Maling Road Shopping Village - On a Rainy Day

Here's another weekend and it looks like it may rain today. But the sun is still shining for now, so what can we do today and where can we go for lunch?

Maling Road! It has been quite a while since we last went there, like eons ago.

Well, most large cities have streets or districts which are known for their shops and cafes. Maling Road is one such street. It is promoted as one of the top 5 shopping destinations in Victoria, hidden in the shopping precinct of Canterbury in the inner eastern suburb of Melbourne.

It's a great little area for cafes serving quality coffee, of which I can attest to and good gourmet foods. There are some interesting shops to check out too. Maling Road combines long established shops mingle with the contemporary.

The Maling Road shops start at the intersection of Canterbury Road - right next to Canterbury train station. This station is just 15 to 20 minutes east of Flinders St in the city. All Lilydale and Belgrave trains stop here.

This quaint street, since its humble beginnings in 1800s has preserved its old time Edwardian look. Its proximity to Melbourne’s CBD, makes Maling Road shopping village both a nearby destination and a "Back to the Future" time traveling opportunity of sort.

Maling Road has currently over 70 shops to entice you over. So if you are looking for some place different to go or something to do, even on a rainy day like today, here is one destination to consider.

One of the shops we took an interest in is the 'Maling Road Antique Market'. What once used to be an old theatre is now a bursting antique shop with all sorts of antiques and knick-knacks. The beautiful old decoration of the theatre and the ceiling forms the grand backdrop to the treasure troves you can hunt through; porcelain, china, glassware, old medals, old maps, even pieces of jewellery lock in glass cases. At the back where the stage once was, there's even a small collection of books and clothes.

Other places of interest is Tim's Bookshop located next to the community bank or just across the antique red post box. There is also the Darriwill Farm where we go a bottle of red wine with a recipe to make mulled wine; said to be a good tonic drink for a cold wintery night.

It is at this point that I noticed across the road, Bambaleros Freshly Roasted Coffee. This cafe roasts its own beans in a roaster positioned proudly at the back of the small premises. They also serve food and as it was about lunch time, I had to try some and it was good .....coffee and food.

The other shops at Maling Road sell all kinds of goodies; gifts, boutique clothing, fine art, china and crystal, books, beauty therapy, and interior design. There is even a sweet shop for those who have sweet tooth. Of course there are more everyday shops too, like the pharmacy, post office, hair salons and grocery shop.

Notable absences from this street are the multinationals and big chain stores. Apart from IGA and Bakers Delight (both Australian and locally owned), all the shops and eateries in Maling Road are independant one-offs.

Prayer For Leaders

May you have the grace and wisdom
To act kindly, learning
To distinguish between what is
Personal and what is not.

May you be hospitable to criticism.
May you never put yourself at the center of things.

May you act not from arrogance but out of service.

May you work on yourself
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.

May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.

When someone fails or disappoints you
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.

May you treasure the gifts of the mind
Through reading and creative thinking
So that you continue to be a servant of the frontier
Where the new will draw its enrichment from the old,
And you never become a functionary.

May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime of the bleak question.

May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.

May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.

May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.

by John O’Donohue

NGV - A Day Out At Monet's Garden Exhibit

Claude Monet the artist is in town. Well, his work actually. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is holding an exhibit of Monet's work till the 8th September 2013.

If you are into art and particular his art work, you do not have much time left. As of the 23th July, over 200,000 visitors have viewed the exhibit.

Monet was one of several founders of the Impressionism movement, though some do say that he is the ‘father of French Impressionism’. The exhibit show works from his early life where the colours of his work are bright, more towards blue and green to his later life, where he paint works viewed from his cataract affect eyes.

Seems his earlier works did not sell, but it was his later impressionist work, especially those of his garden at Giverny that he built, sold well. The story of his life with his family, his determination to be an artist and to paint as he sees the world was interesting.

One of Monet style was working on "series" paintings, in which a subject was depicted in varying light and weather conditions. He focuses on a subject matter painted from different points of view and at different times of the day.

Because it is an exhibition, photo taking was not permitted. Hence I am unable to post any here. However, above is picture of Monet outside his house at Giverny.

On entry into the NGV, the first exhibit seen is a 2000-year-old statue, PixCell-Red Deer by Kohei Nawa, from its collection. There is also a water exhibit at the Federation Court.

Below photo show the world's largest stained glass ceiling in the NGV's Great Hall. You'll see in the hall, people queuing up to the Monet's Garden Exhibition ticket booth.

The following are some views of the Grimwade Garden, located at the back of the NGV building. It is a good place to get away from the crowd and to take in the peace of the place.

Photos of an interactive activity room, on the right of the water exhibit at the Federation Court. You get to actually draw and colour on the walls.

Warrandyte Market - One Saturday Morning

Looking for something different to do during the weekend? Well, we did one weekend.

It's either finding something exciting to do or stay home and do house chores. House chores! How exciting can that be? OK then. We decided to check out the Warrandyte Market.

We heard about the market from friends in the area. It has around 120+ stalls of homemade, home grown goods ranging from fruits, vegetables, gourmet food like pies and all kinds of bread, gifts and plants to some hand spun knitted jumpers. Look out for the traditional Turkish mouth-watering handmade pastry with your choice of filling. Hot and delicious.

It's an outdoor market set along the banks of the Yarra River, held on the Stiggants Reserve in Warrandyte. It is held on the first Saturday of the month, from 9.00 am - 1.00 pm except for the month of January.

Well, this Saturday morning was a good sunny day to enjoy the delights of the market. I was pleasantly surprise at the size of the crowd and the stalls were a treat for Margaret who loves to browse every one of them.

Get a cuppa of your favourite coffee to kick-start the day. If not coffee, maybe a take-away glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Seep at your drinks as you work your way down the stalls along the path.

Do you have a green-thumb? If so, there are plants that may interest you ranging from native shrubs to citrus trees. There are a couple of honey stalls for those who are sweet and locally grown fruit and vegetables for those looking for fresh produces.

All stallholders are friendly and willing to help or answer any questions you have about their products, even if it's just out of your curiosity. You are not obliged to buy anything though I'm sure they will be most happy if you do.

The following are some of the entertainers; musicians and singers, as you wind your way among the stalls along the path of the market.

The market is also animal friendly but to be more accurate; dog friendly as they are the only ones seen apart from the wildlife birds that fly around the market. The photos shown here are only three of the many breed of dogs I've seen, large and small. This observation is reinforced by the fact that there was a dog food stall, a dog accessory stall and a dog bed stall in the market.

The view of the Yarra River that runs along the market are enjoyed by some people much more so than the market itself. Sitting at its bank, it felt very peaceful indeed. I think the true beauty of the Warrandyte Market is the fact that it is set in such beautiful surrounds. Look out for the cockatoos.