The Down Under Bar Rome: Less Authentic Than Fosters Lager….

When I was a foolish 18 year old (as opposed to the foolish 50 year old who at least knows he is a fool), I said many silly things, one of which was something about how fantastic Fosters Lager is. (Yes, it was still commonly available in Melbourne in 1987.) Now you can only get …

The not really Australian Bar….

My Italian is so-so. ‘Buffonata’ if you can see the links to the related English word, means something like a practical joke. And taking the bus down Via Della Buffalota to the Australian Bar on the corner of Via Canberra and Via Tasmania put me in mind of a good old fashioned buffonata. You see, …

First World Problems: The End to My Team’s AFL Season…

I have said for a rather long time that most of my problems are first world problems. Until 35 and a half months ago, one of those problems was that my AFL team had not won a premiership since 1954. That changed on 1 October 2016, when, after four wins in a row over a …

Elegance, Magnificence, Crassness, and Crudity: What I learned from my first trip to Italy….

When I visited Italy three years ago, I was amazed. Aside from when I had first sighted Ayers Rock, I have never had a moment in Australia where something caused my heart to almost literally skip a beat. In Italy, seeing St Mark’s Basilica, the Arena of Verona, the Duomo in Florence, the Leaning Tower …

Dare to Dream! The 2019 AFL Finals Series….

3 months ago, I did not really think the Western Bulldogs had much chance of playing in the AFL finals this year. But a dream run home in the second half of the season has got us ending in 7th place, just as we did in 2016, when we stormed through September to a fairytale …