So it's been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently, mainly because Melbourne in winter is a bit dull (or maybe I'm a bit dull in winter). Either way, last weekend was an exception and was rather good as I indulged in two great Melbourne traditions - the footy (Australian Rules Football - so not the real thing) and an exhibition (at the National Gallery of Victoria - not really that great a Melbourne tradition but work with me people).
The Foody
No, that's not a spelling mistake but an attempt to spell 'footy' as it's pronounced by Aussies (see also: 'you bewdy', 'warder' - for what comes out of the tap - etc). If I had a dollar for every time a Melbourne mate has said "Cliff, I'll take you to a foody game" then I'd be very rich (you know who you are!), and unfortunately this weekend I got no closer to a live game at the MCG or even the Etihad Stadium (the two big grounds here), but I did enjoy a match on the tv in the company of fans of the two opposing teams and with a selection of traditional food (correct spelling, not connected to the foody - or maybe it is?) with mini pies and spinach/cheese filos for me.
It was two of the biggest teams playing, Carlton (the Blues) and Collingwood (the Pies), both of whom are sitting close to the top of the ladder (league) at the moment. In the end it was a decent game (I guess - what the hell do I know?) with Collingwood winning by around 20 points.
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| Carlton (in blue, hence their nickname) and Collingwood (in the black and white stripes - I think the nickname is the abbreviation of magpies rather than a reference to all the meat pies they eat. But what the hell do I know?) |
Anyone who knows me, knows that I find it hard bordering on soporific to watch any sport, but there's something about Aussie football that doesn't put me off as much as, say, watching golf, and I think it's the fast-paced nature of the game that does it. While normal football can end in a nil-nil draw, foody frequently ends up with scores in the hundreds, meaning it's far more exciting to watch. But before I become the world's biggest foody evangelist I'll move on to Sunday (though I'm still waiting for that invite to an actual match, Melbourne mates!).
The exhibition
One thing I miss about London (and there aren't that many) are the exhibitions. Many a pleasant afternoon has been spent in the National Gallery, British Museum, Tate Modern etc, taking in a bit of culture, and Melbourne just doesn't have the number of galleries or the clout to pull in and host big name shows. The National Gallery of Victoria (I still don't know what exactly's 'national' about it when Victoria's not a nation) is no exception. Its collection is nice enough but you wouldn't travel any great distance to visit. All that said, a current exhibition there piqued my interest. It's on the Secessonists, a movement that emerged in Vienna at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th centuries. They were involved in architecture, painting and design and even though you might think you've never heard of these Secessionists, I guarantee you'll recognise one of the paintings below. And despite costing $24 (£16) it was worth it and provided a nice counterpoint to the Saturday foody.
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| Klimt's The Kiss - come on, you must have heard of this one! |
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| Another Klimt picture, this one called Baby. Can you see it? Took me a while. |
And so my weekend of two halves came to an end. Maybe Melbourne isn't so dull after all (or maybe I'm not). There are a few more outings on the cards and the days are getting longer so come back soon for more.
G'bye.
Cliff
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