Il
15-19 dicembre, 2012
Sydney,
Australia
Sydney
has a pulse all its own; I felt it that first evening when taking an
exploratory walk about town and being mesmerized by the architecture
of its modern office buildings. The first settlers, who arrived in
1788, were convicts sent by the English king when he could no longer
send his country's prisoners to the “colonies” after the American
Revolution. The beginning years were difficult and plagued with
setbacks, but with the introduction of sheep in the latter 1700's and
coal production beginning in 1801, the exploration, settlement, and
development of New South Wales was well underway. Today, Sydney, the
oldest and largest city in Australia, is thought of as one of the
“best-situated” cities in the world; the harbor, the beaches, and
the outlying mountains are all a feast for the eyes.
My
first morning in this cosmopolitan capital of New South Wales began with a short bus tour through many of
its beautiful neighborhoods, followed by a guided visit of the Sydney
Opera House. An absolute architectural marvel, it's one of those
landmark buildings that must be seen to be truly understood and, even
then, without my having the skilled eye and training of an architect,
it's still a bit of a mystery to me; the radical and very original
nature of its construction is, unquestionably, a masterpiece. And if
that visit wasn't enough of a treat, the afternoon was spent with my
Aussie friends who flew south from Brisbane to spend time with me; a
ferry ride and drinks at Manly Beach, a walk through the Botanical
Gardens, and dinner at an Italian restaurant celebrated our meeting
in Assisi over a year ago.
The
next day was a trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park housing the
largest collection of Australian native animals in the country. Yes,
I cuddled a koala, saw the wallabies and kangaroos, and even posed
with a snake around my neck...okay, so this last experience was not
all that pleasurable, but it was one of those “need to get out of
my comfort zone” moments! (And it wasn't really so bad!) A motor
trip through the Blue Mountains followed and then a cable car ride to
see the Three Sisters rock formation, a focal point in
Aboriginal mythology.
No
visit to Australia is complete without a trip to a jewelry store to
look at, learn about, and, perhaps, buy an opal “bling”. My
purchase would certainly not be in the “major bling”or even
“minor bling” category, but I did mange to buy a couple of small
items for my Australian souvenir. After shopping, we went for a
harbor cruise and how glorious that was... the water, the sunshine,
the homes, (one more spectacular than the other), and easy
conversation made for a successful morning. An afternoon walk through
Hyde Park and dinner at a seafood restaurant across from the Opera
House and the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge completed the day and my stay in
Australia.
There
are lots of delightful memories from my visit to this smallest of
continents, but very large and welcoming country. Never to be
forgotten is the kangaroo burger and chips dinner eaten that
first evening in Sydney when I went out with friends, Duane and
Barbara. The “foodie” that I am, that meal ranks highly on my
list of “good eats” when in Australia...I can still taste it!
