A weekend of shopping

It was a gloomy, miserable day on Saturday, not to mention a bit on the chilly side.

This did not disrupt our plans.

We picked up Stella late morning and then made our way out to Wendouree, to the Stockland Shopping complex. We were a bit surprised to see all the buses lined up by the old cattle yards, and very surprised to see the crowd of youthful people who were trudging from the buses towards Victoria Park.

Lindsey and I had forgotten about the Spilt Milk music festival. I knew it was happening (one of our young receptionists was going). I didn't realise it was in Victoria Park, and wasn't thinking about it anyway.

Alas, it meant that the roads we were planning to drive along were closed to traffic. There were cars and people everywhere. The Stockland car park was also very full. Fortunately, Lindsey managed to find a parking spot close to the shops, and it wasn't so busy once we got inside.

Lunch in the Wild Seed cafe, where Ian unexpectedly joined us. Then he went off to do whatever he was out Wendouree way for and Stella, Lindsey and I went for a wander around the shops.

Then we went to Wilsons where Stella had a lovely time buying fruit and snacks and munchy things.

Sunday found Lindsey and me at the railway station in time for the 9:20 train to Melbourne. The platform was packed! This surprised us. Ballarat is usually quite sleepy at that time on a Sunday morning.

The train conductor reminded us that the train was very crowded so please to make sure we didn't have our bags and things on the seat next to us. The merry makers from Spilt Milk were on their way home. I hadn't properly realised that the music festival was really only on Saturday afternoon and evening. I had expected it to run into Sunday. And I was very surprised that the merry makers were up so early after a long night of music and dancing.

We got to Melbourne and Lindsey and I made our way to the Exhibition Buildings for the Big Design Exhibition. It was VERY crowded. And filled with stalls of lovely things. Clothes, bags, food kits, pottery, fabrics, all sorts of things. Very expensive things, some of them. It was slightly disconcerting that $150 bought me enough things to fill one carrier bag. At the Ballarat market that amount of money would have required several shopping bags.

We had lunch at Il Gambero in Lygon Street. I haven't had pizza in Carlton for years and now two come along in around a month.

The weather was better than it had been on Saturday.
We sat outside for lunch

We walked back into the city and then caught a tram to the station and a train back to Ballarat. I have a seniors travel card. The whole day cost me $3.60 on public transport, and that was the train fare to Melbourne in the morning. The trams and the return train trip cost me nothing. We had taken Lindsey's car into the station in the morning and parked in the station car park. That was free too. So a very cheap trip to Melbourne (if you don't count the money we spent while we were there!)

My knees and ankles were somewhat surprised by all that walking. They were disinclined to move much on Monday!

I don't usually put up my Christmas stuff until after my birthday. I put it up a little earlier this year because I had bought a new Christmas tree, which is taller than any I have had before. I wanted to dress it so I could see what else I needed to get for it. As it turns out, I don't really need anything else. And I have put Christmas in the dining room this year.

After 24 hours, I decided having the tree next to the fire was too cramped. The tree looked squashed and I was also squashed when sitting at my chair at the table. So I moved it into the corner by the patio door

I think it looks much better there.

I also dressed Freyja and Simon's tree, which is sitting on my front porch. It might need a bit of a re-organisation. I haven't put the lights on properly.