On the graffiti trail again

It's no secret to anyone who follows the running wave that I enjoy graffiti. I should add, though, that I really only appreciate some graffiti. I find much of it to be rather garish, and often quite aggressive and threatening. I like the finer, more feminine stuff! Yesterday Mr Gaucho and I had a day of exploring the some of the laneways and alleys in downtown Melbourne! Here are some of the pieces we found that I particularly liked.

We started off in Macs Lane, where there is a beautiful area of graffiti, which, amazingly, has been there for some time. These works are transitory pieces and we have gone back to find images we have enjoyed in the past, to find someone has replaced it with something else - often of a lesser calibre, which is so disappointing! However, this piece is delicate and the colours are subtle and skilfully applied.

We moved on to Blender Lane which is a bit of a mecca for graffiti artists. At the far end there is an establishment where you can learn a spot of spray can painting for yourself!

I particularly like graffiti on corrugated iron. It ripples and softens the edges.

Below is the end of String Bean Alley, in one far corner of Queen Victoria Market.

There are a number of stalls in String Bean Alley and the one below is probably the most lovely. It sells books of handmade paper, bound in leather

and some glorious Indian textiles, made into throws. I could have spent a lot of money on this stall, but it wasn't an option!!

We took a break from the graffiti trail and hopped on the 57 tram for a short journey to North Melbourne. On the corner of Lothian and Queensberry Street, is our favourite Melbourne cafe, Beatrix. It's tiny but its cakes and small breakfast/lunch menu pack a huge punch. Delish.

A short wander around the streets after a cup of coffee, Mr Gaucho's piece of Moroccan chocolate tart and my shakshuka with egg in a bread roll (totally awesome), and we found a pensive little angel by one front porch, and a nice restrained Christmas tree on another.

The graffiti trail continues after the break.

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