A Brief Sydney
Dec. 12th, 2004 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skyringWe decided to make a day of it. Instead of driving up in the wee smalls, we packed the car full of people yesterday, checking into a hotel on Hyde Park, one we've stayed at before and is molto convenient.
Out for lunch - found the food court under the Queen Victoria Building and we had whatever struck out fancy. Nado's chicken for me in a yummy sauce.
Sent the kids back to the inn to veg out watching cable TV and munching down on the freebies in the room, and made a quick trip to the Art Gallery with Kerri. Only a whizz around the place. Nice big Picasso Nude in a Rocking Chair, which was every inch what you'd expect. The breasts followed you around the room, always a sign of a good painting.
My favorite area, as ever, is the early 20th century Australian. Margaret Preston, Lloyd Rees, Nora Heysen and a bunch of others. Really exciting stuff, and I could have spent more time there. Quick look through the bookshop, where we bought a Jeffrey Smart poster which I fear we may have left behind. Another waltz through the earler paintings, some masterpieces of the Heidelberg school and a trio of Ramsays, including a modest nude I hadn't seen before.
Then back, walking under those wonderful figs in Hyde Park. Left Kerri to join the communal nap, grabbed the last of the Ann and Scott books and went down Oxford Street in search of the GoGo Bar.
This turned out to be an espresso bar. Quite obvious when you know where to look, but none of the other businesses within 50 metres knew of it. Grabbed a bunch of books and left the ones I had, then checked out the YHA at Sydney Central. Found one or two left over from Jenny-G's registration spree a month ago, including one which had been left in Charlie's hand downstairs and made its way up to the eighth floor.
Just enough time for a shower, iron the clothes I'd brought, and then down the hill to the Opera House. Took Pauline's shortcut along the Cahill Expressway, showed Trim to Kerri.
Had a bite to eat at Macca's. Their new lean beef salad burger is possibly the best Macca's I've ever had, and I was interested in speed above every other consideration. The walk along to the Opera House was buzzing busy with people eating and strolling and drinking. Had a glass of champagne (well, sparkling semillon at six bucks the glass) in the foyer and then it was a couple of hours of Max Gillies and his impersonations. He was fabulous. The highlight for me was when a KFC-munching Amanda Vanstone kicked he legs up on the piano played by Eddie Perfect. How I roared! Such savage wit!
Outside afterwards, the sight of the Sydney metropolis lit up, with the arch of the bridge dominating one side and the unearthly white sails of the Opera House jutting into the mellow night, was just stupendous. An amazing setting with ferries and water taxies shuttling to and fro, the flying foxes from the Botanic gardens circling in the lights after insects to eat.
Up Macquarie Street, under the figs at Hyde Park again, this time the branches and trunks outlined in strings of lights and the foliage above a soft green against the dark.
Not a lot of sleep, I'm afraid. Bed too hard or something. Usual Sydney noises of emergency vehicles at odd hours.
Had to wake especially early to fetch the car from the parking station. A little worry when the after-hours entry proved to be counter-intuitive, but it all worked out after some trial and error.
Down deserted roads to the International terminal, where we hooked up with DD's mate and sent them off to Vietnam. She'll be disappointed at not getting a window seat, especially after the New Zealand trip this time last year where I made sure we had window seats coming and going, and she flew with her head as far out the window as it would go. She also packed several books into her carry on luggage, putting it over the limit and sending it into the hold. I hadn't thought she'd do that.
Oh well. Live and learn. I'm sure she'll have a great time. Only yesterday I was seeing her off to kindergarten and here she is going overseas under her own steam.
Trip back, Kerri stole the wheel when I paid for the petrol at Sutton Forest and I was happy to let her drive.
Then back to the computer to make notes and a blog entry.
Oh yeah. Sorted out a few things with the novel in my mind. It needs tweaking rather than rewriting, but I've got to be sure of where I'm going.
Out for lunch - found the food court under the Queen Victoria Building and we had whatever struck out fancy. Nado's chicken for me in a yummy sauce.
Sent the kids back to the inn to veg out watching cable TV and munching down on the freebies in the room, and made a quick trip to the Art Gallery with Kerri. Only a whizz around the place. Nice big Picasso Nude in a Rocking Chair, which was every inch what you'd expect. The breasts followed you around the room, always a sign of a good painting.
My favorite area, as ever, is the early 20th century Australian. Margaret Preston, Lloyd Rees, Nora Heysen and a bunch of others. Really exciting stuff, and I could have spent more time there. Quick look through the bookshop, where we bought a Jeffrey Smart poster which I fear we may have left behind. Another waltz through the earler paintings, some masterpieces of the Heidelberg school and a trio of Ramsays, including a modest nude I hadn't seen before.
Then back, walking under those wonderful figs in Hyde Park. Left Kerri to join the communal nap, grabbed the last of the Ann and Scott books and went down Oxford Street in search of the GoGo Bar.
This turned out to be an espresso bar. Quite obvious when you know where to look, but none of the other businesses within 50 metres knew of it. Grabbed a bunch of books and left the ones I had, then checked out the YHA at Sydney Central. Found one or two left over from Jenny-G's registration spree a month ago, including one which had been left in Charlie's hand downstairs and made its way up to the eighth floor.
Just enough time for a shower, iron the clothes I'd brought, and then down the hill to the Opera House. Took Pauline's shortcut along the Cahill Expressway, showed Trim to Kerri.
Had a bite to eat at Macca's. Their new lean beef salad burger is possibly the best Macca's I've ever had, and I was interested in speed above every other consideration. The walk along to the Opera House was buzzing busy with people eating and strolling and drinking. Had a glass of champagne (well, sparkling semillon at six bucks the glass) in the foyer and then it was a couple of hours of Max Gillies and his impersonations. He was fabulous. The highlight for me was when a KFC-munching Amanda Vanstone kicked he legs up on the piano played by Eddie Perfect. How I roared! Such savage wit!
Outside afterwards, the sight of the Sydney metropolis lit up, with the arch of the bridge dominating one side and the unearthly white sails of the Opera House jutting into the mellow night, was just stupendous. An amazing setting with ferries and water taxies shuttling to and fro, the flying foxes from the Botanic gardens circling in the lights after insects to eat.
Up Macquarie Street, under the figs at Hyde Park again, this time the branches and trunks outlined in strings of lights and the foliage above a soft green against the dark.
Not a lot of sleep, I'm afraid. Bed too hard or something. Usual Sydney noises of emergency vehicles at odd hours.
Had to wake especially early to fetch the car from the parking station. A little worry when the after-hours entry proved to be counter-intuitive, but it all worked out after some trial and error.
Down deserted roads to the International terminal, where we hooked up with DD's mate and sent them off to Vietnam. She'll be disappointed at not getting a window seat, especially after the New Zealand trip this time last year where I made sure we had window seats coming and going, and she flew with her head as far out the window as it would go. She also packed several books into her carry on luggage, putting it over the limit and sending it into the hold. I hadn't thought she'd do that.
Oh well. Live and learn. I'm sure she'll have a great time. Only yesterday I was seeing her off to kindergarten and here she is going overseas under her own steam.
Trip back, Kerri stole the wheel when I paid for the petrol at Sutton Forest and I was happy to let her drive.
Then back to the computer to make notes and a blog entry.
Oh yeah. Sorted out a few things with the novel in my mind. It needs tweaking rather than rewriting, but I've got to be sure of where I'm going.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
:) Wow!
Date: 2004-12-12 05:13 am (UTC)Hope your melancholia passes soon.
(((hugs)))
Re: :) Wow!
Date: 2004-12-12 09:00 am (UTC)Melancholy only because my daughter has passed another milestone. A good sadness, like when you leave them at school for the first time, but still, she's gone away where I can't run to help her if she needs it, or drive, or even call her with any ease.
Half of me is very proud of my adult daughter, so clever and capable, the other half is a father keeping an eye on his toddler lest she get too close to danger.
And when she comes back, she will be a different person, more confident, more informed, more experienced.
I know you can't hold onto them for too long, but allow me a moment of nostalgia!