I'm not moving

Just to note about Friday Funnies, suicide is not funny, and I expect the late Sue who was a volunteer at the suicide prevention telephone service Life Line, would not have approved of of the post at all. Nor is it now funny to make fun of people with strong phobias. But having said that, I did think they were funny.

Diagonally across the intersection below me, The Muse apartment building is close to completion. I really like the interior finishes, which look restrained and classy, rather than opulent and gauche. Check out some interior photos here.

It seems to be only 3 and 4 bedroom apartments, and seems to be 1 bath room per bedroom, and 3 car parking spaces per apartment. At least one three bedroom apartment has four bathrooms! This so goes against the City of Melbourne's quest to reduce car parking spaces in buildings, or ban them altogether. 

There is no doubt it is a lavish building. Just the expense of the external landscaping is mind blowing. There are only 40 odd apartments in such a huge pair of buildings. That doesn't sound like increasing the population near public transport hubs, another current government ideal. 

A neighbour told me the 3 bedroom apartments, some even have 4 bathrooms for 3 bedrooms, are smaller in size than ours, that is my own 3 bedroom apartment. 

Prices start at AU$4.1 million, US$2.8, €2.48, GB£2.1, and for a penthouse around AU$10 million. Where does this filthy wealth come from?

But oh, the two car park exits. They will take forever to get anywhere. From the Toorak Road exit to travel in the opposite direction along Toorak Road will take five to ten minutes. To travel towards the city from the St Kilda Road exit will take just as long, as they move from the service road to the centre lanes, and then u turn at traffic lights. In a location where there is good public transport, trams will be a much better option for a local trip, but of course rich people despise public transport used by the great unwashed.

Here are a few photos, the first of the exterior I've already shown you.

This being of what was unveiled last week, taken from my cheap seats balcony. Two pools with a different colours. It could be wall and floors of the pool are different colours, but I'd like to think one is fresh water pool and one is a salt water pool. Or maybe one is for laps and one is for leisure, and grand child friendly. 

Lovely birch trees, and there are a lot of water features nearby, yet to flow.

I should know the name of these trees are. AI told me the wrong address of the property and was not helpful with tree identification. I am now thinking they may be golden ash. Nice.

This is not the main entrance, the main being in St Kilda Road, and much grander than the Toorak Road entrance, along with being set back from the street. I could have taken a photo of the main entrance but I would expect a guard to appear if I stepped across a threshold. 

I am not sure of the purpose of this small area.

From Toorak Road looking down to the main entrance and foyer.

Crass commercialism

I've showed Federation Square before, but something stimulated me to again take photos. Some people like me took time to like the space. Some continue to hate it, but generally, it has been embraced. Even Hels after some period of doubt, came to like it. 

Earlier this year, advertising and mammon overcame style and part of one of the lovely aspects of the square was spoilt. I think the ad was removed before its expiry period by way of public outrage.

I got out and took some pics.

The atrium is lovely, with all the special shapes.

I like the quirky exterior.

The small cobble stone  colours are so beautiful, as paving goes. They are a bitch for prams, wheelchairs, and the feeble.

 

Aside from the forecourt. the rest of Fed Square is friendly to the less abled.

I've seen the space filled with hundreds of people at times.

I love these shapes. 

The design of the whole square  is so interesting.

But then the outrage happened, a covering up of an aspect of the building by crass and huge advertising. I think it was contracted to be there for two months, but the public outcry saw it quickly removed. 

Icelandic architecture

What do you know about Iceland? I don't know much. It's cold but not as cold as Greenland. It has volcanoes. Over the years, I have learnt a little about Iceland from bloggers. 

Yorkshire blogger Tasker walked in Iceland in his younger years. https://taskerdunham.blogspot.com/2021/07/walking-in-iceland-1-to-reykjavik.html

Travel Penguin in Washington has visited twice, and would like to revisit. https://travelpenguin.blogspot.com/2025/07/foodie-friday-what-i-learned-in-iceland.html

Most recently the country was visited by Jackie and John from Toronto, and while Jackie's account of the trip and photos were marvellous, this photo really grabbed me. 

Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik is an absolutely stunning piece of modern architecture. You can see more of Jackie's inside and outside photos at https://junkboattravels.blogspot.com/2025/06/iceland-day-3-reykjavik.html I urge you to take a look. 

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is due to finished in 2026, 100 years after the death of its designer Antoni Gaudi. Construction began, would you believe, in 1882. I am a person who thinks public transport is good but sadly Gaudi was killed when he was hit by a tram, at his age of 73. 

The first photo is from the Sagrada foundation and the rest are mine. 

This was the view from the balcony of our apartment in 2017. We wondered what on earth we were looking at when we first entered the apartment.

Of course we wanted to visit and I looked online. We should have booked days ahead. Entrance was booked out, as were all tours. 

I really wonder what Gaudi was thinking. 

Random Buildings

Too much writing is not good. Photos today.

What a lovely building. Even better is what is inside, three floors of the Chinese restaurant Chin Chin. We ate there last summer and foolishly did not book so were placed in the basement sitting skewwhiff at a weird table. It is not expensive and we ordered a set menu, which was far too much for us. We did our best. The service is fast and efficient yet everything appeared utterly chaotic. It is extremely popular for good reasons. 

Unlike the building above, this one looks serious. The lower level is made of what we call bluestone but it is basalt rock, the solidified lava being thousands of years old, no doubt from the west of the state where it grows out of the ground. I can't remember where it is but the city somewhere. 

I thought this might make an interesting photo but it didn't. What was I thinking!

This is a very unusual building in Chinatown, Little Bourke Street. Chinese arrived in Australia in the gold rush years, maybe 1850-60. It really looks like it is a Chinese design with Victorian architecture in mind.

Lovely with its Victorian lace iron work and wide verandahs. (why does spell check not approve of the word verandah. It is a basic English word with an Indian origin)

Well, its attractiveness was fixed up well and proper. What was someone thinking. I am sure this pub is inner Melbourne somewhere. At one point in 20C building owners had to remove overhangs and poles on the footpaths. Maybe this hotel was a victim of such.

End of WWII perhaps? Maybe just a store offering bargain women's hats. Across the road is the GPO, a place where people used to gather and I think still do at times for important happenings.