Saturday, May 03, 2008

Day 5: So Long, Tassie!


A trip to Hobart isn't complete without a visit to Salamanca Market.

We checked out just after 10am, and popped by Sandy Bay first to take some pictures of Hobart's picturesque waterfront in the bright sunlight.

The view I used to have at my doorstep


As soon as we reached Salamanca, the two hungry Bees headed straight for the award winning German sausage stall. I don't care what anybody says, this is the best sausage ever!

A large bratwhurst, a berry cup and a hot chocolate later, we slowly maneuvered our ways through the crowds with our happy tummies.

Australia's best outdoor market was buzzing with its lively and excitable vibe as usual, and it's always a feast for the senses. The vibrant colours of tents and flowers, the live music performed by street artists, the delicious aromas from food vendors, and the massive crowd.

The energy and atmosphere of the place is contagious, one can't help but being drawn into it.


It felt a little weird that I was a tourist this time round, instead of a local. Some stalls have been there for years, and seeing them was like seeing an old friend from the past.

Bee and I were mesmerized by this HUGE wooden bowl hand-carved out of Tasmanian native timber. It will make an amazing center piece in our new home. The rough edges, the streaks and markings left by nature, it's effortlessly stunning! I'm a sucker for wooden furnitures, and anything that's carved outta whole piece of wood, I'm sold.

The only problem was, it's 30kgs! There's no way that we could lug this baby back to Melbourne and then back to Malaysia by ourselves. And since it was a Saturday and we were leaving in 2 hours, there was no time for us to arrange freight service at all.

I was still caressing the bowl, like how one touches a lover's face, when Bee tried to pull me away from the stall.

"But, it's so pretty, and it's only 300 bucks! And and and....it's an once-off piece, it's art, baby! We might never be able to find something like this again." I refused to let go of the bowl.

We still didn't get it in the end. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Wrong place, and wrong timing. I don't even have a picture of it to remember it by. :(

We left Salamanca at 12.30pm for the airport, and that concluded our trip.

It was brief, but it's been fun catching up, Tassie. Please take good care, and I'm sure our paths will cross again really soon. But no matter how long I'm gone for, rest assured that you'll always have a very special place in my heart. Here's looking forward to our next encounter.

Till then.