And here's breakfast - I had baked eggs with black beans, sesame and sour cream - for something different. And Mum had toast with raspberry jam - which was also delicious.
Then into the market. We started up one side, it wasn't too busy at first. There is such a variety of stalls - some are fantastic and interesting, others sell total rubbish. But I guess there are buyers for everything.
This was a great tub of amazing wooden buttons.
I got a hat - I'm thinking of the -2 degrees in Iceland in November - it's probably the only time I'll wear it!
We went down the other side of the first aisle and it's starting to get very busy. There is a cruise boat in and that could be adding greatly to the crowd numbers! So I mention needing another coffee but I realise as we head towards the coffee shop that I really just wanted to get away from the crowd - if just for a moment.
Then we head back in. Lots of stalls, lots of interesting smells, lots of people. Overheard one man (who'd obviously had been there a long time) as he and his wife rounded a corner and saw the stalls stretching up the hill in front of them say, "You have got to be kidding!"
Mum got a fantastic wooden vase thing - hard to explain, but it's really unique and will look beautiful.
We spent the better part of 2.5 to 3 hours in there, I reckon. Then we went into the big square behind the markets where I remember this great bookshop.
And I couldn't resist buying this book...
..with some lovely quotes like - Prince Philip's opinion of Beijing during a tour of China - "Ghastly." And meeting a wheelchair-bound, nursing home resident - "Do people trip over you?" And on being told by President Obama that he'd had breakfast with the leaders of the UK, China and Russia - "Can you tell the difference between them?" Too funny!
Lovely square with a lovely fountain...
Then it's five-minute walk back to our hotel to sit for a bit.
I had seen a sign saying...
..that I wanted to investigate so I wandered through and up the ye olde stairs...
..and they landed me where I had walked to yesterday. There aren't two Battery Point historical villages! So it was back to the market to try a tempura mushroom - called a shroom stick. And that was delicious!
We had noticed immediately how extremely friendly the Tasmanian people have been - everyone is sooooo nice and friendly. But when I stopped to buy more water (Tasmanian people are friendly, the water isn't.) I finally found a not-so-friendly Hobartian. She was quite surly and gave no greeting. She was also unimpressed that I had brought my own bag (the same one I received just yesterday from this very shop) and rejected hers. Still, one unfriendly person out of all the ones we've encountered isn't bad.
Next on our agenda is a drive into town - the drive is relatively easy, even though I nearly went out the wrong exit of a street - and would have had Mum not stopped me! Into town and to Museum and Art Gallery - beautiful old building.
The museum closes in half an hour but we are only popping in to look at the paintings by our ancestor - William Buelow Gould. He was quite a famous painter in his day, with quite a notorious life - spent time in prison on drink-related issues. Don't love his paintings but interesting to see. Lovely guide is happy to chat about him.
These are his - the ones in the middle and on the right.
And a self portrait and info...
That's all pretty cool - small claim to fame!
Then we're off to get fish and chips by the sea. We go to one of the places with inside seating as it's looking very much like rain and order fish and chips and a salad. I had ordered battered but changed it to crumbed when, for some unknown reason, it is $7 more expensive for batter!
After looking forward to fish and chips very much, it didn't quite hit the spot! Sadly. Never mind. Then it's just 4:30! So we head back and have a quiet night in. Day 2 done.
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