fritzland’s street art tour

One of the five most wicked things to do in Melbournes Street Art Scene or....

Fritzland woke up. It was Saturday around midday and he had a terrible hangover, as usual. He took his so called “No Future Breakfast”: a Black Coffee, a cigarette and an aspirin. The weather was good and he decided to undertake a tour to see Melbourne's Street Art. He took a tram and arrived at Flinders Station at around 1pm. He went to Young & Jackson Hotel and had a Coopers Pale Ale. He felt better after this and went into the Staion.

He took the Sandringham line. Already, after Richmond station, he could see the colourful graffiti all along the rail track. Before and after each station, the graffiti seemed to increase in quantity.

He almost fell into the gap as he got off the train in Balaclava. The Balaclava Station was remarkable, brightly painted with graffiti. At the exit of the platform, a barbed wire was installed in order to prevent the Street Artists to access the roofs around the station, but without success, as Fritzland could see. He went down the platform, turned immediately left and walked along the rail track. He could see plenty of graffiti on the fence and later on the walls. As he arrived at Nightingale St, to his left there was a backyard with remarkable graffiti on the walls. He turned right under a bridge and went back to the station on a similar path along the rail track. On this side of the Station he could see the backyards and parking ground belonging to cafes and shops on Carlisle St. Here the same situation, plenty of graffiti.

He walked along Carlisle Street. Here, Street Art was present everywhere. There were graffiti on the houses, some of them nice, some not so nice. There were pen graffiti (so called “tags”) and stickers on each pole and door. Balaclava is a multicultural melting pot with Jewish cafes and east European shops. Fritzland felt at home in this deteriorated, but lovely atmosphere.

He stole a beer from a bottle shop, then went to Chapel Street and took the tram 78, heading towards North Richmond. It was warm and he drank his cold beer. The girls were wearing skirts, and because he was so tiny, he could see under their skirts easily. He liked it.

He saw a lot more artistic work all along Chapel Street. He then arrived at a bar called Borsch Vodka and Tears. He entered and was happy to see that the bar offered over 50 different vodkas from all over Europe. At first he ordered a Polish Wyborowa, then a Russian Stolitchnaja followed by a Sliwowitz from Slovenia. At the end he sculled a Polish Spirytus. A Czech beer helped him to swallow this vodka which has a 70% alcohol content. This catapulted him into a good mood.

He got off at Windsor Station and could see some more graffiti. He turned left in to Union Street, then right in to Bowling Green Street and spotted more Street Art. After that, he turned right and had a second breakfast at Tusk.

As he arrived at the Prahran Town Hall, he turned left into Greville Street and walked to the Train Station.He took a train back towards Flinders Station and got off at Richmond. Here around the Station he could spot more graffiti. He walked along Steward Street and found a parking ground behind the Corner Hotel with graffiti all around.

The almighty Magpies beat the Hawks by 64 points and Fritzland was more than in a good mood. He was happy.

He then went to Stephenson Street and walked along the rail track. Here he could see plenty of splendid graffiti.

He got tired. He went back to Corner Hotel. It was after 5pm and he met his friends. After a couple of beers they went to the G. Fritzland was a Collingwood supporter and Collingwood were playing this evening against Hawthorn.

Fritzland woke up. It was Saturday around midday and he had a terrible hangover. As usual. He took his so called “No Future Breakfast”: black coffee, cigarette and an aspirin.The Weather was good and he decided to undertake a tour and see Melbourne's Street Art.........................

By Janusz Groth....................................................... ......3832268