on the things I have enjoyed most in this city. It has been a fantastic place to live for the past few years and it is definitely one of my all time favourite places ever.

These are in no particular order.

1. Weekends Away

From the summer weekends spent camping in Torquay and the Great Ocean road to caravan trips on the Murray River, Melbourne has so many great camping spots within mere hours from the city. We had a resurgence of finding a place on a map, packing up the car and setting up for a couple of nights. What made it more fun was a good group of fellow campers to share it with, there is nothing like a good red shared around the campfire at night.

2. Markets

Melbourne is a market-lovers (that would be me) paradise. It has it all - vintage clothing markets in Camberwell, farmers markets in several locations every weekend, and once-a-month specialty markets in Fitzroy, Collingwood and lots of other places!

3. Chapel Street

Aaah Chapel Street - how do I love thee, let me count the ways!!! It was beyond amazing to have this winding street of endless shopping just around the corner from me... If I could pick up a section of Melbourne and take it with me where ever I went, it would be Chapel st.

4. Walking into the City

Most Friday afternoons included a walk into the city to meet up with Simon after work. It was a lovely walk from our place, along the Yarra river - especially enjoyed in spring and summer with the sun shining down through the trees and the school kids rowing up and down the river along the way.

5. Inner City Living

Some may think I am crazy for loving apartment and inner city living, but I think it can't be beaten. I have driven the car no more than 5 times in 3 years as everything I need is so close by. I love to watch the hustle and bustle and general life going on all around me and being a short walk from fantastic shopping, cafes, restaurants, parks, botanical gardens and galleries means going out is easily done, which means you do it all the time, which makes life far more interesting!

6. Interstate Visitors

Alot of you loved Melbourne too and we got to play host to lots of family and friends who stayed with us. This was alot of fun and we really enjoyed having people stay with us and getting to show them around.

7. Skiing

We only did this once but it was great to spend a week in the snow at Falls Creek, a 3 hour drive from Melbourne - we have all the gear now so hopefully it won't be the last time.

8. My job

I never thought I would go back to work but the opportunity was there from the company I worked for in London, which happened to have a Melbourne office not far from where we live. Working a few days a week is awesome - all the perks of professional life and then you get a 4 day weekend every week! My company has looked after me and given me interesting work dealing with offices across the entire Asia Pacific region, and travel opportunities, and I am really appreciative of this.

9. The local park and libraries

There is a lovely park a couple minutes walk from our place and Giles has spent alot of time here over the past couple of years. The library is across the road and is by far the best I have ever come across - the range of magazines is huge and it has the widest range of books and always the latest DVDs. Giles even had a baby reading group here in 2008!

10. Giles - baby to toddler

Giles was 4 months when we arrived and is 2.5 years now. Our time in Melbourne is punctuated by his development from wee baby to independant toddler. From those endless nights awake with him as a baby that wouldn't sleep through the night (!!), to watching him learn to sit, crawl, and walk, take over 15 flights, play at the park, find books to read at the library, go to swimming lessons, and be my constant companion on shopping excursions up Chapel street - my time in Melbourne will always be fondly looked on as a special time watching Giles grow into the little personality he is now.

Happy Fathers Day

Amsterdam, 2004

Giles adores his daddy to almost ridiculous levels - but who can blame him, he is a fantastic father! Happy Fathers Day to him and all the great dads out there!

Melbourne Aquarium

The Country in the City

Its quite interesting having the city right there to the left of you and acres of green pasture and farm animals to the right! Collingwood Children's Farm is nestled in a picturesque valley on the Yarra river, under 3km from the city center. We were there on the second Saturday of the month which meant we also got to check out the organic farmers market and try out lots of gourmet food (following the purchase of food I then found myself the target of various farm animals who were after my bag of goods, including the large goat pictured below). We finished it off with a fancy pizza - gorgonzola and radiccio, quite the combination - in the bustling restaurant that was set on the Convent grounds next door. Cute animals for the kids and gourmet stuff for the adults = good times!

Leaves vs. Winter Sky

To Market

Here is another kind of market - the fresh produce market, another favoured weekend destination! All that food bursting with color and antioxidants, packaged the way nature intended [none of that ridiculous shrinkwrap plastic], the crazy and chaotic din of the sellers screaming out prices and deals and undercutting each other to keep it all really cheap - I don't mind if I do! These are the Queen Victoria markets in the city. Recent visits here have seen us go crazy on winter vegetables and since I discovered that a humble pie is the best way to use them all up in one go I have consequently gone on sort of pie-making spree that will see us eventually hate pies for a long time (I have a habit of doing this with my cooking). Chicken and leek and mushroom, chicken and potato and leek and corn, chicken and fetta and sweet potato and leek, pumpkin pie, you get the picture.

I hadn't noticed Giles' rather terrified expression on the above pic until now. Perhaps he thought this XXL sweet potato was some sort of monsterous slug? Is this what happens when an inner city kid is faced with 'real vegetables' as opposed to the teeny tiny mutant-free versions sold by Coles etc?

Burberry Forever

I spotted this adorable couple while out this afternoon. Under the auspices of taking a photo of Giles who was skipping up behind them I quickly managed to get this shot. They were even cuter from the front - the lady was immaculately made up with a slash of red lipstick to match her jacket. I can only hope that one day, far off in the future, Simon and I will be walking around arm-in-arm and matching Burberry scarves!