Some fine wine!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was given an ‘Introductory Wine Course’ at the Prince Wine Store for my birthday. This was, indeed, a very exciting gift.

I have spent the past three Tuesday nights learning about wine – something which, although I drink a lot of, I know incredibly little about.

The main thing I have learnt is that there is a lot to know about wine that I don’t know. However, I do now feel a little more confident when faced with extensive wine lists and bottle shop aisles.

From this point forward, I plan to be a little more adventurous when it comes to choosing vino.

In times gone by, whenever I went to a bottle shop, I would head straight for the Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the $15-$25 range. Apparently this is not cool at all, if you know anything about wine!

But, I can defend this choice. The standard NZ sauvvie is popular because it is reliable. Pretty much whatever you select will be palatable and will not offend anyone. However, it is this very blandness and uniformity that is so affronting to wine-people. Wine-people like complexity, depth, individuality and balance. I note: as was apparent when sampling fish sauce, what applies to consumables can also be applied to people. While such deeper wines/people may be more challenging, the ultimate reward is greater (usually).

From now on I will look beyond the generic NZSB. Last weekend I tried a 2007 Arboleda Carmenère from the Valle de Colchagua in Chile (tannic and tart, ripe cherry tones). The weekend before that I drank a 2008 Plozner Friulano from Friuli in Northeast Italy (light and acidic, reminiscent of apple juice and lemons).

Now it is fortifieds week. On Tuesday I brought home a Lustau San Emilio PX Pedro Ximenez from the class. It tasted exactly like sultanas, which gave me a good idea. I plan to use it to make a Christmas Pudding and I found a recipe on the internet which uses a fortified. (Stay tuned over the coming week for that adventure…Very excited.)

The wine course has also taught me to consider more thoroughly what I am drinking. I have been looking at, smelling, tasting and thinking about my wine much more carefully. Until now, I have tended to throw back whatever it was that was placed in my glass.

This little skill reminds me of the Zen saying: ‘when drinking tea, just drink tea’. I guess it means that you should devote your full attention to the current moment. Very Eckhart Tolle.

This has translated into other areas of my life. On the weekend I took a lovely trip to visit my friend L. in Castlemaine. I was walking along the street sniffing the air and thinking, ‘hmmm…there’s some eucalypt…and some honeysuckle…and some vegetal notes…’ (I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m losing it.) This wine caper is very enjoyable and I’m fast learning that there’s a whole new world of taste out there just waiting to be explored…

Here are some websites about wine which I have been perusing:

James Halliday Wine Companion – I haven’t joined this one yet but it looks great. Thousands of tasting notes and information about wineries and their cellar doors.

Decanter – The wine magazine. There are some interesting articles and ‘how to’ videos aimed at beginners.

Wines of Australia – lots of information about Australian wines and wineries.

These two blogs looked interesting also.

Update: Em’s friend, C., has pointed me in the direction of The Wine Front this morning. This looks interesting – similarly to the Halliday site, you pay a fee and gain access to a whole lot of tasting notes and articles.

Finally right?

Here’s a snippet

Graffiti Laneway

St. Kilda, Melbourne. Luna Park.

View from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney.

Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House!!!

View from our hostel's roof in Sydney.

My obsession satisfied.

Lounging on the grass in Rushcutters Bay Park, Sydney.

Went to the Dogs Bar in St Kilda today to check out my friend, Tegan Van Den Berg’s exhibition.
Le Dogs Bar
Lunch nom nom

Tegan’s work is amazing.
It was sad saying bye to everyone after lunch!

Here is my choice for this week’s Scenic Sunday – St Kilda Pier, Melbourne.

By ASHLEY BROWNE

We at TDD really like Luke Ball. As a footballer and as a bloke. He is, what my dear, departed grandmother would call, a mensch (that’s Yiddish for fine upstanding man, not to be confused with the former Geelong footballer).

But the young man’s image is being tarnished ever so slightly by the appearance of draft tampering – reportedly discouraging certain clubs from calling his name at next week’s AFL national draft.

At 25 and with question marks over his football longevity, this is Ball’s last real chance to shape his career and to find a footy club that ticks most of his boxes, which presumably in his case, starts and ends with prospects of a premiership some time in the next few seasons.

But because we like the young man, we’re going to give Ball a leg-up and offer him some sort of guide as to the pros and cons of each of the clubs that are considering calling his name next week.

MELBOURNE: Ball would be a coup for Melbourne and there are many who believe that the club is so bloated with young kids and high draft selections that it can afford to take him with pick 11 or 18 on Thursday. Ball would offer much-needed experience and guidance for the kids at Demonland and you would have to think that 14 games at the MCG would suit his sometimes-fragile body better than a similar number of games at Etihad. Of course, the downside is that it is Melbourne and that the chances of a flag sometime in the next five years would be slim at best.

PORT ADELAIDE: Port has declared itself out of the running to draft Ball but Mark Williams has a cunning streak and it would not surprise one bit if he selected Ball. We would welcome that if only for the fact that it was Ball’s manager, Paul Connors, who declared during trade week that “No one wants to play at Port Adelaide.” Ball would add some steel to a side replete with downhill skiers, but you’d have to wonder whether his heart would be gladdened by the prospect of the next few years at Alberton.

ESSENDON: This is the most intriguing. From all reports, Ball has refused all entreaties from Windy Hill until now, so it would be a humbling experience should he have to join the club and commit to the cause for the next few seasons. The Dons are still a work in progress and could do with an experienced player such as Ball, if only to take some of the pressure off Jobe Watson, a similarly hard-at-it midfielder who gets sat upon by the opposition every week. The downside is 10 games at the less-forgiving Etihad Stadium and a flag that is still at least three years away.

BRISBANE: Probably a long shot, but Michael Voss is collecting retreads with the same enthusiasm as Tiger Woods collects golf trophies. So why not add Ball to his foreign legion? Playing alongside Simon Black and Luke Power in the midfield feeding the ball to Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola would surely have some appeal. As would going to a club that has clearly rolled the dice in the bid to win a flag in the next two years. If the Lions were a Melbourne-based club, Ball would have to be seriously tempted.

COLLINGWOOD: Ball to the Collingwood midfield frees up the likes of Dale Thomas and Leon Davis to spend more time in the forward line, where they’re most dangerous. 14 games at the MCG suits as does the reality that the Pies are well placed for a serious assault on the 2010. Big club and big games, it all makes sense for a player who is leaving a club to which he has a strong emotional attachment in search of greener pastures.

But the Pies are traditionally loath to pay market values during trade week, and thus missed out on securing Ball when they an opportunity to last month and it may come back to bite them on the bum next Thursday because as it stands, there are too many clubs ahead of them in the queue for whom the opportunity to draft Ball will be too tempting to ignore.

When Tony and I returned to Melbourne from Port Campbell, we stayed in South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne.  We had read before leaving home about St. Kilda Beach.  It was supposed to be a neat area to go shop and eat and have a drink.  We took a tram to St. Kilda and although it was an overcast and windy day, we did find quite a few people in the shopping area.  The beach was deserted and Luna Park (amusement park) was closed for the season but the restaurants and shops were doing a brisk business.

We had a delicious Porterhouse steak dinner with beer as the house special that night and paid only $15 each which is a bargain in Australia where most dinners out will set you back at least $30 each.  It was interesting to watch the restaurant.  In the U.S., the fire marshall would have been there to close them down or make them get rid of some of their customers.  It was so crowded that we actually had to wait for the restaurant staff to ask people to get up out of their chairs so we would have a path to the door.  And it happened anytime they were seating someone or someone wanted to leave.  The food was amazingly delicious and the beer was brewed locally so other than having to wait to get out of there, we had no complaints.

The beach at St. Kilda

Entrance to Luna Park

Building that looks like reptile skin!

This building was pretty neat.  When you looked closely, the outside looked like reptile skin.

The beach folk weren’t real but they sure looked real.  They made everyone do a double take!

The fuss and controversy about where the St Kilda Centre should be located has seen the normally polite diplomatic relations between Uig, Harris and Uist tested to breaking point. (And the Faroes putting in a bid hasn’t helped things very much either).

It brings to mind a similar situation which arose in the late 1930’s when the Stornoway Town Council decided to build an interpretive centre to honour the last residents of Goat Island*. Goat Island had been evacuated in 1930 following a particularly bad goat harvest the year before. The destitute islanders who lived on this remote Stornowegian outpost gathered together for a meeting of the Goat Island Parliament and weighed up the options. There were no longer any young folk on the island, all of them having left for the bright light of Stornoway; the islands only source of income was a goat – plus the goat kept escaping the island and swimming away to the ‘mainland’.

The islanders had no option but to write to Stornoway Town Council asking to be evacuated. The Goat Island ‘Mail Boat’ , a hollowed out plank of wood (just big enough for a letter or the football pools) with an old sheep’s bladder for buoyancy, was solemnly launched from the Goat Island foreshore. As the Mailboat drifted away on the evening tide, the inhabitants climbed to the highest point on Goat Island to watch for rescue and to gaze into the distance where the street lights of Stornoway glimmered tantalizingly.

The ‘Mailboat’ was carried on the tide across the Newton Basin and under Number Two Pier. Some wee coves on the King Steps of Number One Pier chucked some ollacs at it as it drifted past and almost sank it. However, the swell of a passing fishing boat caught it and it was sent further up the Inner Harbour, eventually coming to rest on the muddy bit beside the YM Bridge.

As chance would have it, the Mailboat was discovered by one of the Goat Island residents who happened to be on the ‘mainland’ to try and catch the goat, (who had jumped off the side of the island and was now heading towards Goathill Farm to visit its relations).

The resourceful Goat Islander, (only stopping for a dram in the Lewis), immediately took the message and popped it in the letter box of the Provost, before continuing his hunt for the goat.

The Stornoway Town Council sprang into action almost at once and arranged for a rowing boat to go out to Goat Island at the weekend to assist the Goat Islanders.

It was a sad sight to see, as the rowing boat tied up at Number Two Pier, and the four Goat Islanders disembarked with their few worldly possessions (the goat already having jumped overboard and swum up the Bayhead River). The Town Council gave the islanders a council flat on Seaforth Road and thus ended another chapter in the annals of Goat Island.

Goat Island was to lie uninhabited for many years. The National Trust for Scotland took over the island, because of its rare goat droppings and the local Territorial Army built a wee target on it so they could practice their shooting.

In 1937 the Town Council decided to honour the island and its hardy islanders by building an Interpretive Visitors Centre. A firm of consultants was hired to find the best location for the Centre and a number of places submitted bids to host the Centre. Newton Street had a very strong bid as it was but a stones throw from the island. Goathill Road also submitted a bid because of the strong historical ties with the islands goats. But in the end Mangersta won.

*Goat Island is a small island located in Stornoway Harbour

By ASHLEY BROWNE

So it’s goodbye to Luke Ball at Moorabbin after seven seasons.

The Saints confirmed today that Ball had quit the club, again peddling the line that they were interested “in retaining Luke and also outlined the improvements necessary for both Luke and the entire St Kilda playing list to again be competitive in 2010.”

It’s not the first time the Saints have placed on the public record that Ball is a player with deficiencies, but we can’t recall too many instances when a one-time captain has been hung out to dry by his club in such a fashion.

Just about every player has flaws. But it is rare for a coach to keep banging on about it. First when he was dropped during the season, again after the trade period and again in today’s media release, the Saints have pointedly said that Ball needs to lift his game.

As the second pick overall in the 2001 national draft, Ball will forever be linked with Luke Hodge and Chris Judd, although it has been apparent for at least the last two seasons, if not more, that Judd and Hodge were the better players. Gary Ablett, a father-son selection by Geelong in the same draft, is now the best of the lot.

Melbourne is jumping up and down and making lots of noise in an attempt to attract Ball, who we admit, would add much to such a young list.

Essendon will also make a pitch athough it is a shame that some way can’t be found for Ball to find a temporary home in 2010 before a permanent move to the Gold Coast in 2011, because he’d make an ideal captain for the fledgling club in its debut season.

But you’d have to think that even at 25, Ball understands his football mortality and despite his indifference to the coach, staying with his mates at the Saints on the cusp of a flag must have been tempting.

About all that would lure him away from that is the chance to play for another club in flag contention and that club is Collingwood, so look for the Magpies to use a high-enough selection at the 26 November national draft to make sure that another club doesn’t grab him first.

Ball was reportedly trying on the Magpie polo shirt for size in the bowels of Etihad Stadium on the final day of trade week when a deal fell through.

The slower and more forgiving MCG will suit a player like Ball with slightly dodgy groins. And as he showed in the grand final, he is a big game player and thanks to the AFL, no club plays in more big games than the Magpies.

I never cease to be impressed by how easily and quickly what seems to be a fairly simple and straightforward decision can descend into a declaration of war – and I’m sorely tempted to add especially when councils and other self-interested groups are involved (but I won’t). Even appointing outside consultants doesn’t seem to help.

A couple of months ago, back at the start of September, it was announced that three possible sites for a visitor centre dedicated to St Kilda had been selected. It looked as if this was going to proceed sensibly, as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) had declared that Hirta, the main island of the St Kilda archipelago, was not a possibility, because it is often inaccessible. Even though it is only about 40 miles west of the nearest islands, conditions are so severe that travellers can set out for St Kilda in fine weather, only to find that it is impossible to land on Hirta by the time they have sailed to the island.

Three potential locations were identified, all on the Western Isles, about 40 miles over the sea to the east of St Kilda: Cleitreval in North Uist, Leverburgh in Harris and Mangersta in Uig.

A few weeks later, by the End of October, a preferred site had been selected, and the consultants’ recommendation was Mangersta in Uig. The recommendation is far from final, and the plan still has to make its way through the local council’s decision making process, be considered by the sustainable development committee, and be considered by other public bodies before the visitor centre proposal is finalised.

But is looked as if the initial phases was over.

Not so…

A war now looks likely as the groups representing the Harris and North Uist bids are claiming that the rules were changed part way through the selection process, and the criteria were changed – Harris is seeking to resubmit it plans, and South Uist is considering similar action.

The media reports so far are short of detail, and those not involved in the process are not privy to the details and criteria the consultants worked to, so it’s not possible or fair to judge. However, this story seems to follow many similar complaints, where the parties involved are happy to conform to the criteria – until the decision fails to favour them, whereby they suddenly reveal to the world that the “rules changed and were cheated”.

Even if the claims are substantiated, this procedure still significantly weakens the complainant’s case, since it implies they would have kept quiet about the changes, and happily accepted the ruling had been in their favour.

If there is a problem, the time to speak up about it is before any final decision is made, not to wait for the outcome, and then jump up and down if it doesn’t suit you.

Affable multi-instrumentalist David Allison’s solo show arising from an earlier project, The Island Tapes, featured two wonderful old films unearthed in the Scottish Screen Archives, ‘St Kilda’ and ‘New Way to A New World’, with additional footage and live music played on guitar, sampler, a supersonic ukelele and a 100-year-old zither.

Such was the demand for tickets in Inverness that a second, earlier showing was scheduled – even so, the OneTouch was sold out for both. On the strength of this screening, it could become a regular fixture in the Highlands.

Here was documentary evidence of the central theme of the Homecoming celebrations, the Scottish diaspora. Here was life aboard a boat bound for New York – deck quoits, ‘cockfighting’, dancing, sipping tea – while the long days’ voyage whiled away. Here were the eager emigrants stepping off the boat onto the quays of the New World where who knows what adventures awaited them amongst the crowded streets of New York?

How strange to see the Empire State Building towering over the rest of the city when it is now dwarfed by the rest of the skyline. How strange to see everyone wearing suits and ties, even on the remote islands of Western Scotland. Archive footage is the nearest thing we have to time travel, and it is always enthralling.

The theme of the diaspora was made intensely personal by the telling of Norman Gillies’ story. Now aged 84 and living in the South of England, he was born on St Kilda but left, aged 5, along with the rest of the “timid but strong” inhabitants, following the death of his mother.

We’d earlier seen his mother in the documentary in which the camera had lingered on her face a she sat spinning wool from the island’s sheep. Norman’s voiceover described his last sight of her, waving from the boat that was taking her to the Glasgow hospital where she died; a sight he has never forgotten.

In June this year, Norman returned to St Kilda, flying by helicopter from Benbecula on a clear sunny day to where the perpendicular cliffs of the island rear suddenly out of the Atlantic to dizzying heights – 1400′ (427 metres) at their highest.

He walked the Main Street, now grass-grown – the Main Street we had earlier seen in black and white, thronged with islanders. He stood in the house and looked out of the window, stood on the shore where he had waved goodbye to his dying mother. It was a moment of pure poignancy, as well as an extraordinary dramatic closure. How lucky that a long-ago cameraman singled out Mrs Gillies’ at her spinning wheel, and enabled this link across the decades….

David Allison’s beautiful music enriched without detracting from the films. His and Norman’s meditations on what we mean by “home” were thought-provoking. For thousands of years, St Kilda’s islanders lived a simple, independent life on their remote archipelago, cut off from the rest of the world for nine months of the year.

A life marked, as Norman said, by ’sharing and caring for one another – that’s how they survived’. Wise words, worth pondering in today’s Scotland.

St.Kilda is a tourist destination and haven for those dumb enough to pay the inflated real estate prices. It’s like there is something special about the area now, something exclusive. When I was a kid, St.Kilda was a slum, riddled with drugs, violence and prostitution. Besides the mostly Hungarian presence in Acland St, with its cafes and cake shops, St.Kilda used to be filled with lowlives, from ocker families screaming at each other every night, to stumbling, drug-fucked losers littering the pavements, though to full-blown criminals calling it home.

Since the rich gays started renovating St.Kilda in the ’80s, this seaside suburb has been pushed as “the place to be”. And since most people are moronic enough to fall for such hype, especially if you double the prices on menus, it has worked. So now you can say “We had lunch in St.Kilda” and earn instant looks of respect and even envy from your friends, and be marked as a sophisticate a cut above the rest.

But I am wondering why no-one mentions the extreme smell of egg-fart that is now a major part of St.Kilda, much worse than when its streets were crawling with scum. Or am I missing something here, like that everyone actually does smell it, yet fondly refers to it as the “bouquet” of St.Kilda?

Is this why people are paying over a million bucks for crappy little “California bungalow” style houses in Elwood and St.Kilda? To be near a putrid stench those in-the-know refer to as “the uniquely enticing aroma of St.Kilda”? Is rotting seaweed somehow in now? Is this why people keep flocking to the beach – to breathe in the repugnant smell of rotting vegetable matter mixed with iodine?

Maybe I just don’t have enough fashion sense to get it.

By CHARLES HAPPELL

Using the patented Toy Department formula, one that’s stood the test of time and spawned countless imitations, we present the 2010 AFL fixture which ranks each team according to the difficulty of its draw.

The ranking is done by measuring the quality of each team’s opponents, then taking into account extraneous factors such as travel, number of home games and six-day breaks. On top of that, we read the tea leaves in our TTD office mugs, then the entrails of small animals, until finally we settle on a list from 1 (the easiest draw) to 16 (the hardest).

The top five teams, for the purpose of this exercise*, are: Adelaide, Geelong, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs. While we tip a slight dip in the fortunes of Geelong and perhaps St Kilda, who cannot possibly have the same luck with injuries as 2009, we think the Crows, who look almost unbeatable at home; a resurgent, revitalised Hawks; and a Barry Hall-inspired Doggies outfit will make the strongest challenges for the flag.

The bottom five teams, based on 2009 form and post-season developments*, are: Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide. Kangaroos and Port fans might not like that ranking but the off-season rumblings at both clubs does not fill us with confidence. Having said that, the 2010 fixture has done them a big favour. And on the strength of their easier-than-average fixture, Port and the Kangas could well prove us wrong and vault up the ladder. No joy in sight for the Tigers, though, and a wooden spoon beckons.

The remaining six teams end up in the middle-ranking category and they include 2009 finalists Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Brisbane, because we think they’ll be leapfrogged by the likes of Hawthorn, or they’ll simply not be as good as last year.

(* BTW, complaints forwarded on the back of an envelope to TTD headquarters please.)

On the matter of travel, Essendon heads interstate just three times, the fewest of any Victorian club, while St Kilda has to pack its bags six times. That load is mitigated for the Saints by the fact they get to play 14 times at Etihad Stadium. Collingwood gets the same number of games at the MCG, including the last seven straight.

So after we fed all the relevant information into our Toy Department computer, it whirred away for hours then spat out the following table. It shows that Adelaide has the least challenging draw of the 16 clubs. In fact, we liked the Crows’ chances of making the grand final before the fixture was released – but we like them an awful lot more now. Twelve games at home, two matches each against Melbourne, Richmond and Freo, yet they only play Geelong and Hawthorn once.

On the flip side, Collingwood, for all their home games, have been dealt a rum hand, as coach Mick Malthouse was quick to tell everyone this afternoon. Essendon have been dealt an equally demanding draw while Freo and Brisbane fans will hardly be dancing in the street.

Here then is the TTD 2010 AFL fixture, by ranking:

         v Top 5    v Bottom 5    TTD Rank

ADEL        6                   9                    1

BRIS         8                    5                   13

CARL        6                     7                   5

COLL        9                      6                  16

ESS            9                     5                  15

FREM        7                    6                  14

GEEL        5                     5                   6

HAW         6                      7                   4

MELB         7                    7                    9

N MELB      7                   6                    7

PORT         8                    7                    8

RICH         7                    7                  10

ST K           5                   9                     2

SYD            8                  8                   11

W COAST      6                8                   3

BULLDOGS     6             6                  12

By ASHLEY BROWNE

A few thoughts about what we like, and what we don’t like, about the just-released 2010 AFL fixture.

What we like

- The floating final round. Fox Sports won’t like closing out the season with Port Adelaide v Richmond, but it makes sense in every other respect. The shame is that TV deals prevent all eight games being played at the same time, as they do on the final weekend of the Premier League.

- Carlton and St Kilda on a Monday night. Will prove very popular with Melbourne’s Jewish community.

- Essendon and Hawthorn twice, and both in prime-time and both at the MCG.

- The Friday night schedule. Melbourne and Richmond make one token appearance each, but otherwise it is laden with big-name match-ups.

- Bye-bye to the themed rounds. A great idea idea at the time, but we agree that it is the match-ups that need to be hyped, not an entire round. And besides, which club really has a heated rivalry with the Western Bulldogs?

- Collingwood’s draw. At the risk of being accused of having a foot in both camps, we hate the Pies having 18 games at the MCG but at least they play five of this year’s top eight twice – Geelong, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, Carlton and Essendon – as well as perennial nemesis Hawthorn.

What we don’t like

- We’re happy to join in the chorus of complaints that we have to wait until round 13 for the grand final rematch between Geelong and St Kilda. We don’t necessarily believe they have to play in the season opener, but there are plenty of opportunities early in the season for such a highly-anticipated match. By round 13, one or both clubs could be racked by injury and poor form, meaning the match could become a damp fizzer. Why is it more important for Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton to play each other twice than for St Kilda and Geelong?

- By the same token, if the Saints and Cats were the two best sides in ‘09, then the Western Bulldogs weren’t far behind. The Bulldogs and the Cats don’t meet until round 20.

- Fremantle not playing at the MCG all year. Granted, the Dockers are nobody’s idea of a marquee attraction and we can’t imagine too many MCC members have declared Freo as their team of choice, but every club should play at least once at the home of football.

- Collingwood’s dream run. We understand that everyone wants to draw the Pies as a home game because of the significant coin they generate, but seven straight MCG games in the run home to the finals is just a bit soft. The AFL could have thrown in an interstate game somewhere over the final month of the season.

- Carlton on free to air TV 19 times. They’d want to keep on coming to justify such exposure, although as one wag has already suggested on SEN, that means 19 games on delay. By contrast, North Melbourne has 13 games on Foxtel.

- One game in Canberra. Once an AFL haven, it is now an AFL ghost town. A rare defeat for the AFL in a developing market.

- The Cats only get seven games at Skilled Stadium. They’re building yet another new stand down at the Cattery, but won’t get that many chances to fill it.

I like Melbourne. Yes I said it! I like Melbourne.

But please don’t tell anyone! I have kept up the pretense of disliking it for so long that it would be such a loss of face at this point in my life!

My Melbourne mate Ben actually sent me this article just after I left: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/tale-of-two-cities-vain-sydney-trumpets-its-supremacy-to-itself-20091025-hem6.html

Hilarious! About the great divide between Sydney and Melbourne and the ongoing rivalry. I think the best thing about the article was in fact the comments below. The residents of these two cities JUMP on the defensive when this topic is mentioned…. It’s rather amusing when you wish to ruffle some feathers.

I went to Melbourne to visit a number of friends, predominantly 2 of my best friends Sam and Adair who I met in Mexico. We basically lived in each other’s pockets for 4 months and then didn’t get to see each other for 4 months. A reunion was in order.

As mentioned in my earlier blog ( http://lovellyinc.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/airport-travel-with-a-broken-back-verdict-not-bad/) I was apprehensive about travelling with my broken back.  However, the alarm was for no reason and after touching down safely I was only filled with joy and excitement.

My lovely friend Ben picked me up from the Airport which was great to be able to catch up with another friend before setting off to see my gorgeous Adair’s house. It was incredible when I met her family as we had heard so much about each other that we really felt as if we knew one another well. Very strange feeling, but very comforting.

A quick change and then off to FITZROY GARDENS for a night of frivolity with the Melbournites that are Adairs circle of friends. We drank and ate in the park until the early evening then strolled to Brunswick Street for more…. frivolity. A quick duck into the incredible LITTLE CREATURES Bar, which actually more resembles a barn, where we witnessed an amazing fire dancing show and sampled their signature beer. Then it was off to PERSAVERENCE which was a mere hop, skip and a jump down the road. We danced, I sat ( back needed a rest by this time) and then we overpaid for our drinks – $12.50 for a vodka red bull is a joke regardless of the venue! Cab home and flop into bed. It was a big day out!

Adair was working Sunday so it was just a lazy day of looking at photos from Mexico, playing with the new baby kittens, and watching odd movies with Adair’s brother. An afternoon stroll took us through St Kilda to Carlisle street which is bustling with little boutique stores and trendy cafes.

We ducked into one cafe and decided to have an afternoon snack. It was 3pm on Sunday, I guess time was getting on, but really you would think a cafe would have a good stock of ingredients for their menu items…. well no, not always the case. All three of us asked for something on the menu, and all three of us were politely asked to choose an alternative as they had run out of that for the day. So, although we didn’t get what we asked for, we got what we were given… service in Melbourne is world-class I tells ya!

We continued our stroll to the Melbourne highlight of Luna Park and the lovely beach down at St Kilda. I was excited to see it as the TV series from a few years ago The Secret life of Us was filmed here. One of my faves I must admit. It’s a trendy, calm, relaxed place with some great venues. The sun was shining and the blue skies were all around- the perfect afternoon to grab an ice cream and sit on the beach. All visitors to Melbourne must go to TRAMPOLINE ice cream! Spiced chocolate, Caramel Pear and Violet rumbly just to name a few!

Sunday evening was a nice meal at home with my gorgeous friend Sam who I had spent so much time with in Mexico. The three amigas reunited! We told stories and reminisced for hours. A curry, some wine, good company and a lovely Spring evening. What more can a Sydney girl want from the Melbourne hospitality!

Monday was to be a busy day of sightseeing- MELBOURNE STYLE! But as I slept in til 10.30am ( apparently I looked angelic and peaceful in my slumber and was left to rest) it was a slower start to the day. We managed to cram in a lot though.

- Lunch with Ben near Elizabeth street… I don’t remember the name or exact location….I’m new to this city!

- Collected my Mexican friend JCarlos from the hostel on Flinders Street and proceeded to Flinders Street Station ( stopping briefly at my Little cupcake for a delicious little treat) and then on to watch a short street performance.

- Met Adair’s friend Steph and shopped in the lovely little lanes

- Rooftop – A very hip bar on a 7th floor roof terrace for Sangria and to meet another friend Vas who I lived with in London. Alarming how many people were drinking at 4pm on a Monday. Doesn’t anybody work anymore?

- Off home, with a slight detour to a political rally about the boat people and Tamil, whilst managing to collect yet another friend to add to our party.

- Home to Adair’s to make a 6 litre bucket of Sangria and homemade pizzas before retiring to the balcony to watch the sunset and enjoy each others company. 6 random people on a balcony on a Monday- I was in heaven.

A 5am start was required the next day and an after thought about the Sangria perhaps not being the best idea before an early morning jet setting adventure. We made it though! Got to the Airport in plenty of time but left feelingvery sad as I left new friends and my new love… Melbourne.

Melbourne. I hate it but I love it.

Thanks for showing me such a great time and I’ll see you again soon!

St Kilda field mouse © jonesor

It may be rare and small, and it may have seen off its domesticated house mouse variant after the human population left St Kilda in 1930, but the St Kilda field mouse is to star in its own three year study of its habits and lifestyle.

The research into this unique animal, which is heavier and has different hair colouring on its belly compared to its mainland variant,  is to be undertaken by a team from the University of Edinburgh.

Although the original population of the island left in 1930, taking with them the opportunity of dropped food scraps and crumbs which would have attracted the mouse from the field into their homes, the island has had a more recent and constant human presence since 1957, when the military arrived to set up a base and radar station during Operation Hardrock. However, it seems the new visitors have been more careful with their scraps, as the domestic variant has not staged a comeback.

See more: St Kilda (Scotland) – a set on Flickr by jonesor.

Yep, I went to John Farnham’s Melbourne concert at the Palais, and he’s stilllllllll got it! Spunk rat. Actually working at his tour after-party this weekend, so that should be fun! I also had a lovely dinner at The Elbow Room with Mum and Jen before hand. St Kilda finally coming into summer – lovely.

I was in the city the other day for work and I was early and peckish. I came across this cute little French looking place called EMILY’S PLACE and it was totally cute. I had a skinny chai latte and a yummy muffin. It was so genuinely French, they even employed a spunky little French blonde girl to serve me!
Then last Thursday I headed down to LAIKA on Fitzroy St. It’s a mega suave cocktail and tapas bar. They have a huge selection of wines and the ambience is amazing. Thursday night was live jazz night, so I was very lucky also scoring a booth next to the fire place! The tapas was pretty much to die for and just dining in a place of such decadence, however, without the usual pretentiousness that comes with such a place, was a pleasure. They even had old and new malt Cachaça on their drinks menu – how’s that for variety. I will definately be heading back their soon. Thursday actually. And I hear Friday night it Motown music night – will have to do that when I get back from N.Z!

Obvious puns aside, I have been meaning to get to Ichi Ni for some time. The Japanese pub with food has been recommended with mixed results. Waiting to add my two cents worth, I thought I should stroll on in and give the place the once over.

The first thing that struck me about Ichi Ni is how well decorated the place is. Dark and moody with enough Japanese paraphernalia to get you in the mood without thinking, “themed restaurant”. Being a lovely Melbourne afternoon however, we took the alfresco option and opted to sit amongst the plants in the outdoor ‘garden’.

I had heard from a number of people that the best way to enjoy Ichi Ni is through the bottom of a beer glass, so my first task was to select one of the many Japanese beers on the menu. I went with a Kinsachi Blue Pilsner which at $15.50 a pop for 375ml, meant I was probably only going to have one. Thankfully it was lovely.

With the beer in order it was onto the food. We decided to go with the share option and I was rather amused that the menu described this as Japanese Tapas. I mean surely the Japanese have there own word for share plates, don’t they?

We chose tempura vegetables, wagyu skewers, crumbed pork belly and gyoza to start with. The tempura veg was lovely, lightly battered and very fresh it was accompanied with a Japanese mayonnaise that I simply must get the recipe for. Really very good. The wagyu skewers at $18.00 aren’t cheap, however they were expertly cooked and very succulent.

The gyoza were light and very well cooked yet lacked any real flavour. This was mildly disappointing as I had been looking forward to this dish. The pork belly, crumbed with onion slices then fried and served with lashings of mayo, was tasty although somewhat dry. Probably my only criticism here was that the onion somewhat overpowered the pork belly. Leaving me to think only of onion rings after a few bites.

With my glass, and belly, still empty it was onto more beer and a couple more dishes (I must stress that there were 3 of us eating. I like my food, but I don’t make it a habit to eat like a giant lizard, set loose in Tokyo).

Seconds saw a cheaper Echigo Premium Rejio ordered, along with some soft shell crab and California rolls and a small sashimi plate. I was a little disappointed with the rolls. If I closed my eyes whilst eating, I could have been forgiven for thinking I was on Swanston street, chowing down on one of the many generic options. My disappointment was met with joy however when I tasted the supremely fresh sashimi plate. Loaded with beautiful slices of salmon, king fish and two types of tuna, one bluefin, this really was my preferred dish.

Lunch was finished with a shared portion of pumpkin ice cream and more St Kilda sunshine. A fitting end to a reasonably decent afternoon.

So all things considered, Ichi Ni provides a good option for a few beers and bite to eat this summer. The food won’t blow you away, however if it’s a few casual beers you’re after, with some food to line your stomach, Ichi Ni should certainly be given a go.

It would also be remiss of me to not mention the spectacular views on offer here. Perfect for watching Godzilla do battle with Mothra (I just couldn’t let that go).

Ichi Ni
12 The Esplanade, St Kilda.
Ph (03) 9534 1212

This sounds like it’d be well worth a look, especially if you’re a good short fiction writer. Impressive prize, free entry, challenging idea – what more could you ask for?

Claypots and Gilgamesh Connections are running a literary competition of fables in conjunction with St Kilda Festival’s Live n’ Local program. First prize is $1001 and offer of publication in a book of contemporary fables to be published by Gilgamesh Connections. Second and third place-getters will also be offered publication.

Judges will favour work which reflects a timeless quality and relates to a universal human condition. Fables must be in English, previously unpublished and no more than 1000 words.

Entry is free. Closing date is 5pm Thursday 7 January 2010.

Email harriet@gilgameshconnections.net for details and entry forms.

Last night my favourite ladies took to me Soul Mama in St Kilda for an early birthday dinner. Thank Mel, Jen, Elza and Penny!

Good start to my birthday weekend.

Recently I have been studying and feeling the stress building up as I approach the month of December… A friend of mine suggested going to the Aurora Spa retreat together, so I tagged along! I booked myself in for a kitya karnu treatment and hearing raving reviews about it as well, I was really looking forward to it.

Arriving at the spa, the entrance to it is so peaceful. You work into the dimly lit lobby, then up a flight of  slate coloured stairs, before you see a water feature and around the right side, the door opens into the reception of the spa. It felt warm and bright inside. Then you get brought up a flight of cream coloured stairs to the waiting area where you have a view of the sunbaking deck. The therapist explained to me where my locker is and what to get changed into. Basically for the treatment, I wore bikini bottoms and just wrapped myself into a bathing robe and changed into massage slippers. And then wait in the waiting area. I then saw my friend and we sat down for some herbal tea and filled the forms..until our therapists came to bring us in for the treatment.

I was brought into a small changeroom where I had to unrobe and wrap myself with a towel. There was a choice of two aromatic oils ( one lime&rose and the other lavender) and two salts (one kakadu lime salts and one white clay salts). I chose the strongest smelling ones as I needed something more invigorating. Then the therapist showed me into a steam room where there was a bed inside the steaming room. It was hot steamy and hard to breathe at first, but when I lied down ,I found myself relaxing into it. The therapist was very reassuring, and told me if I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I could let her know.

First I lied on my tummy, face down. She scrubbed my legs and back with the oil first before sprinkly the salts and then rubbing them into my skin. The sprinkling of the warmed salts felt lovely. I felt like a chicken being marinated.8) Then she washed me with warm water from a sprinkler. It was different. Then I was given a sip of cold water before I turned around.. She then placed a modesty towel over my front before she massaged my face with a cleanser. Then she placed a mask on my face before she applied a thick mask onto my hair. A cool towel was applied over my face several times, which was really refreshing and pleasant while she applied oil over my body again and then sprinkled salts generously, then scrubbed me.  And towards the end, a very cold towel was placed over my eyes and then hot water was sprinkled over me to wash the salts away.

At the very end, I was told by the therapist I could take my time to sit up and have a shower. The shower was wonderful. I couldn’t believe the salts look so blackish on the towels. My hair felt soft and moisturised. Going out of the room, the therapist guided me back to the changeroom where I got out of the wet bikini bottoms and changed into my dry robe and she gave me an extra towel for my wet hair. Then she sat me down to apply Darphin’s serum and moisturiser over my face (felt sooo wonderful) and then guided me back to the waiting area to have a cup of tea. My friend came out not long after. I felt soo relaxed and I told my friend that I thought that I was only going to be in the steaming room for 5 mins but turned out it was going to be an hour in there! I must say this was a very unique spa experience and is so warming! I highly reccomend it for a cooler day..and yes you will have soft silky skin after and you will feel revitalised.A lil secret..I loved the rich body cream in the changeroom too.. I then realised that I have found a good spa place to go to in Melbourne. However I must say I recommend going on the weekdays. Sat seemed really busy!