Queen's Birthday

Today is the Queen's Birthday in Australia, (except in Western Australia where it is celebrated at the end of September/beginning of October) or rather the public holiday for it is. On an English website I read her actual birthday is in April, but the weather is better in June! Because in the Northern Hemisphere the season is summer. Forget about Australia - down here it's winter and cold. Anyway, being a public holiday and being a Monday, means a long weekend. (You know three days off)

I tried to come up with something that would tie in with this, something to do with queens and came up with the following -

Queen Victoria Market
(Well, it was named after a queen)

 

Above: The famous front sign

A Crown
All queens need a crown.

 

Above: A crown fit for a queen


Postage stamps and More

 

Above: Postage stamps and Currency
If you are a Queen, you get to have your face on a postage stamp. And money. Not bad eh?


Queen Victoria

 

Above: Drawing of Queen Victoria
I do think Queen Victoria had one of the most recognisable faces in the world, don't you? She always looked like she was smelling something nasty!


Today's quote: It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained ~ Queen Elizabeth II

Sweet and Sour

 

Are they real?
Yes, indeed they are. These bright and colourful fruits and chillies are at the Queen Vic. (Queen Victoria market) I wouldn't mind eating some of them, although I think I might give the chillies a miss.☺

Today's Quote: Next to jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili ~ Harry James.

Scrumptious Shortbread

A sweet selection
These look good enough to eat! Strolling through the Queen Victoria Market, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air, the tantalising delights of Italian shortbread before me, I could feel the temptation. I only have to walk past a Patisserie and I put on weight!

I confess - I bought two ..Ah belissimo!

Tantalising Tangelos

As the saying goes - they look good enough to eat!

These were on sale at the Vic market, and not only did they taste scrumdiddlyumptious - they were sweet and juicy, too.

Queen Victoria Market

The Queen Victoria Market is not just any old market, it is a shopping mecca, the Queen of Australian markets, and an institution for locals and tourists alike. Opening on March 20th 1878, this grand old lady has stood the test of time and many a bargain has been found. There are almost 1,000 traders selling their wares - the freshest of produce - ripe tomatoes. juicy oranges, leeks, capsicums, luscious strawberries, to snap peas and Asian vegies, you can buy just about anything here.

Wander through the meat market - lamb, veal, pork, or fancy some fish? Then head to the fish market where only the freshest fish is sold.

Cheese, hams, proscuitto, sliced meats, salamis, to exotic herbs and spices - you can get it all at the Vic market. Spread over 7 hectares, the Vic market is the largest market in the Southern hemisphere. Clothing, footwear, wine tasting on Sundays - the Vic market has it all. Have lunch, grab a coffee, enjoy a nice hot cup of tea and take the weight off your feet - so come on down and spend a day at the market.

You will find more information on the side panel under "Melbourne Information."

Colourful Cactus - Queen Victoria Market

Sunday afternoon spent at the Queen Victoria Market, aka the "Queen Vic", is a delightful way to while away the hours on a cold, wintry day. It's a great atmosphere and the aromas from the different food shops waft through the air and tantalise one's senses. These bright colourful cacti were like a shining beacon with their happy reds and golds.

In the arid desert sands
Where no flower can bloom
The cactus grows in glory
And dispels the traveler’s gloom.

A braver creation of Mother Nature
One can hardly ever find
The cactus teaches us a lesson
We should forever keep in mind.

When life is easy and smooth
Almost anyone can succeed
But surviving when the going is bumpy
Is a great feat indeed!

Let us try to be like the cactus
Battling every adversity
And with courage turn every calamity
Into a glorious opportunity.

From "The Cactus" by Ramendra Kumar.