Victoria Market

My parents are here! They arrived on Sunday morning after the long flight from Edinburgh via Manchester and Doha. They have coped admirably with the jet-lag and are almost feeling back to normal. Isla has enjoyed meeting her Scottish Granny and Grandpa - my mum has had lots of cuddles with her. It's great for me to see them too. This is the first time they have seen me in my new role as a dad. They are here for 2 weeks and we don't have too much planned. We just want to catch up and let them see Isla as much as possible. If the weather's nice we'll try and have lots of barbecues and trips to the park. My mum and dad are enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures - it is still winter back in Scotland.

Yesterday I went into the CBD with my parents on the tram. We had a look round the immigration museum, went for coffee on the South Bank and then had a quick look round Federation Square. The immigration museum had a really interesting display on Child Migration from the UK to Australia over the last two centuries. So called Orphan children were rounded up and sent to live in children's homes and institutions all round Australia. Normally they weren't orphaned children at all but came from families too poor to care for their own. It was considered to be a great solution for both countries as Australia was desperate for more immigrants from 'home'. The children were treated terribly and often suffered abuse at the hands of their carers. This practice went on right up until the 1960s which is almost hard to believe. The exhibition was very well done and quite moving.

Today we took the tram down to Victoria Market and this time Julia and Isla came with us. I wouldn't recommend taking a baby and pram on the tram! It was difficult getting on and difficult getting off and the pram blocked half the aisle of the tram. At least Isla didn't seem too bothered about it.
    Victoria Market is the largest open air Market in the Southern Hemisphere covering around 17 acres. It dates back to the 1850s and is named after Queen Victoria of course. It is popular with locals and tourists alike in Melbourne and I would recommend a visit if you're in the vicinity. It consists of big warehouses full of aisles of stores and stalls selling absolutely everything under the sun. It is especially famous for its seafood, deli food and fresh cheap vegetables. It is a great example of how multicultural a city Melbourne is and each culture has brought with it it's own distinct cuisine. It's also a lot cheaper than the supermarkets. We filled up our shopping bags with giant tiger prawns, blue-grenadier fillets, lamb chops, stuffed olives, Tasmanian brie, eye fillet steak and fresh tomatoes and bananas. Next I go back I might be a little braver and try some of the amazing looking crabs, crayfish and Morton Bay Bugs.