Market pull

It's no Salamanca, but Paddington comes in at a close second.

I can't explain how much I love Australia's infatuation with outdoor markets. If I could bring back any figment of Australian culture and implement it back home, it would be that.

The Saturday markets in Paddington are very good--the booths are just a bit too crammed together. And on a beautiful Saturday, the markets draw heaps of people, so this becomes a bit of an issue. Moreover, the food vendors are all organised in a square pack in the heart of the markets. So it's somewhat hard to escape the wafting aroma of kebabs and sugary waffles. But hey, that might actually be a bonus for some.

This was my second trip to Paddington. And for the first time ever, I walked out of an outdoor market wihtout buying anything. Not a single thing. I hope I'm not giving the wrong impression of Paddington Markets, though. The quality and range of products are actually excellent. In fact, I had a serious moral dilemma at one of the vintage booths over a 1960s Qantas airline shoulder bag. It was insanely cool--red leather, clearly old but in great condition. In white writing it said something along the lines of "Qantas: Australia's Round-the-World Airline." But it was $55. And with the current economic situation, along with Qantas' recent safety concerns, I couldn't justify paying that much for it.

But as I write this, I'm gritting my teeth and cursing myself that I didn't buy it.

Maybe I'll go back on Saturday. Just to see if it's still around.

On second thought, it's probably best the outdoor markets stay in Oz.