Sydneyside

Yesterday I had a "free" day after a morning meeting at the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) college in Sydney (where I learned that they face almost all of the same challenges that we do), so I walked my little legs to a nub seeing all of the wonderful Sydney sights. First stop, Darling Harbour (left--no, that isn't the Opera House--see it further down) where I enjoyed the beautiful harbourside spaces, full of fountains and trees and places to sit and enjoy the show, plus a huge IMAX and various other entertainments. I caught a free 1/2 hour performance on the didjeridoo (Australian aboriginal wind instrument)--very interesting!

Next I walked across the bridge to the other peninsula, and on to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where I saw a fabulous exhibit of Pisarro paintings. As it was a midweek afternoon, few were there and sometimes I had a whole room of paintings to myself--much better than some of the big exhibits at the AGO!! The catch was the $5 cup of tea in the Gallery cafe--ouch!

Late afternoon found me strolling the beautiful grounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens, where I was startled by a whole horde of HUGE fruit bats hanging from the trees. I wasn't expecting to see bats in full daylight, so at first I wondered what these peculiar birds were--then I saw the distinctive wing shape! A bit creepy, I must say (see below). Otherwise, however, the gardens were lovely--more a huge park than our botanic gardens, with lots of people enjoying the sunshine along the harbourfront. I walked all the way to Mrs. MacQuarrie's Chair (wife of first Governor) at the headland, for a spectacular view of the Opera House (pictures to follow).

Finally, over to the spectacular Opera House itself, where I reluctantly passed up a chance for a standing room space at a performance of Sleeping Beauty (ballet) for $25 (compared to the usual $60)--my poor legs were just too tired to contemplate standing throughout a two hour performance! Instead, I meandered back along the Opera Quays, enjoying people watching as all of the upper echelon of Sydney arrived for their Opera House experience, dressed to kill. A sleepy train ride back to the suburbs and a gourmet dinner of microwaved "Lean Cuisine" completed my adventurous day in the Sydney sunshine.

Today I am spending a full day at the University of Western Sydney, and have had several productive meetings already, with more to come this afternoon. Tomorrow I pick up my car and brave the long road to Melbourne--I'll post a report on that adventure when next I have access to the internet.

Love to all--stay safe and warm!
Ruth