Wow. I go off to the eastern states for a month long holiday and when I get back someone has decorated the avenue with two of these.
Hooray for bikes!!
While I was in Melbourne I noticed lots of derelict bikes painted in bright colours and chained to lamp posts. They were pretty funky. But I adore the abstracted, form in this bike sculpture.
What a win for Wray!
10am Saturday morn and tills were unusually quiet in Galati’s. Instead the masses were milling around chatting over lively music. Watermelon juice dripping down fingers and crispy fresh arancini balls crunching whilst munched. Galati & Sons hospitality makes their annual cutting of the giant auricchio provolone quite the event. This stinky sharp cheese has been fattening up for months now, towering as it hangs in house from ceiling to solid ground.
With the aid of a Melbourne based cheese craftsman, the auricchio was gradually sawn down to size, block by heavy block. Along with the aid of sweat, wire, muscle, knives and a couple of ladders. No flowery speeches of grand words here. Just a bit of bell ringing with each ceremonial slice; a cheer from the crowd; and cheese – plenty of it. The snap happy mob celebrated a bit of ceremony and tradition with the extended Galati fam.
Registers were soon ringing again as bags marched out the door for $29.99 a kilo. Olive oil tastings and a musical duo offering further lingerings to the 150+ crowd passing through. Quote of the day came from a woman sampling the lorded cheese, who exclaimed, sarcasm free, “That’s awesome cheese! Tastes like stinky feet”.
First cab off the rank - a $26.83 hunk. Heavy stuff...
What bad luck that I’ve booked my holiday to finish the day after Galati’s cheese cutting shindig!
I was pretty disappointed when I found out the date prior to my month long trip. At one stage I even considered rebooking my return, with the cutting of the gigantic cheese stick being a major factor in my rethink.
Googling the topic indicates it’s getting more coverage from various blogs and even the increasingly influential thousands webzine.
I’ve left reporting of the event in capable hands though and look forward to hearing about it and being back on my lovely avenue on Sunday evening.
The Wray Avenue Blog 