2pm: Roaming the streets

While setting you out without direction onto the streets doesn't make me much of a tour guide, I maintain that (in good weather) it's one of the best things to do in Fitzroy and Collingwood. As a blow-in from up north, I was charmed early by Melbourne's cobblestones, abundant alleys and cute-as-a-button terrace houses.

I'm now a cyclist and far less fond of the cobblestones, and more familiar with the inadequacies of the kitchens and bathrooms behind those pretty terraced façades. But I still enjoy the architecture when I take the time to look at it and I'm far more game to explore the alleys and admire their accumulated street art than I once was. There's only a small risk of encountering a used syringe or stranger urinating - you're many times more likely to discover other like-minded folks with a camera under their arm, checking out the paste-ups, stencils and murals.

Here's a small gallery of stuff we've seen and loved this year. You'll no doubt see many other great pieces - all but the most elaborate commissioned works typically disintegrate or are pasted or painted over in time. There are also plenty of blogs capturing the local street art regularly, including Fitzroyalty, Vetti: Live in Northcote, Black Mark, Streets of Melbourne and MelbourneStreetArt.com.

Phew! You must be exhausted.
I know the perfect place to take a break.