Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
On our holiday in Sydney late last year our son suggested that we have a look at the Queen Victoria Building in the city. This historic building contains dozens of interesting specialty shops. I was more interested in the building, the beautiful architecture and the wonderful ambiance of the whole building. Not many shopping centres present in this way, especially modern buildings.
Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
After a very pleasant time in this building and its interesting shops, we found a nearby food mall. Sure it was like feeding time at the zoo with every man and his family trying to find a table to use.
Admittedly we were rather optimistic seeing it was between Christmas and New Year. Actually we didn’t have all that much trouble finding a table for four which was surprising. I had a large plate of delicious pasta which more than made up for the crowded conditions.
I’ve included several more photos of the Queen Victoria Building below. Click on the photos to enlarge the image.
For more information click here.
Leadlight windows, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
World Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
Detail, floor tiles, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
Street stalls in Kathmandu
Street scene in Kathmandu Nepal
It is really quite amazing what you can buy from the street vendors in a city like Kathmandu. The variety is staggering. The noise is constant. The movement of people is never ending. The smells are something you can only experience first hand. And the colours are magical.
In this photo I have shown the very colourful wreaths that were for sale everywhere, especially near temples like this one. I should have asked someone there about the religious significance of them, if that is what they are for. Perhaps readers of this blog can enlighten me by leaving a comment.
Fair Trade Handicraft shops of Kathmandu
Temples seemed to be on every corner of every street in central Kathmandu. These vary from small structures only a few square metres in size through to very large buildings. This was one of the modestly sized ones.
Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
If you click on the photo you will get an enlarged version. This will show up the sign in front of the temple which reads “Cottage Handicrafts Exhibition and Sales.” I didn’t visit this one but I did go to several others in different parts of the city. These are generally cooperatives selling handicrafts produced locally with a “fair trade” policy. I felt pleased to patronize several of these as the profits were going directly to local women in need. I’ll write more about that in another article.
Specialty shops in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
Like all towns and cities Kathmandu has many specialty shops. The one in the photo shows one such shop. All the items in this shop were made from some kind of metal, mostly copper I think. And there was an incredible variety of different kinds of objects for sale. I actually stood there mesmerised for quite a few minutes, taking in the beautiful artwork and the incredible range of goods for sale.
Many of the items for sale were utilitarian in nature, like ornate jugs, plates, bowls and water pots. Then there were amazingly complex art objects, simple mugs, beautiful saucepans and ornate religious items. Most were carefully polished and wonderfully displayed.
More about shopping in Kathmandu
Thamel district of Kathmandu Nepal
Yesterday I wrote about the retail outlets for clothing in the Thamel district of central Kathmandu. These shops are not just confined to this area and similar outlets can be found throughout the city. Sometimes they are not shops but merely displays of clothing or materials right on the footpath.
In the case of the vendor in the photo above, their ‘shop’ was in the square in front of the temple shown in the background. I would imagine that they could not afford to rent a shop space in the commercial heart of the city so they set up this street outlet to tap into the extra trade brought about by the heavy pedestrian and tourist traffic in this area. They might also have lived some distance away because they could not afford accommodation in the central area of the capital.
Whatever the reason, their ‘shop’ added some brilliant colour to an otherwise drab square.