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!

Jewels in the KL sky!

One can not live solely...and soulfully on fresh air and friends alone so it is with some trepidation and yet, with more than a modicum of excitement that I find myself "...on the road again...".  Replenished and refreshed after a wonderful time at 'home', I find myself once again thrust into the hurly burly of South East Asia...of Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is known to those accustomed to traversing the globe.  Despite being now recognised as a thoroughly modern, prosperous and affluent city, one only has to stroll through the historic colonial district, or Chinatown with its quaint old shophouses or even the bustling market place of Little India to appreciate the past, colour and character that make up KL today.  As much as I love the old, the historic and the 'quirky dustiness' of any city (possibly in reference to my good self), it is the new, modern and sparkling that attracts me to KL these days. And nothing holds my awe more than the majestic Petronis Towers.  Rising like KL's glittering, arabesque crown and refracting like jewels in the sky, the towers are an arresting and compelling site.  

Not one to miss the thrill of being 'arrested' and 'compelled', I have retired to the Sky Bar of KL's Traders Hotel. A striking rooftop bar with amply and sumptuously cushioned nooks surrounding the hotel's swimming pool, one is comfortably presented with uninterrupted views of the towers and the city's preparations for the evening's activities.  What better way to enjoy a warm KL evening than with a view to rival the treasures of Aladdin and...a refreshingly appropriate Campari Cocktail.  While defined by a careful blend of Campari and a dash of Angostura Bitters, one must insist on the use of a premium vodka to complete this concoction...anything less will leave one with a bad taste in the mouth.  Chin chin!