Public Purse

Today’s 17-degree temperature was a much-welcomed relief after yesterdays soaring heat.   Victoria battled around 200 fires and the unseasonal weather took everyone by surprise.   Ferocious winds fanned the situation and no forecast rain is turning the country into a tinderbox.   A nerve racking summer lies ahead.
 
We visited the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Hermitage exhibition featuring over 400 works from the personal collection of Catherine the Great, what a treat that was.  The collection features works from artists including Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez, Van Dyck and Titian to name just a few.
 
Catherine the Great collected thousands of extraordinary works during her 34-year reign and her collection is supposed to be one of the world’s greatest.
 
After the exhibition we wandered around Melbourne had a bite to eat and enjoyed some retail therapy.  Today’s image was taken in Bourke Street Mall and is a distinctive form of street seating; it looks like an oversized purse!