R had an appointment and I was home. We both caught the route 16 tram to St Kilda from different directions and lunched and then went for a St Kilda stroll, always pleasurable. I ducked into the supermarket in Acland Street for something, totally forgetting that we needed a French stick, bread, for the evening's dinner. R had mentioned it earlier. It was to go with Kai Su Min, Chop Suey, whatever you like to call it. It was from the freezer, taken out by R in the morning to thaw.
There is another supermarket in St Kilda, so after our seaside walk, we caught the tram to the second one and bought a French Stick. Once home, R realised that we had agreed to catch up with friends that night for dinner. I don't know how he forgot. I don't know how I forgot. R has a lot on his mind at the moment.
The Kai Su Min is fine in the fridge for tomorrow night. Not sure about the French Stick. A good French Stick will not have preservative and may not be so good tomorrow.
So do you know Kai Su Min? I don't cook and I don't know how to make it, but I know the essential ingredients are mince meat, cabbage and a packet or two of chicken noodle soup. Mother used to make something similar once, ever so long ago. She called it Chow Mein, the most exotic food we ever ate in my youthful years.
I always know after having the Kai Su Min, probably from the chicken noodle soup, I become incredibly thirsty. It has a very high salt content. I love the taste of salt in food, but I never feel the need to add it to food. I like the taste of proper butter because it has a lot of salt. I like crisps, potato chips with their high level of salt.
I do get very thirsty after having anything salty. I never add salt to a meal, R does not cook with salt, yet if some food comes with salt, I like it. Anyway salt is not good for my blood pressure.
This is a boing post. Let me show you some photos I took when R and myself met up in St Kilda.
The Vineyard is a very popular venue, day and night. It has very tight crowd control in the evenings.
Sometimes it pay to look down, rather than up and if you do you will see shapes of sea creatures embedded in the concrete pavers.
I like this. The outer rim reads;
Living near the seas stops old wounds hurting. It revives the spirit. It quickens the passions of mind and body yet lends tranquility to the soul.
A glimpse of Luna Park.
The side of The Vineyard.
Acland Street is a more pleasant place to be since traffic was almost stopped by a mall at the far end. Cars have to turn in to a side street before the tram terminus and mall.
I've never seen this before. Very useful.
A newish mural.
The wonderful Palais Theatre external renovation appears to be be complete.
The Luna Park entrance.
The vertical glass panels are lit from behind at night and it looks wonderful.
The Stokehouse burnt down and eventually the new Stokehouse was built. I like the way it sits on pylons above the ground level. It makes it seem to have a less heavy impact on the site.
The beautiful medium rise old Mandalay Apartments on The Esplanade with some not so beautiful buildings to its side.
I really should have made more of an effort to get rid of cars from the photos.
The beach side of
Stokehouse. It was partly open to the sea on this mild day. It appears to white tablecloth dining upstairs and less formal downstairs.
Lots of timber used at the beach. Its angles makes me think the construction might help break up large waves.
People enjoying the sunshine.
The entrance to
Republica at the old Sea Baths.
Very cute.
St Kilda Pier, with its famous kiosk at the end of the pier.
As pleasant as The Esplanade is, down below is the traffic sewer of Jacka Boulevard, named after Albert Jacka, the first Australian soldier to receive a Victoria Cross medal during WWI. The tower clock now works after some maintenance work was carried out. Work was delayed until the rat infestation was cleared. The tower is a monument to the designer of reclamation of the beach, Carlo Catani, who was chief engineer for the Department of Public Works. In the distance is the block of apartments called Edgewater Towers, which I
wrote about after an Open House visit a couple of years ago.
The Esplanade Hotel, or as it known locally, The Espy. I believe the older part is closed for renovations.
I don't know anything about Marli Place. The external stairs look like they were added later, maybe as fire escapes. I don't like them. It seems Marli Place is only the centre part so far as I can make out from
this piece. It was built as a single house, then converted into two flats and now is back as one house.