To Melbourne Town

On Sunday morning the rain fell on my beloved Melbourne town. We met Lou and her big girl Sunny at one of my favourite Melbourne landmarks, the Queen Vic Market, for a little photo shoot for her pregnancy series. Once upon a time both Matt and I lived just a stones throw from the markets, back in the day it was our ‘hood.

The clouds parted and the sun poked its head out (so very Melbourne). We explored vegetable stalls, made pretty floral crowns and ate delicious doughnuts. Collaborating with a fellow photographer is just plain fun, especially when it’s Lou. The lady is pretty rad.

Over the weekend we traveled over 1000km to Melbourne and back. We had no less than six social engagements in less than 48 hours. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip but we did all the things we wanted to – saw my Nan in hospital, had dinner with friends at a very traditional, family-run Italian restaurant in Carlton followed by a macaroon at the new Brunetti’s, met my sister at a Fitzroy pub in the pouring rain and had breakfast with our smallest of nieces and her parents.

It was all so quintessentially Melbourne…and it was just what the doctor ordered. Oh how I love Melbourne! At times I miss living there, I miss the trams dinging, the cyclists, the people spotting, the black and grey winter uniform, the laneways, the eclectic hum, the cobblestones, the coffee, the busyness, the shopping (oh the shopping…), the restaurants, the art galleries, the live music, the pubs. But after a weekend I do admit that it’s time for this little country mouse to make our way home again to the farm. Home. 

Part of me will always belong to Melbourne, but the biggest part of me belongs on the farm with my boy. Always. Driving around ‘my’ familiar streets of Richmond directing Matt down shortcut streets I was gushing about my love of Melbourne town…then we turned onto Hoddle Street. On a Friday night. Matt turns to me and says that my love for Melbourne can be enough for both of us. And I just think it might be.