Strolling in Melbourne

Walking through  towns streets is for me the best way to get the feel of any place. I had an opportunity to get to know a little bit of Melbourne that way. It was a very attractive little bit.

What made the biggest impression on me? Perhaps the graffiti lane. Provocative and artistic. Shabby, dirty place covered by street art and messages for the passers by. We all need to share what is important to us or even things that are not particularly important. Talented people create their art that stays with us sometimes for ages. This is sharing of the highest rank. This does not mean that the rest of us can not find other, more pedestrian ways. Bloggers, including me, do it by writing their thoughts and observations. Creators of graffiti do it by painting and when this is not enough they add a written comment. Such is the Melbourne lane. One can walk and ponder.

Then, my Parisian associations made me notice The Prince’s Bridge in a particular way. To me the bridge is similar to The Pont Alexander III. Both are ornate and extravagant bridges build in about the same time, at the end of the XIX century. I was surprised to find out that the Melbourne bridge was erected earlier than its Parisian, more splendid sibling. Both bridges are named after rulers of a foreign country. The Princes Bridge is named after Edward, Prince of Wales who became King of England, Edward VII and the Parisian bridge is named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia.

           

Paris

Melbourne

My French associations continued as The Princes Bridge leads to The Art Centre that looks very much like the Eiffel Tower to me. Since my time in Paris was a very happy one, opening my eyes to so many new things, thoughts and emotions, I liked Melbourne even more for triggering off such memories.

                                       

My very favourite bridges are Pont Neuf in Paris and The Sydney Harbour Bridge. But this is another story perhaps.

Memories are perhaps a function of age or an eventful, busy life. It happens more and more frequently that I notice things taking me back some years. Like this billboard.

In my banking and IT past I worked on banks integration, IT systems integration. Two fantastic projects: Challenge Bank and Bank of Melbourne integrations with Westpac. The best projects I worked on, managed to perfect precision, like if we were to send a rocket to the moon. Daily checkpoints, scrubbing sub projects to ensure error free implementation. Coordination between sub projects had to be spotless. They were very competitive projects but I remember them also for a great camaraderie of the top management team. I loved the adrenaline rush and sense of achievement that the projects brought together with later aftermath of negative health impact. But this is perhaps another story to tell some time.  Anyhow, when I saw the Bank of Melbourne sign, my heart jumped a bit.

The modern architecture does not make such a big impression on me as the old one but there are exceptions like this one. I like it.

I also liked trees dressed in sweaters. Is it so much colder in Melbourne than in Sydney? I have knitted few things in my life but never directly on a model. I wonder how it was done and would have liked to see it.

I am sure that there a few more things to see in Melbourne, like more of the Botanical Gardens than I had already seen and things I even do not know exist. Looks like I may make another trip there one day.

Three and a half days in Melbourne – Day 1

It has been some time ago since my recent visit in Melbourne. It was in February, more than one month ago. Long time ago I intended to write my impressions or observations, I should perhaps say, but time passed and I somehow have not done it yet. Now is the time.

I have heard from many people that Melbourne has a European feel, but I never got an answer to my question – how so? After the recent visit there I am not able to answer the question myself even if I would agree with the statement that the city has a European character.  Wide pavements, trams, some vegetation greener than in Sydney… That is not that much, really. Must be more but I can not put my finger on it. It would be great if I could get some comments on the subject.

It was rather eventful three and a half days. Meeting friends I have not seen for quite some time, experiencing inner city living, Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei exhibition, Botanical Gardens, tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms, dinner at Pomodoro Sardo Restaurant, walks in the city, graffiti lane, taste of Moroccan tagine, simple and totally Chinese lunch at the Melbourne China town... It was all fantastic.

I rather like Melbourne SkyBus service, so convenient and even not expensive. I was greeted at the city terminal by a long time no see Polish friend. We had a nice light lunch in an old fashioned (in a good way) pub/restaurant. I forgot the name, but if I am in Melbourne again, I am sure I will find the place. It has this Art Deco look, the look of solidity I have been lately positively responding to. When the lunch and a quick catch-up were done I was collected by another friend and my host for the next few days.

The place of my Melbourne friends is in the middle of the city. Modern, spacious, newly and beautifully renovated apartment on the fifteenth floor with views on the Parliament House and the St Patrick's Cathedral towers. Great place, city living at its best. In the distant past I have lived in the very centre of Warsaw and then Paris, but all my years in Australia I have lived in leafy suburbs, so I forgot how it is to step into a hustle and bustle the second you close your home door behind you. Living in the centre of a big town where so many things are happening and are available hit me by its convenience and proximity of culture and entertainment. It was just a stroll to The Arts Centre, hundreds of restaurants and coffee places and other attractions. I am an art gallery junkie, so I took the first opportunity to see the very popular with Melbournians exhibition – Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei. I never was very keen on Andy Warhol’s art, too Marilyn Monroe for me. I did not know Ai Weiwei’s art at all, but an art exhibition is an art exhibition, so I went to check out. It was a great experience, no Italian art, but art nevertheless and I liked Ai Weiwei work a lot. He is now on my radar and I will look out for his exhibitions. Since I like Chinese porcelain and Blanc de Chine is my second favourite after blue and white, I was particularly attracted to the big White Flowers composition. 

                 

                                    

I also liked the bike with flowers and walking through the various balloon rooms. This maybe was not exactly scary but I hesitated a little before entering the floating composition. Kids had plenty of squeaking fun there.

I said that there was no Italian art on display, but I found the place with exhibition of Alchemy of a Colour with colour blue as its focus and there I found Florentine pottery! I was totally happy.

Starting the post I did not expect that I will be writing it in installments, but it looks  that my Melbourne visit was packed with interesting and memorable events. So, I will continue.