rover all over: Getting ready for Christmas

Getting ready for Christmas was lots of fun in Melbourne. The key is the Victoria Markets. And getting there early, dawn in fact.

Here is the Yarra River just before 6am, just 2 minutes from our apartment, with the first buildings being lit by the rising easterly sun and hot air balloons hanging above the CBD. Below is the usually-crammed footbridge, with its "mistletoe" decorations, and Flinders St Station in the background.

This is the entrance portal to the heavenly delights of Vic Markets. A young family leaving as we arrived, the kids carrying trays of, guess what?

Coffin Bay oysters! Monsters they were. We would come back on Christmas Eve morning, also at dawn, with these little beauties in mind.

The deli aisle is just heaven. The smells, the choice. I wanted to buy everything.

Flowers were gorgeous. But I had craftily bought my Christmas lilies much cheaper in Brunswick the day before...

Here is the haul. A couple of happy seniors snickering and wheeling their trolley with that smug expression that successful tight arses have.

Only the seafood remained to buy, which we did on Christmas Eve morning. What a scene! Mayhem! The seafood aisle packed with sharp eyed foodies. Everyone on a mission, lists, hurried consultations. All quite convivial though. Except if one had been foolish enough to bring one's trolley, then one was in danger of being trampled. We hadn't brought ours this time. Phew. This is 6am, remember.

I have decided that the ideal procedure for buying Christmas trees and decorations is to hold your nerve until the last day of shopping before Christmas. Then you go to The Christmas Shop and the poor buggers are so exhausted and over it that they are practically giving the stock away. We bought this rather nice tree plus all the decorations for just over $100. Its all fake so we can use it again next year, for free! See how I'm thinking like a superannuant these days?

One treat the night before Christmas is to hoover up the Christmas lights that other people have gone to all the trouble of installing. Please shoot me if I ever want to decorate the exterior of our house with sleighs and reindeers in lights. Life is just too short. This is the promenade leading to Crown Casino. Actually I suspect these lights stay on those trees all the time. The streets of Melbourne are all very pretty and festive with Chrissy wreaths and what not. They really make an effort around here.

Christmas Eve and we decided a reward was necessary, so it was a cocktail at The Langham. This rather fancy hotel is literally next door, so I was able to wear my high heels for the occasion, not being able to walk more than 200m in them.

Here I am, impersonating someone rich and famous as I sashay up and down the look-at-me staircase.

The foyer was lavishly dressed for the season. One expects no less, of course. We of the other half. No sooner had we sat down than a group of choristors (SATB) came and carolled for us, what carol would you like to hear? O Little Town of Bethlehem, please.