Sixty years of eating in the same establishment. The comfort of familiarity...
As a teenager, happening upon Pellegrini’s café at 66 Bourke St in Melbourne, was evocative of walking into one of the Hemingway novels I was reading at the time, A Farewell to Arms. Melbourne in the ’60s was very parochial. Pellegrini’s was very different. European. Very Italian. An eye opener to not just a new cuisine - as opposed to the meat and 3 veg of the day – but a new style, a new culture. A precursor of what was about to unfold as Melbourne transitioned from a white bastion into a genuine multi-cultural society, but first
Sogyal Rinpoche while sitting quietly
In the front seat of a car,
Silently chanting mantras:
"You know people think it is about the beads,
But it is actually about the string!"
Best of all, Pellegrini’s had a bar where one could sit down on one’s own to a decent meal; and avoid feeling awkward. So it became a regular haunt. Whether as a student at university, a veterinarian in an incredible hurry, a father bringing children to the city, or while working and looking for a heart-warming meal, Pellegrini’s was the place of comfort and ease.
The years have passed by, so much has changed, and yet Pellegrini’s remains. And so now, an incredible 60 years later, the comfort of familiarity.
We all know everything changes. Everything. Even Pellegrini’s.
Staff have come and gone.
The original owners, brothers Leo and Vildo Pellegrini, opened their restaurant in 1954.
I have only vague memories of these two, but many more of the wonderful duo they sold to in 1974, fellow Italian migrants Nino Pangrazio and Sisto Malaspina.
In a stark reminder of how precious human life is, and how fragile it is, Melbourne was rocked when Sisto, attempting to help a man in life-threatening danger, was stabbed to death in a terrorist attack in the city in 2018.
So sad...
Impermanence is tough in some ways.
Yet without change, we would be continually stuck in the same old... Life would not be possible without change. Life is only possible with change. Yet this wonderful comfort with familiarity.
When I return to Pellegrini’s now, as I do regularly; to my eyes and heart, it feels just like it did all those 60 years ago. The menu, strips of writing draped across a plank of wood hanging from the ceiling has not changed in my memory. Just become more obscured by the accumulation of time. The regulars never even look at it. They know what they will order.
I rarely eat anything other than the fabulous minestrone, or the spaghetti Napoli.
To my memory, these dishes; their look and their flavours, have not changed in 60 years.
Genuine, deeply felt comfort food.
Is that not wonderful?
Management having the confidence to continue with something that is working. Not attempting to chase the latest fad; being content to continue with what is loved and welcomed year after year... The comfort of familiarity.
Of course, things do change.
Back in the 60s the granita was lemon. Loved that.
For decades now it has been watermelon. I do not drink that.
Since moving to the city a couple of years ago, the lure of coffee sometimes gets to me. And the coffee at Pellegrini’s is Italian – strong.
When they opened, they had one of Melbourne’s first Italian expresso machines, and while successive machines have done their service, worn out, and been replaced, the lineage is strong and continuous.
Last week, Ruth and I went to the movies and watched the new documentary film on Pellegrini’s. Imagine that. A documentary of a small café featuring in mainstream theatres. It is a wonderful, nostalgic meander down memory lane. Highly recommended not only to Melbournians, but to anyone whose heart is warmed by, and open to - the comfort of familiarity...
Curious to hear about whatever it is that offers this comfort of familiarity to you...
And speaking of familiarity...
Meditation in the Forest – The Heart of Meditation; its wisdom and its experience
Sunday 7th to Saturday 13th June
Ruth and I have been presenting the annual 7 day meditation retreat Meditation in the Forest at the Yarra Valley Living Centre for many years.
This year, the retreat focus will be the heart of meditation – the experience and the wisdom of Stillness.
Highly experiential, we will delve into the theoretical structure that provides the knowledge and the wisdom that helps us to approach this profound inner experience.
Then together, we will practice the techniques that progressively lead us into the direct experience of our own stillness – our own inner essence. Joyful...
There will also be optional yoga sessions with the incomparable Melissa Borich, plus all the delights of the Upper Yarra environment along with the care and food provided by the Yarra Valley Living Centre.
Many do come regularly to this annual retreat, but we always welcome newcomers. Due to its fundamental simplicity, the retreat is accessible to those newer to meditation, as well as those more experienced.
To enquire re bookings, view our website, or contact our retreat manager Mel Crow on mel@insighthealth.com.au. Mel will be happy to talk with you if you do need more details.
Meditation Teacher Trainings
And now for something new... with also a certain sense of familiarity...
Actually, not so very new.
In fact, I have presented Meditation Teacher Trainings since 1988, but these new trainings – to be frank – are much better developed than those earlier versions!
We have developed 3 training modules: Meditation, Contemplation and Imagery.
The Meditation module goes into how to present the 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stillness program that is elaborated in my most recent meditation book – Blue Sky Mind.
The other 2 modules, cover the very basics of meditation, but give most attention to these very important, but rarely taught aspects of meditation – Contemplation and Imagery.
We now have individual manuals for each training that are at least 180 pages each.
The trainings are solid in theory, yet highly experiential. You will get to practice leading meditations and groups, while receiving measured feedback from the staff and peers.
Many who have completed these trainings have now qualified for full membership of Meditation Australia, and have the knowledge and confidence to teach in their own right.
As part of our commitment to provide ongoing support as you develop your skills and experience, we have established an online Meditation Teacher’s Community that does just that. There is peer support, ongoing professional development, a mass of resources, and opportunities to practice and develop your teaching skills with the audience of the closely allied Meditation Community.
Currently, I have a strong commitment to training and supporting the development of new meditation teachers, so if you are considering this as a possibility, and do meet the criteria, please do join us.
Each year we provide the basic Meditation Teacher Training, this year: 11 - 15 May 2026
Also, this year we will once more present the wonderful Contemplation Training: 31 October – 4 November 2026.
Next year, 2027, we are likely to present the Imagery Training once again; along with the basic Meditation module.
Attending 2 of these trainings meets MA’s criteria for membership. While you can attend the 3 modules in whatever order that suits, and each module does stand in its own right, we do encourage everyone interested in our approach to complete the Meditation module at least.
You will be welcome; and be joining a group of amazing, like-minded peers.
As with the retreat, to enquire re bookings, view our website, or contact our retreat manager Mel Crow on mel@insighthealth.com.au Mel will be happy to talk with you if you do need more details.
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