Category: Yarra River

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Flow, a cafe on the bike path, near the Skipping Girl

On the way to Kew on Victoria St, or on the bike path, (or even on the river), depending on your perspective, is Flow. I rode past it regularly, then my dad said it was great, then Matt Preston seems to have given it the thumbs up. It certainly has a good location. I haven’t been there yet, but more when I have. Matt says:

“It’s a great spot. The look is modern, without being cold, and this cosy cottage is a warren of places to sit. Panels of swirly fabric cover one wall, while the bar is fronted by dark-stained timber blocks. The room is open to the roof beams and the floor is laid with rough, stone pavers stained charcoal. The best places to sit are by windows – in a comfy, raised red booth or at the narrow window ledge. …

We’ll come back again for their smoked salmon pizette or that burger, or maybe breakfast. I’ll order scrambled eggs with chorizo and some porridge with palm sugar and sultanas”.

They’re open from breakfast to afternoon tea and on Friday nights for drinks.

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Abbotsford Convent and the Slow Food Festival

John Lethlean from The Age‘s “Epicure” reports on the imminent benefits to Abbotrigines of the slow food movement’s taking up of residence in the Abbotsford Convent. (Here’s another Age article suggesting what interesting things are already going on there.) I am innately attracted to the slow food movement — I like the small shop, I wish I were slower, and I like the way the popularity of the baker in Altamura, in southern Italy forced McDonald’s out of business in the small town of 65,000 souls (20 of whom lost their jobs). The Movement itself was founded by an Italian incensed by McDonald’s opening up in a historic building near Rome’s Spanish Steps (always a foreigners’ hangout in the Caput Mundi anyway — he doesn’t seem to have been so upset about Babbington’s Tea House). Continue reading “Abbotsford Convent and the Slow Food Festival”

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Gipps St Steps to Go


Only one flight of the forty-one Gipps St steps, which are to be replaced with a ramp are pictured. For many Abbotrigines, they are the starting point for any trip on the main Yarra bike path away from the city. No doubt many trips to the Collingwood Children’s Farm or the Abbotsford Convent, or Dight’s Falls which would otherwise be made along the safety of the trail are not made because of the stairs.

Having just spent a few days in Amsterdam, I con confirm the truth of the descriptions of the place in this treatment of the announcement in The Age. There are multistorey bike parks like Melbourne car parks there. The dedicated bike lanes means no one has to wear helmets. There are many bicycles designed for carrying substantial loads, what one might call bike utes, and kids ride regularly in their wheelbarrow like trays.

How the replacement of the stps can possibly cost $1.5 million is something I would be very interested to know. Another fascinating question is how it could have been considered a good idea for the teachers’ union’s Mary Bluett and the Police Union’s Paul Mullett to come out with the public criticism that the money could be better put towards (gosh what could it be?), yep, teachers, and police. Links: Continue reading “Gipps St Steps to Go”