I've actually been meaning to write a little about the Vic Market for about a week, but it just never happened. This is THE market here in Melbourne - there are several other smaller markets scattered around the city, but they don't hold a candle to Vic Market. The place is HUGE! For those of you who have been to the St. Jacob's Market near Kitchener, the Vic Market is at least as big - but situated right smack in the middle of the downtown.Like St. Jacob's, there are stalls that sell fruits, veggies, and all sorts of produce imaginable. There are two separate buildings for meats, deli, and fish. (These buildings are smelly. I try to avoid them.) Most of the market is open-air, though. Shelter from the sun is a big issue here, so like many open-air spaces in the city, the stalls are sheltered by massive corrugated tin roofs.
Jen and I are doing pretty much all of our fresh fruit and veggie shopping at the Market. I know I've already complained in earlier blogs about how expensive food is here. Well, the Market is the only place we've found so far where the prices are closer to what we're used to in North America. We also like the fact that if you go through the produce section of the Market just before they close for the day, you can find some really great deals (since the vendors would rather get rid of their stock than pack it all up).I love walking through the produce section, but it's a little overwhelming. At each stall there are usually these big burly guys, bellowing out their deals at the top of their lungs, trying to draw the crowd's attention to them. Add a bustling crowd of shoppers and it can be a little claustrophobic!
Of course, just like any market (and especially one that attracts tourists like this one), there are tons and tons of stalls full of Australiana. In some ways, this is a good thing. Almost all the typical Australian souvenirs can be found here, and usually at way better prices than you can find at shops in the city. On the other hand, much of what you find here is complete cheese and total garbage. I have become a bit of a "souvenir snob" over the years - I won't buy souvenirs anymore unless I know they were made in the country/place I am visiting. Which puts everything shown in this picture on the "NO WAY" list. Including the digeridoos! I went into the Koorie-run cultural centre and gift shop the other day (the Koories are the local group of Aborigines here) and they had a display about buying fake digeridoos. Apparently some souvenir shops are importing fake digeridoos, which are being manufactured in Indonesia, and marketing them as authentic. Good grief. So now I think I know how to spot a real one from a fake! I haven't decided yet whether or not I'm going to buy a digeridoo - I mean, it's not like I'm about to become a digeridoo player, and it'd just be one more thing to gather dust in my house. I am admiring the Aboriginal artwork I'm seeing, though!
