Jaunting to Melbourne...

Well it's a rather exciting affair when Hubby says:

"Marty (my Dad-in-law and my Boss) is flying us all to 

Melbourne for the Siren Awards"

My response:

"1 shriek, 2 squeals, an uncoordinated happy dance 

and the embarrassing (involuntary) "Nooo Way!?" 

You see ....

... I LOVE Melbourne ever so much.

(not just because it's cold and I get to wear my winter threads)

It's where I first moved to when I left home....

... It's where I met Hubby and fell in love 

(accepting his proposal after only SIX days... not kidding)

It's where I made many a happy memory with dear

friends and family...

It's where I hope to live AGAIN one day

(with any luck in the above building... I mean get out of town!

Me..... LIVING in the "Tea House" .... Pffff!)

It's a city filled to the brim with everything and anything.

We stayed in apartments situated in the heart of town.

The building itself has quite a history.

Built in 1884 and designed by renowned Australian architect William Pitt.

(The above image is taken from inside the inner courtyard)

We only had to step outside the foyer and we were within spitting distance of

trams, restaurants, bars and theatres.

Further down the street is China Town 

A colourful spectacle of clashing cultures and architecture....

.... that has to be seen to be....

... understood?

Hubby and I ventured to favourite haunts where 

we reminisced over the past ....

... as well as planned for the future....

(crazy, dreamy, pie-in-the-sky plans... the best kind)

... you see Melbourne is very grey... very wet and 

ever so ... dare I say it... London...ish.

So for two "wanna be Brits" ...

... you can just imagine the fun we had.

Coincidentally Hubby's birthday was on the Saturday and so,

 in honour of this auspicious occasion, we embarked on a culinary skirmish

 that began with a French Cafe and ended with a Thai feast.

(he was a very merry bear indeed)

With so much to see and do we knew we needed to 

squeeze every second out of every day  -  as a result we've returned feeling

much like one does when one runs a marathon... in heels.

I need to make mention of one particular store....

... by the name of Mark Denver 

Loosely coined as "Vintage Industrial" but I feel 

better described as .... well ....

HEAVEN.

Definootilly my style. I could easily have stayed

in here for another two hours but we had a lunch booking 

and I had to settle for a quick peruse (drool) and a brief chat 

with the friendly Jenny (Mark was out back) - who informed me

that they do ship across Australia .... sigh.

I think the thing I love the most about Melbourne

is the ease with which one can get around and the 

variety of things you can experience. It's what 

a city should be... exciting, unique, cultured and vibrant.

I had the good fortune of 

stumbling upon one of my favourite design houses

Third Drawer Down

(situated off Brunswick street in 

the funky and arty district that is Fitzroy)

To be honest I could ramble about this great town 

for eons. It has an atmosphere that I adore and 

I'm especially proud of how "anything goes"...

... how people here blend in because their colours - no matter how

vivid (or dull) are all just a fitting match to the eclectic backdrop

of a place that oozes "unique"

I know I'll be back again soon....

... but until then...

... Thank you for having us Melbourne.

PS - Congrats to Marty for doing well at the awards! 

(and a MAHOOSIVE thank you for letting us come along to celebrate)

Melbourne Street Art

My final post regarding Dear Old Dame Melbourne is in honour of the fabulous artists who are bold enough to "colour" this vibrant city with their own personal expressions and messages.

This was a sticker I saw on Warburton Lane in the city. Even though it was small in size it had such a magnetic pull for me and I decided to try my luck and Google the artist's signature "Georg" (along with the words artist and Melbourne) - Low and behold this very image came up and, as I followed the trail of breadcrumbs from site to site, I discovered his identity here and then eventually his blog here. Too cool. He also has this great piece just outside the gallery "Until Never" in Hosier Lane.

I need to add that I suffer from severe Coulraphobia -  so it takes a miracle for me to actually look at a painting of clown never mind LIKE it! But there is something about the "eyes" in his works that has me mesmerised...  Here are some of the other amazing artworks found in Hosier lane...

There were actually a group of school kids being given a tour of the lane and a lecture on street artists and up and coming trends (Gotta love that!)

I'd like to add that if this is your work and you wish to be acknowledged, then feel free to contact me and I'll make the amendments. Having said that I found it truly inspiring that so many free thinkers and makers, can be so brave as to create and then let go. No room for precious here since at any point some other dude can just come along and use your work as their canvas!

The eclectic tornado of colour, symbolism and material being used is serious food for thought. Quite a number of artists are using other materials and taking a more 3D approach...

This one below 

(seen on the corner of Brunswick street and St Georges Street South)

and this one 

(on a wall further up Brunswick street)

are great examples of art that defies the "tag in a can" mentality and trusts it's audience to appreciate and acknowledge the transient nature of anything beautiful. I was in awe of how interesting this kind of work made the average walk through suburbia. So much so, I'm thinking of grabbing some paint and giving my "inner" Banksy  a voice! 

So here's to YOU THE ART... is...T.

Thank you. 

For your brazen tactics, 

for your unorthodox approach, 

for your reckless abandonment and most of all... for your talent.

It does not go unnoticed.

(All photos taken by me in Hosier Lane, Warburton Lane and Brunswick Street - Melbourne)

Dining in Melbourne

Well I could either put together the worlds longest ever blogarama about Melbourne and all that I got up to OR I could cleverly relive my hedonism through multiple anecdotes and tongue tingling trysts describing one of my favourite activities in the world.

EATING

The Moroccan Soup Bar ....and hubby's head

From the legendary Chick-pea bake at The Moroccan Soup Bar 
(read about fellow blogger Gem 
and her take on this INCREDIBLE DISH here)
 to the atmosphere in Yu-U 
(a Japanese restaurant found in this alley)

Hosier Lane where fine dining meets street art. Too cool

... to the culinary masterpieces of Tapas at Portello Rosso

Honey Glazed Chorizo and Scallops in Citrus Herbed Butter....sigh

Not to mention the breakfasts!

Chimneys Bakery in Bridge Rd

Then there's the wide variety of pubs to relax in. 

(Oh yeah.. Little Creatures from Fremantle - to be found in Brunswick street...Yay!)

The demise of a Little Creatures Bright Ale

And then you finish off your meal with a Gelato in 
Lygon Street

Of course round about now you stumble home with your pants a little tighter and your tummy a little...um...larger?

But that is the magic of food in Melbourne. 

We dined in such a variety of places, five star to no star (just legendary status and consistency) We had meals that cost around $50 a head and meals for a ridiculous $11.50 (The well known Gopals, Hare Krishna Vegetarian eatery in the city centre - oh and by the way this price includes a selection of vegetarian curries/dishes, a delicious lassi, salad AND desert!) 
The staff are friendly and the food is FRESH! Come on!!

There were a couple of "cake and tea" highlights too...

Gusto in Queenscliff and The Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Block Arcade, Collins street - the nicest street in Melbourne by a mile.


So you decide to visit Melbourne and you love food.
You follow these links and check out the menus and reviews.
You catch a tram (because then you can have a tipple)
You depart empty bellied and you return muchofied (new word meaning muchly satisfied) and smiling...why?
Well because tomorrow you get eat again!


PS - if none of these places are close by and/or they don't tickle your taste buds then check out this handy I-phone Application called Three Thousand - It's full of great links to shops, restaurants, attractions etc in your capital city AND its free!

I still have so much more to say about Melbourne but methinks it's time for tea.... and cake.