Monday dawned meaning Melbz for me this week!! After a busy
morning tidying things up, unpacking the kombi with all the gear from my
display at TAA, packing my suitcase
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| Foot included for scale! |
(I just threw in everything, including this
giant and heavy Studebaker supercharger airbox to deliver to Matts’ mate) I was ready to go when
Jenelle showed up in the rain. And so began the spoiling of Svenja….
It all started with the valet check in at the airport, which
smoothly transitioned into the Virgin Lounge experience.
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| Cheers! |
Having now spent 3
nights at the Hilton with Executive Lounge access and beds made of clouds, I’m
not sure I can ever travel in my usual lowly style again! After enjoying the
delightful drinks and nibbles at the lounge (AKA plenty of noms for Bunnehs),
it was to bed in the clouds…..
With Jenelle off to work early, I enjoyed a run along the
river in the fine winter weather, before making use of the Hilton’s fitness
centre for a weights workout, then breakfast in the lounge of loveliness before
setting off into the city. It was a reasonable walk from South Wharf, and it
was interesting to come into the city from another angle. I checked out the NGV
at Federation Square – and no, I did not go and see the Monet exhibition, nor
the Hollywood Costume one. I’m afraid neither really appealed. I did see one
about the 1980’s…..
As always, the gallery shop provided lovely eye candy, with a fabulous glass art lighting display connected to Federation Squares' annual programme of The Light in Winter. I
also really liked the alley opposite with the fabulous grafitti - the
cobblestones nearly toppled me in my boots, but it was a bit fab.
Besides, I had a list of textile places of interest to
visit! So I bought myself a MYKI (transport card) and jumped onto a tram to
Collingwood to check out NSW Leather.
Nothing amazing there, after quite a walk too! On the way though, I
found a good opshop and picked up a couple of silk scarves to use in felting. I
also found the Tote Hotel, which made me chuckle as we do love to joke that
Melbz is Totez!!
There was also some more great street art - Mraaaaooooww!!!
Knowing that Beautiful Silks was not far away, I got back on a
tram and made my way there. And wasn’t I pleased I did! Marion was having quite
the clearance sale, and had a table full of rolls of silk at $10/m!! I couldn’t leave the metallic silk organzas
behind, and bought the gold, purple and some pink for myself. I also stocked up
on silk thread, and undyed silk lap and sari yarn, finishing off with a lovely
remnant of devore velvet. Bliss!!
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| Silk devore, silk lap, silk thread and silk sari thread |
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| Beautiful Silks wool and silk fibres |
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| Jenelle enjoying the devore velvetas a bed cover, and the lights of Melbz!! |
Having exhausted myself it was time for sustenance, and I
recognised the Fitz from previous trips. It is a lovely setting, and looked
particularly inviting in the sun! Not impressed with previous experiences here,
I am pleased to report that I had a really good time, with great service and
excellent food. Nom nom!!
On the way home I picked up a bottle of strawberry bubbles
(why is your liquor twice the price, Melbz?!!) and was showered and relaxing
with bubbles when I heard ‘Oh Hai Bunneh, I’m home!!’. Tired from our large
days, we decided just to hang out in the Executive Lounge again, and I proceeded
to down many, many glasses more of bubbles. Hilarity of the night – as nearby man left the lounge he proceeded to
congratulate me on my passionate language! Ooops!
Waking with a sore head Wednesday morning, it was up at 5am
to work out in the gym – ugghhh. It’s amazing what you can do if you put your
mind to it! A norty breakfast at the lounge (recovery cheese pastry!!) and it
was off in the Golf towards Clayton. Jenelle planned to drop me off at ‘shops
in Toorak Rd’, but couldn’t see any – then we saw the sign for Camberwell (AKA
Camberville, Camberview, Cambertown, Camberburg, Camberfield, Campbelldon –
whatevs!!) . This was on my list because of Opendrawer, a shop that recently
featured in Embellish Magazine. I had some time to fill before the 10am opening
(Melbourne seems to be a late starter!) but was glad I hung around, as it was
worth it. It’s a beautiful shop full of supplies and finished artworks and
jewellery, as well as a gallery upstairs,. The exhibition was in changeover,
but they let me have a look at it – the Hot Water Bottle Challenge!! Some great
quirky works there! I bought some lovely dyed mother of pearl buttons, and a
beautiful Cane Toad skin in shades of purple – I know, it sounds gross, but is
really quite beautiful.
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| Cane Toad leather - it's hard to show the colour correctly! |
I caught the tram back into town and then jumped on the
wrong number 96, and very nearly succumbed to that fate of going to St Kilda.
But I have been there before, and wanted to explore new ground, so reversed
myself and set off for Brunswick. I wanted to visit Rathdowne Fabrics and
Remnants, and after getting off at Brunswick St, not Brunswick, got back on the
tram and made my way there, and was very pleased with myself for doing so! It
was a good shop, with absolutely beautiful laces at great prices, but I had rather
been spoilt by my recent Wendy Makin experience and did not purchase. I
continued down Victoria St through the pretty Brunswick, and headed onto Sydney
Street, where I had a list of fabric shops to find. And I did! It was a groovy
street, and the fabric shops were different – one of them was full of Korean
lace, another of $25/m sequin lace – very nice! But again, spoilt by Wendy
Makin bargains! Another one I entered just reeked of stale smoke – whaaat?!!!
Having enjoyed the fabric shops but again not purchasing, I
was now sorely in need of refreshment. I spotted ‘The Retreat’ across the road
– tables in the sun – oh yeh - perfect!
Liquid Lunch was a pint of Brunswick Bitter, and
an enjoyable read through Mojo magazine about some of my favourite musicians –
Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, and Jethro Tull. Relaxed and revived,
it was back onto the tram to meet Miss J in town, and a crazy car trip back to
the hotel. We got so close to the Hilton, but just couldn’t get there, and I could NOT work out which direction we were
coming from on the iPhone map!! Although we were supposed to be going out for
an early birthday dinner for Miss J, we were just exhausted, and slumped in the
lounge through both the afternoon tea and the canapé sessions!
It was a most successful trip, and I was sorry to see it
end. Everything went so well, and I really enjoyed just hanging out by myself
with no real purpose! Thank you Melbz for a lovely time – hope to see you and
the Hilton Lounge in the near future. Totez!!
