I'll be the first person to admit that Iv'e done my fair share of market going. In fact, I could be described as quite the Market Fiend, if you will. Iv'e traipsed my way through racks of second hand clothes whilst freezing my arse off, searched through suitcases overflowing with vintage scarves and belts, delved through more piles of bric a brac then I care to mention and sweated it out in queues waiting for Polish Pancakes (totally worth the wait, might I add. Mmm...Eastern European dessert). But while Iv'e elbowed my way through more crowds of market goers then I've probably had hot dinners, there's one market that I look forward to every Summer. And that would be the trusty Victoria Night Market. I've been a devotee of the Vic Night Market for the past five years or so and not once have I been disappointed by its offerings.
In it's fifteenth year now, the market runs every Wednesday from November to February and showcases some of Melbourne's finest artisians, producing locally made clothing jewellery, artwork and cultural goods.Over 200 stall holders flock to the market each week to sell their wares, so there really is something to be found for everyone. And if you can't find anything you like, then seriously, you're not trying hard enough. Seriously. Sometimes I find it difficult to stop myself buying everything I see, the perfect example was when I nearly purchased a mini toy lama made from real lama hair. Usefull? I think not...but then again, who needs use when you have a fuzzy toy lama?! Every inch of this undercover space is filled with stalls stuffed with prints, vintage-style clothing, leather goods, soaps, jewellery and even old records recycled into diaries. I love trawling through the isles, being drawn into one stall after the other and seeing the incredible craftsmenship on display. I may have made a little purchase of a not so little necklace (which you can see in my previous post) that I saw and then instantly had to have...it's odd how that keeps happening to me.
One of my very favourite things, apart from the shopping of course, is the general atmosphere of the Victoria Night Market. There's a hustle and bustle that keeps things exciting, the sound of live music revirbirating through the stalls and the delicious smelling smoke blooming from the Argentinian Grill thats rises above the crowds. If you want to know what an entire herd of cows smell like when they're covered in rich BBQ sauce, then look no further. That's another major highlight of this place, the food. Whether you're in the mood for Mexican burritos, Spanish paella, Chinese noodles, Japanese dumplings, Indian or Afghani curries or just a good old fashion Aussie crocodile burger, the Night Market will offer it up to you on a silver platter. Well, more like a plastic take-away plate with serve yourself sauces, but having sweet chilli running down your arm is half the fun of eating market food, right? There is even a portable cafe set up in a shipping container selling Padre and single origin coffees. I guess hipsters need their sustenance somehow. I myself taste tested the Gozleme, a flat Turkish pancake-like pocket of awesomeness, filled with spinich, olives and cheeky fetta cheese. Lezzetli! (according to Google Translate this means 'delicious' in Turkish...but knowing it's reliability Iv'e either insulted someone's mother or suggested that you go drink milk from a goats udder). My dinner was then washed down with some, quite strong, sangria that I believe is a must for all visitors.
If you live in melbourne the Victoria Night Market is a summer must and I would consider it a great dishonour, nay, a sin if you let it pass you by. So if you're old or young (or somewhere depressingly in between and having a mid-life crisis) and whether you're into fashion, food, music or even drinking milk from a goats udder (I'm sure special arrangements can be made for you), the Victoria Night Market will serve it all up to you. On a plastic platter, no less and the sweet chilli sauce running down your sleeve is on the house.
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