A serve of Kyoto with shochu...geisha...a golden pavilion...and a large man!

There can be few places in the world that can confound and yet feed the mind as completely as does Kyoto.  This is my second visit to this wonderful city and I am no less happily amazed, amazingly peaceful and peacefully happy!  

In keeping with my somewhat cyclic "zen state of mind", and that I am well into the first tipple of the evening, an excellent shochu from the island of Kyushu, I leave little commentary...just four selected glimpses of "my" Kyoto. 

Not quite lost in translation...just lost in Tokyo!

I have been quite remiss with my posts of late...not posting but certainly not missing.  Fortune and a heavy workload has meant a long but rewarding foray into the bowels of Tokyo.  It only seems like yesterday that I was previously lost in the streets of Tokyo but the time lapse can be translated in years and not I am afraid, days.  But here I am once again, but this time, I have arrived during the hottest summer on record...hot enough to fry the proverbial egg on the 'yakitori grill' of a pavement.  Nevertheless, I have found the energy and inclination to wander the streets, tempt the tastebuds and appreciate a great deal of what this wonderful city has to offer.

The delicate cuisine of Japan has featured quite prominently on this trip and I was fortunate last evening, to share my table with Japanese colleagues and partake in a rather sumptuous feast comprising among other delicacies; impossibly red octopus, ridiculously fresh sashimi, lovingly prepared anchovies and...hideously slimy calf bowel!  Best not to ask really, though unfortunately, I did.  It was however, a marvellous experience and one not usually available to the odd, vague westerner with a touch of heat exhaustion!

The beautiful gardens of Tokyo have also played an important role in my attempts to find a shady spot and a cool breeze in the burning midday heat and nowhere in the world does gardens quite like the Japanese.  Every glade and rippling pond brings delight as well as a chance to mop the perspiration from the eyes.

It is with the aim of replenishing lost fluids that I have found a comfortable, and air-conditioned table at Goodbeer Faucets, a sleek and modern establishment in the heart of Shibuya.  With more than 40 micro beers on offer, one can not complain of being short of choice. It would seem more than a little churlish not to drink beer in such an establishment so, selecting the bar's own Nide Beer, I can start to relax and contemplate just how many 440ml glass of this nectar I will need to down in order to feel human again!

Little library...big idea!!!

Much to my chagrin, I had need today to duck into a rather large shopping centre in central Melbourne in search of an emergency umbrella.  Normally I would avoid such places like a heavy cold...a malady that shopping centres seem to have in abundance...but today it was something I just had to do if I was not to find myself fighting pneumonia instead of a runny nose. 

Much to my more than pleasant surprise however, I stumbled into something of which I wholeheartedly approve and applaud.  A "Little Library" for city workers and shoppers who find themselves short of something to read. Yes!  A free, mini library that invites all and sundry to "borrow" a book and return it on completion or replace it with a book of their own for which they no longer have use.  The "Little Library works on an honesty system, and might I say, seems to be working very well indeed.

Feeling good about the surprises my city often presents me and armed with new umbrella and some James Ellroy crime fiction (yes, I will brave the centre once more to return it...and drop off a few shelf fillers of my own) I found my way to a well panelled, cosy and warm bar down the western end of Little Bourke street to enjoy an ample dram of Cragganmore, a wonderful  single Malt Whisky, the perfect drop with which to begin a bit of James Ellroy crime and to fight off that cold I can feel coming on!

Melbourne through the eyes of The Potter...

We have enjoyed so much glorious warm summer weather in Melbourne of late that it came as a considerable surprise when confronted by grey, somewhat seeping skies...the sort of day that is perfect to pursue activities of the indoor, cultural variety.

It is easy to forget when one lives in a relatively modern city such as Melbourne with so many outdoor activities on offer, that public galleries and museums are not just places to visit when travelling, but should be taken advantage of and visited often in one's own city. 

Melbourne is fortunate to have at its disposal, one of the finest collections of Australian art in the world, with The Ian Potter Centre dedicated exclusively to Australian art.  Part of the National Gallery Victoria (NGV), the Potter proudly showcases to its many visitors, the full gamut of Australian art from the colonial era through to contemporary art and everything in between and includes photographs, textiles, sculpture and a number of galleries dedicated to a remarkable collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. 

The art is truly amazing and well worth a lingering visit but what particularly struck me on today's visit was the way the Potter provides the astute visitor with a striking array of views of Melbourne...through its own eyes to the world outside.  Many of Melbourne's landmarks are visible...just not from the usual, street level perspective. 

One thing I should point out is that The Potter is a component of a larger architectural vision and is part of the city's Federation Square.  The components of Federation Square are interconnected by a fractal facade comprising three cladding materials: sandstone, zinc (perforated and solid) and glass all used within a triangular pinwheel grid.  Before you fall into the trap of thinking I know what I am talking about here, it would be best to direct those of you keen to understand a fractal facade, to the Federation Square official design pages. Those of you happy to proceed with only a vague appreciation of the architecture and its beauty, can peruse Melbourne through a different lens; through the eyes of The Potter.

It certainly isn't common place to be "looking out" while in a gallery, but it was too difficult to resist and well worth the stares and aside glances that other visitors gave me as I was taking photos.

In many respects, Federation Square has become the focal centre for many of the city's visitors...with The Potter and other galleries, restaurants, bars, public spaces and visitor centre it has much to offer.  And it is to one of its riverside bars, almost discernible through the last window, that I repose for this evening's heart starter.  Completely out of character for me, but perfect to combat the chilly breeze coming off the Yarra River beside me, I have selected a Rusty Nail, that wonderful combination of Scotch Whisky and Drambuie that, despite being chilled over ice, is easy to drink, soothing and does a bloody marvellous job of warming the extremities!

"Pop Up" stores, stalls, concepts...and wineries!

Just when one is feeling little foot sore, weary and somewhat liverish from the never-ending round of festivals, concerts, and events Melbourne throws at its residents and visitors alike at this time of year, up pops a "Pop Up" with a brew that is guaranteed to put a bit of a spring in even the most fallen of arches.  Melbourne's love affair with the perfect coffee has received a shot in the arm so to speak, with a "Pop Up" coffee experience right in the heart of the city.  Installed as part of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival, the Urban Coffee Farm & Brew Bar at Southbank, takes coffee lovers of all creeds on a journey into the wonderful world of coffee in all its many manifestations.   

Conceived as a showcase for Melbourne many cafes, this "Pop Up" introduces even the most hardened and experienced of coffee fanciers to the many varietals, coffee-based foods and even coffee liqueurs that are now available.  With a tasting station and mini-cafe staffed by coffee professionals, the installation not only concentrates on exotic blends and new concoctions but also showcases the skills and techniques of some of the best coffee conjurers from around the city. One can even learn how to make delicious coffee at home with only basic kitchen equipment! 

 Much to my delight, "Pop Ups" seem to be everywhere at the moment and I must say, I was more than a little pleased to come across this delightful and innovative "Pop Up" in Greville Street Prahran. More of a stall than a store (it doesn't have a roof as the proprietor pointed out), Kelly Cube is a stall that sells a cleverly designed package, the Kelly Cube, containing all of the fresh ingredients (packaged that morning) one requires to cook a complete meal. The concept was developed primarily to support Australian farmers, local industries and local retailers.  

I love the idea of being able to get everything I need for an interesting meal, quickly and on my way home from a days work, and all in one convenient package without having to go anywhere near a supermarket.  And if that isn't enough,  the “Pop Up” comes complete with comfortable seating and friendly owners who are more than willing to share their ideas about the concept, good food and healthy living.

But of course, no day is complete without the evening tipple...and I am please to be able to bring to you, the river-side "Pop Up" Rosemount Estate winery or at least, its cellar door; a cleverly disguised, but well fitted out shipping container.  Imagine my delight at discovering this "Pop Up"...and all on my proverbial doorstep!  This evening, as the weariness of the day fades, it is to be a 2008 Rosemount Balmoral Syrah, a complex peppery drop balanced by fine acidity and firm tannin structure from 18 months in new American and French oak and enjoyed el fresco. Here's cheers to the "Pop Up" before it disappears!

An impossibly warm evening with Nick Cave...and 10,000 others!

Just when I thought it could not possibly get any better this wonderful summer in Melbourne, Nick Cave, suitably supported by The Bad Seeds (sans Mick Harvey), sections of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and a choir of small children from Gardenvale, staged one of the music events of the season.  Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, an outdoor venue with more than a little history and notoriety, was awash with the deep, dark and moody and tones of the indomitable Mr Cave for more than two glorious hours on yet another warm and balmy Melbourne evening in March.

Being a Melburnian himself, Mr Cave was truly at home 'on the green' and performed his ample heart and soul out...even throwing in a couple of pure gems for the oldies in the crowd, including one of my all time favourites, "From Her To Eternity".  

I find it difficult to dispense with superlatives where this concert is concerned but suffice to say, I enjoyed myself immensely...enough even, to move away from the literal pictorial, to a more "interpretive impression' of the concert at large.

Of course, no warm, balmy evening with Nick Cave is ever complete without imbibing one substance or another...and fortunately, unlike so many outdoor venues that refuse to serve libations to its adult patrons, The Myer Music Bowl has no such restriction. While the choice of tipple was indeed limited, an ice cold Heineken or two proved a suitable enough lubricant for me to join in the more than a little moving rendition of "Into My Arms".

White Night...and bright lights

Not wanting to be in the cultural dark for too long, Melbourne has taken a cue from the extremely successful Nuit Blanche festival in Paris and hosted its own White Night festival...a night when art, culture and performance reign supreme from dusk 'til dawn.  With stunning light installations, edgy performances, large and small concerts, and a range of indescribable and more than often, unclassifiable happenings, White Night was everything it promised to be...and all for free. Melburnians, never wanting to miss a bargain,  took full advantage of it all...including the warm, balmy and cloudless 24 degree evening.  I have not seen Melbourne heaving, to the extent that my companion exclaimed, quite volubly, that the streets are "...hemorrhaging humanity!"  Impossible to fully explore the complete extravaganza before exhaustion took over, I nonetheless, managed to somewhat broaden my horizons before bedtime.

My White Night started in the National Gallery of Victoria with Michel Blazy's extraordinary installation, 'Bouquet Final 2'. Well known for using every day organic and live materials to give birth to a strange kind of shifting art, he kept true to past themes and created a towering, continuously flowing tower of creamy white foam under the famed stained glass ceiling of the Great Hall. While not particularly thought provoking, it did make me want to dive right in!

 Negotiating the ever increasing crowds was no mean feat, but not wanting to miss the first ever (sanctioned) live music event under the famous clocks of Flinders Street Station, I pointy-elbowed my way through the masses to find a vantage point from which to view the performances. I considered my options carefully and thought I would try my luck at yet another of Melbourne's iconic landmarks, Young and Jackson's, a pub of some repute, not least for Chloe, the famous nude portrait which has graced the walls of the Young and Jackson's Hotel since 1909. Fortune was clearly on my side for my companion and I secured two chairs at the open window of Chloe's bar, directly opposite the Flinders Street stage and, incidentally, next to the portrait of the immodest Chloe! With a cooling zephyr wafting through the window and a cold beer in hand, there could be no better seat in town...a fact that was frequently relayed to us from the punters behind, who were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the action below.

It seemed at times that Melbourne was on fire and ablaze with the coloured lights and laser installations that graced the skyline and buildings and I marvelled at the way the grand illuminations lit up what are often drab buildings by the light of day. The oohs!, aahs! and whoops! of delight from the revellers on seeing the every changing facade of what is normally just described as 'the city', added to the ever emerging pageant.

One of my favourite installations was 'World Without Sun' by Canadian artist Christine Davis. Combining visceral sound and light-scapes projected on six satellite dishes, she explores multiple subjective environments that seem bent on destruction. Very interesting and mood inspiring and clearly a message for all of us.

Such a perfect night could not be truly perfect without a tipple to whet the whistle and quench the thirst.  An ice cold lager or three was the clear and only choice this evening...a Peroni Nastro Azzuro. Brewed in Italy, this refreshing pale lager is the perfect accompaniment to live music, light shows, installations and street performances on a balmy evening. Aaaah!

Life...is a beach!

 Life is a beach but someone must do it!  We have been truly blessed here in Melbourne this summer with beautiful warm days, azure blue and mostly cloudless skies and I have tried to take full advantage of all this summer has to offer. A favourite haunt of mine on these beautiful days is the bay side beach at Black Rock; a mere 20 minute drive from my house. Melbourne beaches are often maligned by those who live on the surf beaches in the more northern climes of Australia or those on the western and southern coasts of Victoria, and very rarely do they feature in the Melbourne tourist brochures, but Black Rock has much to offer even the most discerning of beach goers.

Surrounded by cliffs and native vegetation, Black Rock has the peace, tranquillity and gin-clear water so often absent at other beaches so close to the city. Never crowded but always interesting, it is well worth a visit next time you are in the vicinity.

The Black Rock/Sandringham area is also host to some of the more serious of Melbourne's yacht clubs, offering those old salts among you, world class sailing opportunities, and land lubbers like me, some excellent drinking and dining opportunities.

This evening however, I have eschewed yacht clubs and the like to join my good friends Kittie France and Ewushka for tonight's tipple. Comfortably ensconced on Kittie's terrace we have decided on an ice-cold trilogy of Australian sparkling wines: a Domaine Chandon Brut from the Coldstream district of Victoria, a Grant Burge NV Blanc de Noirs from South Australia's Barossa Valley and finally, a Devil's Corner Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV from Tasmania's Tamar region.

In such wonderful and convivial surrounds and feeling well settled in such good company, one can't help but enjoy! Bottoms up!

A wander through the lanes...an oasis in the sky!

In a previous post, I have all too briefly mentioned the many bars that line the maze-like network of Melbourne's lanes but I know "our lanes" require a more detailed examination.  Melbourne lanes have become the focus for casual, alfresco cafe dining in the CBD and have become such a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, that the many cafes, bars and tiny boutiques now feature on tourist maps and in "Where to Eat and Drink" guides.  Degraves Street running between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane is one of the more popular and now even has its own business directory!

But what appeals to me most, and increasingly to more and more tourists, is the more 'grass roots', even seemier nature of our lanes.  Street art has taken over a number of less well frequented and known lane ways...and Melbourne loves it.  These smaller (and often smellier) lanes have fast become a 'must see' for our international backpacker brigade and are even promoted by the City of Melbourne in its What's On website. Well, there goes the street cred!

None-the-less, the street art lanes are a fascinating and rewarding glimpse of Melbourne and the art work is at the very least skillful and well worth a visit.

One aspect of the street art that I particularly like is the emergence of what I like to call, Wallposter Art...pre-prepared installations that are often very two dimensional and are usually designed to provoke an idea or concept in the viewer.  I am still looking for the creator of this wonderful piece to take them up on the offer. 

As with any day of adventure and exploration in the sun, one must eventually seek a shady spot to recharge the batteries. Looking to the sky for inspiration (and to see where in the city I was in relation to my favourite drinking holes), I found the perfect location...the roof top bar of the Carlton Hotel.  While not a spot I frequent often, it is perfect for a hot summers day and an unusually novel oasis in an often frantic city.

Given my surrounds, the shady spot provided by the roof top trees and the warm scent of jasmine in the air, I decided to start the evening with an old standard...a Negroni. I have just rediscovered the Negroni after many years of neglect.  Made this time in an old fashion tumbler with one part gin, one part Vermouth rosso and one part Campari, poured over ice and garnished with a sliver of orange peel, I feel that I am not only floating high above the city but truly in aperitif heaven!

A summer of tennis...and houses made of sticks?

After feeling somewhat liverish and bloated from a rare over-indulgence during the hurly burley of the festive season, I thought it important that I participate in a sporting activity before I started to feel more than a little out of sorts.  Luckily, Melbourne has a myriad of activities on offer over the summer period, and none more exciting than the Australian Open.  I was fortunate indeed this year to be a guest at the opening day of this year's tournament and was pleased that I could vaguely assert to anyone who cared to ask that I had recently taken up an intensive sporting activity!

While my experience at "The Open" was wonderful due to the electric atmosphere of the crowds and actually being part of the event, I lamented that not all tennis lovers can enjoy the experience of a live crowd enjoying centre court action. However, I was pleased to discover today, that Melbourne has done all it can to create centre court atmosphere for those not fortunate enough to attend the live action.  Dotted through the city in scenic, well appointed and convenient locations to transport, food and beverages are public "tennis points" where all and sundry can pull up a deck chair, relax and watch the live action on big screens...all free of charge.  It made me very proud of the thoughtfulness of my city.  Tennis Australia had even set up tennis activities and give aways at each location to amuse the punters between matches. 

My other pleasant discovery today was the charming and somewhat enchanting installation that currently graces Melbourne's Federation Square. Titled "Ballroom", the structure is by Patrick Dougherty, who over the last 20 years has built more than 200 gravity defying works around the world.

Patrick has bent, woven and flexed a humble pile of sticks to create this wonderful freestanding structure that quite frankly, left me, and those around me, more than a little gob-smacked...

...but not quite gob-smacked enough not to find myself a comfortable seat along the river to enjoy a cold, and refreshingly crisp Red Hill Estate 2010 Pinot Grigio from Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula. A most fitting drop to end a fruitful day of exploring. 

Game, set and match!