Sunday in the city

Sunday 15th May

Hmm....what to do today? Well, we’re in the big city so let’s EAT!

Coffee and pastries first, while we peruse our Good Food Guide to Melbourne. The tiny Choukette is cosy and busy, but we manage to find a table down the back (and right next to the cake display). It’s a difficult decision, but the pain au chocolat is hard to walk past without drooling, as is the almond croissant. Ok, we are satisfied but I have a craving for hot jam donuts from the Vic Markets. A short tram ride deposits us out the front of these famous bustling markets in Melbourne.

I can’t go past Coffea coffee house – the ten minute wait is worth the delicious creamy latte that is put before me. We sit outside in the glorious autumn sun, people watching. ‘Now, what did we come here for? Oh, yeah jam donuts, come on let’s go. Shall we just walk through the food hall’, I inquire? My partner needs no encouragement. Masses of cheese from around the world confront me, lucky they are behind glass cases. Everyone has tastings on offer, but we both just cannot bypass the King Island Seal Bay triple cream brie, which will sit in my handbag all day until we get back to the hotel when it will be at perfect room temperature!

My olfactory senses are tingling, the waft of German sausages hits them like hit of rain on the face. Ok, we will share just one! We stand outside amongst people tucking in to all sorts of foods and the seagulls patiently waiting on the rooftops for scraps -none to be had from us. We continue making our way through the food hall, past more cheese, artisan breads, smallgoods, olives and we just have to sample a börek (pastry filled with meat); then we finally get to the hot jam donut caravan. Thank goodness! We buy 6 (‘cos it’s cheaper) and meander our way through the throngs getting sugar and hot jam everywhere.

Now, I realise it seems like we have just eaten all morning, but I have a hankering for dumplings in Chinatown. We do walk the several blocks into the city, to make room for these little morsels of doughy pork, splashed down with Chinese tea. 

I think today has turned into a mission; we need to rest, recuperate and let our poor tummies relax. Sitting on a park bench outside St Paul’s Cathedral seems as close to godliness as we will get, and it’s a great spot for people watching. After awhile (quite awhile) I suggest we pop in to the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, just for a look. Chocolate is practically oozing out the door, what a mountain of fine delectable delights there are! I limit myself to a few small chocolate balls, to share – later!

Exhausted and full we amble home to rest and chill out. As we sit I quietly lean over and ask, 'what shall we have for dinner??'