The homes in Hanoi’s Old Quarter still reflect the family-driven architecture of the late 19th century. Many are three to five stories tall, but very narrow in the front while stretching deep into the lot. Properties were taxed based on width, so buildings were constructed with the narrow faces. The first floor typically contains a shop on the street side with a workshop in the back. The family resides in the upper floors, with as many as three generations living in the same home.
While orienting ourselves in the Old Quarter, this man came up and pointed out our current location on the map. He then gestured several times to our camera, indicating he’d like us to take his photo. We obliged and he said goodbye, heading back into his shop. I guess he wanted us to have something to remember him by… done and done!On Hang Dau (Shoe Street), brand name shoes made in Vietnamese or Cambodian factories spilled out onto the sidewalks. The authenticity may be dubious, but the prices are not. Unfortunately, larger Western-sizes for men are pretty hard to come by.At Ngoc Son (Temple of the Jade Mountain), a visitor left an apple on the tiger’s head as an offering. The tiger is a symbol of stability in feng shui.The Hanoi Opera House was built over the course of 10 years beginning in 1901 during the French colonial era. The opera house still hosts both Vietnamese and Western productions today.Hanoi is teeming with posters and in-construction decorations in preparation for the country’s 70th anniversary of independence on September 2. Should be quite a party!Walking toward Hoa Lo Prison (better known as the Hanoi Hilton where U.S. senator John McCain was held captive with other Americans during the Vietnam War) the skies began to turn a dreadful shade of purple. We managed to grab a taxi before it got too bad and watched the streets of the Old Quarter turn into a river from the dry hotel lobby. It was easily the most amount of rain I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something coming from a Cascadian!
More Photo of the Day posts from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam
The second half of our Australian adventure kicked off in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and regular ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities. While Cairns and Adelaidewere a more of a “doing” vacation, Melbourne was more about “seeing.”
The first thing we did in Melbourne was go shopping, but not because of the great shopping in The City. It was 33°C/91°F when we left Tokyo and it cooled to 23°C/73°F in Cairns, but Melbourne was in the middle of winter. We were greeted by nighttime temperatures nearing freezing. We knew it’d be cold, but when you leave the middle of a Japanese summer, it’s hard to imagine needing to bundle up.
Queen Victoria Market has served Melbourne since the 1800s.
Fortunately, the daytime weather was sunny and comfortable. We took advantage of the sun on our first full day to explore Queen Victoria Market. The public market covers a few city blocks and features row after row of goods, food, produce and cafes.
Vegetables at Queen Victoria Market
The market was like heaven with its copious varieties of fruits and vegetables, cheeses and olives and sweet desserts. We bought fresh-baked bread, local cheese, marinated olives and eggplant, fresh vegetables and a bottle of Hungarian (?!) wine which we dined on for a couple days.
The famous “American Doughnuts” truck serving up hot, fresh jam doughnuts
The longest line of the day (and if we’ve learned anything from Japan, it’s if you see a long line, get in it!) was for “American Doughnuts.” This van has been serving up hot, fresh jam doughnuts since 1950 and it was worth the wait. As for “American,” I guess it’s like an American jelly doughnut, but a little less sweet. Super tasty!
The modern architecture of Melbourne
The next day, we did a loop around the city center. The juxtaposition between old and new is always interesting to me. Despite its status as Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne is still a city on the rise. Half-built skyscrapers can be found all over the city. The buildings that have been completed recently are architecturally and visually striking. One of those half-finished buildings looks like a hastily-stacked pile of books in a library basement. Others blend colors or other visual elements to create illusions that trick the eye at a distance.
St Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Melbourne
But Melbourne is a city originally established in the early 1800s, so alongside those modern marvels sit glorious architecture more than 150 years old. St. Paul’s Cathedral rises from the heart of downtown at the intersection of Swanston and Flinders streets, just a couple blocks from the ultra-modern Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) building.
The City Circle Tram surrounds the heart of downtown Melbourne making it easy to get around town
The simple and convenient transit system is part of the reason Melbourne gets those high livability grades. The free City Circle Tram runs around the outside of the downtown area, stopping at all of the tourist locations, including the Victoria Harbor waterfront.
Tranquil Victoria Harbor anchors a new shopping district
The Docklands area around Victoria Harbor is known for shopping and Etihad Stadium, home to five of Melbourne’s Australian Football League teams. While we poked around some of the shops (and stopped into Costco for kicks), the panoramic views of downtown beyond the harbor were the main attraction.
A mural painted on the stairs of Southern Cross Station
Art and culture are as much a part of the city’s landscape as the architecture. A giant mural painted on the stairs of Southern Cross Station. The “Cow Up a Tree” statue in the Docklands. And these guys…
These guys were filming a man in a gorilla suit chasing a man in a banana suit all over town
On multiple occasions, we saw a man in a gorilla suit chasing a man in a banana suit. Through Queen Victoria Market. Around Federation Square. They were being filmed, so it was a little less odd, but still…
Indigenous art, human forms made from string, hair and other materials, at NGV Australia
Speaking of Federation Square, it’s home to ACMI, which highlights Australian film and television as well as the impact of the moving image on popular culture. It also houses the Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery of Victoria. We didn’t spring for the paid exhibitions, but the free exhibits were more than enough. A decent-sized collection of Indigenous art is available on the main floor.
A snippet of the “If I Was White” exhibition at the NGV Australia
One of the more impressive exhibits was the “If I Was White” collection. The work is meant to highlight the ongoing struggle of Australia’s indigenous (or Aboriginal) population since they were displaced by early European settlers. While their fate is not unlike the plight of Native Americans in the U.S., it’s seemed more apparent during our Australian travels and you can tell Australians might struggle with it more than Americans do. It’s certainly more than a blog post can cover.
Utilizing Melbourne’s great bike share system
On our last day in Melbourne, we wanted to take the train to the beach in St. Kilda for the craft market, but the investment in the train card for a single day didn’t make a lot of sense. The downtown tourism kiosk suggested we rent bikes from the bike share for the day and ride to St. Kilda. The system works pretty well. You’re charged a flat fee and then an additional fee every 30 minutes, but if you dock your bike in one of the many bike parks, the time is reset.
Rod Laver Arena, home to tennis’ first major of the season, the Australian Open
The ride was great, but we didn’t make it all the way to the beach. We started to head south out of downtown. I really wanted to see Rod Laver Arena, home to the Australian Open, one of professional tennis’ four major championships. While centre court wasn’t accessible, we could see some of the practice courts, laid out in the famous blue hard court.
The Shrine of Remembrance was originally built as a memorial to Victorians who served in World War I, but is now a memorial for all Australian war veterans.
We got a little lost, but thanks to the great Western invention of the street grid (sorry, Japan!), we quickly found our way again. After ditching our bikes for good, we headed back toward downtown past the magnificent Shrine of Rememberance and Australia’s version of the Eternal Flame.
Cupcakes from the Sunday Market. We only wanted four, but six were just two dollars more!
Our Melbourne adventure was coming to an end, but not before we stumbled on a Sunday Market with a booth selling artisan cupcakes. I’m not ashamed to admit that these were purchased (and possibly consumed) before a proper lunch was eaten.
The miles and miles of running/bike paths, public markets, great restaurants and shopping without the overwhelming “city feeling” were reminiscent of Portland. The sightseeing in Melbourne was great, but I can see how a person would really enjoy living there.
