We got a nice day to head off to Springvale, a bustling Asian community on the outskirts of Melbourne. This is a place where I buy my Asian groceries to cook with at home and also to have a delicious cooked meal while I am there. We enjoy our noodles, especially the rice ones, stir fried with vegetables and tofu [bean curd]. I can get everything there at a cheaper price, nice and fresh. We usually visit about every three months or so to stock up. As you approach Springvale you become aware of the grand Buddhist temples that grace the side of the road. Most have been having a revamp or just being built and are lovely to see with their bright colours and curved roof lines. You then approach the main shopping area with its many restaurants, food shops and cheap variety stores.
It is a bright vibrant shopping hub and fun to visit to look at all the merchandise. This time we decided to shop, have some lunch and then travel on to the next suburb to the Antique Bazaar.
First we wandered around taking some photos and checking out some shops.
This of course made us hungry so we decided that it was time for lunch, happily heading off in the direction of our favourite little restaurant. When we got there we were in for a bit of a shock. The shutters were down and it was closed permanently. We could not believe our eyes. We were in a state of shock. Recovering a little we noticed that half the restaurant was still a diner and we hoped that they had downsized, but it was not to be. The place had a new name and menu so we decided to set off for our next favourite spot.When we got there what did we find but an empty shop. Obviously it was clearly not our day. Turning we decided to go back to the new small restaurant that we had just left to at least give it a good try.
We ordered the rice noodles and vegetables off the menu by the number and by pointing and by saying what it actually was. The waitress asked us if we wanted chicken with the dish and we said no as we did not eat meat but were vegetarians. When our meal arrived it was full of chicken so we left it on the side. It is far from replacing our old joint.
After our lunch we set off for the antique bazaar. This bazaar is in a huge packing house, full of treasures and brick a brac to wind your way through. Isle upon isle of pieces from the early nineteenth century upwards; clothes, ceramics, war memorabilia, household items, kitchenalia, toys, jewellery, art, and more.
You could spend hours just looking as it is so fascinating. Pieces from my childhood stared back at me from out of the past, making me smile. My daughter just laughed saying it was all new to her.
We found some oriental sandstone boxes beautifully carved for only eight dollars. One was red with bamboo highlights and the other black with a lotus relief. We loved them so we bought them. I kept the black one and it is now on my tallboy and holds my mala beads in it.
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