18 Feb The Alameda Marketplace? Do it!

I’m a huge fan of flea markets. The beautiful mess of interesting objects and people you can expect to find often makes for a supremely interesting Saturday or Sunday morning. Melbourne has a few decent ones of its own, but for all that I’ve been to back home, none compares to the Alameda Marketplace. This place is all kinds amazing and definitely worth checking out.

Alameda is enormous. I’m not the best at estimating, but it had to have been at least the size of a football field. We spent a couple of hours there and only covered about two-thirds. The weather being so fantastic on the day was a huge plus. It was sunny and had to have been about 25 degrees (that’s Celsius; excuse my Australianism). Again, I’m not the greatest estimator, but it certainly felt like it was that warm. My point is that the weather here can be awesome even in winter. Sometimes you feel lucky experiencing climate like that during spring in Melbourne, let alone the coldest part of the year.

I saw so many awesome things. Beautiful furniture made from salvaged timber that has more soul than any piece you’ll find in a store. Awesome collections of vintage clothing showcased by super-stylish vendors. Paintings, musical instruments, jewelry, vinyl, war memorabilia and of course, an array of random but nonetheless fantastic bits and pieces. My favorite was a four-foot-tall statue of E.T., the extra terrestrial. I could easily have spent a couple of hours more.

So, if the weather forecast is right and you’re feeling up to an earlier start on the weekend, visit Alameda. You’ll have a great time meeting a bunch of fantastic people, and see everything from the fun, practical or artistic to the strange and unexpected. You might even come away with an amazing bit of treasure to remind you of an excellent time abroad.