Before we arrived in Sydney on the 13th our Air BnB host kept on mentioning how much he hoped we enjoyed “Oz” in his messages. I had to do a little research because I hadn’t ever heard that reference before. I initially asked if Sydney was called Oz because that is where we were going, and that was incorrect. I learned “Oz” is the nickname for Australia. Derived from a playful, phonetic shortening of “Australia” or “Aussie.” Never stop learning! 🙂
In the busy week that we’ve had since our arrival, I can definitely see the appeal. I would compare seeing the Sydney Opera House for the first time to seeing the Eiffel Tower. I don’t think the view will ever get old. Last weekend we were able to take a tour of the inside and it was incredible. Definitely an impressive feat of engineering and architecture. Sydney Harbor Bridge is beautiful too. One of the touristy things you can do here is actually climb to the top of the bridge, which I don’t think we’ll be doing, and it is fun to see it done. We’ve enjoyed wandering around and exploring our neighborhood of Potts Point and nearby Kings Cross. As well as the CBD (Central Business District) and Darling Harbor and the Pyrmont and Barangaroo neighborhoods. The beautiful and expansive Royal Botanical Garden is only about a 20 minute walk from our Air Bnb and it is lovely to visit and see all the flora and fauna very close to the port. There is a vibrancy to Sydney with so much energy and innumerable things to see and do.
I feel like my emotions have been all over the place this past week. I’m still so overjoyed and grateful to be able to communicate with the locals. And, it was really hard to have the devastating mass shooting at Bondi Beach happen, the day after we arrived. Bondi is only a 15 minute drive from our Air BnB and was on our list of places to visit but I don’t think that will happen now out of respect for the community there. I know this may seem ignorant of me, and I thought that attacks of that kind only happened in the US. In fact, nothing like this has happened in Australia in almost 30 years, when they introduced stricter gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Then I came to find out that there were several acts of gun violence in the US right around the time of the Bondi shooting, at Brown University and MIT. This level of hate is never easy to take, and this time of year when there are already so many emotions around the holidays, it makes it even harder to stomach. And honestly we shouldn’t have to. I saw a post on Instagram that said “Mass shootings outnumber days in the U.S. for the seventh year in a row”. I know that I can’t believe everything I read and I feel like one mass shooting is too many. In my opinion, one of the many things that Australia is doing correctly, has been their response to the mass shooting in Bondi. Not even five days after the shooting took place the government was already introducing new legislation for stricter gun laws, and I’m sure they will pass. They are setting a good example for how I feel countries should respond.
We recently found out that our tenant will be terminating her lease at the end of January. She was month to month so it is perfectly within her right to do so and I feel it isn’t always easy finding new renters in the middle of the winter in Minnesota. I’m trying to not give energy to that though, because this experience has taught us that having faith and trust that it will all work out is the best thing that we can do, as the universe has shown us time and time again that it has us. Maybe it is time for us to take a break for a while, maybe our time on this adventure isn’t up yet, whatever the future has in store for us we will approach it with a grateful heart for all the amazing things that we’ve already been able to see and do in the last two and half years.
In the past I’ve talked and written about how everywhere we go we think about whether we could live there (Santa Fe), or if we just want to revisit (Lisbon), or if we’re good not going back (Osaka). We also talk about whether or not we’ll ever move back to our house in Saint Paul. I read this quote in the book Book Lovers by Emily Henry that I feel answers that question pretty perfectly;
“Maybe it is possible to have more than one home. Maybe it is possible to belong in a hundred different ways to a hundred different people and places.” That feels right.
Throughout this season and into the new year I hope everyone is able to find even a nugget of joy and love in their life. I am grateful everyday for mine and for all of you. Sending you a universe of love, wherever you are!
❤️Alison
We didn’t get moved into our Air BnB in Potts Point until early afternoon the day we arrived so we just did a little exploring around our neighborhood. These are the massive Naval ships at Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo. I was only a wee bit concerned about all the jelly fish that we saw at the Wharf.Our first full day of exploration began with our first views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge from the park at the end of our street. Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park. This memorial is dedicated to all Australians who have served in the Defense Force. The Archibald Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park. This fountain is famous for honoring the friendship between Australia and France from WWII. As you have seen, a lot of the cities we have visited have a tower, or several. This is the Sydney Tower seen from Hyde Park. You will probably see it in many other pictures during our time in Sydney. St. Mary’s Cathedral. This is where we hope to attend Christmas services. One impressive Moreton Bay fig tree. Entering the Royal Botanical Garden Sydney. These beautiful zinnias reminded us on our garden in Saint Paul.Lewis Wolfe Levy Fountain in the Royal Botanical Garden. Masked Lapwing. Commonly known as a Plover.Australian Magpie. I thought that these “Red Tower Ginger” blossoms looked like they had beaks. 🙂First up-close look at the Sydney Opera House with the Harbor Bridge in the background. Luna Park Sydney is a “heritage-listed” amusement park located on the northern shore of Sydney Harbor. The view of the CBD from Sydney Opera House.Sydney Harbor Bridge. People on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It looks like Santa joined them. 😉More views of the Opera House from Circular Quay. I told you I was pretty excited about seeing it.This sculpture entitled “First Impressions” was at the entry to the holiday markets in The Rocks area underneath the harbor bridge. Feels a little weird to be holiday shopping when it is 90+ degrees out and I keep calling it the Fourth of July instead of New Years so what do you do? 😂My favorite pic from the day!I came across this cool sculpture entitled “Almost Once” by Australian artist Brett Whitely on my way back to Potts Point at the end of an 18,000 step day!Visiting the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The original building is seen here. These cool sculptures entitled “Here comes Everybody” by New Zealand artist Francis Upritchard mark the entrance to the museum’s new building that showcases more contemporary works. They are impressive to say the least. This sculpture by Wally Wilfred entitled After the Rescue tells the story of “a moment of bravery and goodwill between two men who might otherwise have been foes. Back in 1911 Mounted Police Constable William Johns had arrested Ayaiga and three other Aboriginal men accused of stealing from a non-aboriginal person. Johns is escorting them on a 32 kilometer trek when he gets kicked off his horse into a raging river. Despite being shackled Ayaiga jumped into the river to rescue him. The charges were dropped and Ayaiga received the Albert Medal for Lifesaving-which is the British Empire’s highest award for bravery.” What a cool story!More incredible Aboriginal art. This piece, Tingari Story, by Willy Tjungurrayi of the Pintupi tribe. “This painting is of the Tingari and their travels across vast stretches of the Country in the Western Desert.”We Can Be Heros. by Richard Bell, Kamilaroi/Kooma-Northering Riverine Region and Jiman-Northeast Region tribes interprets an original photo by Emory Douglas from 1943. In it “the artist captures the moment at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games when Australian sprinter Peter Norman stood in solidarity with the African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos to draw attention to the American Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” The words in the background of the painting recounts what happened during the time this original picture was taken.This exhibit entitled “The Object Lesson” was an art project by German Artist Thomas Demand. This Exhibit was one of my favorite in the new building. The way the walls are floating and sections are cut out to see through to other areas of the room was fun to behold.“The Subjecter No 1” By Thomas Hirschhorn is made only from found objects. The description said “it could be interpreted as a critique of consumer culture – anti-capitalist totem” Whatever your interpretation is, it is powerful.Now we are in the original building for the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This building focuses on “historical art with contemporary inflections.” Blossom Gatherer by Raqib Shaw. 2010-11.Orpheus (Maquette 2) Version II 1956 by Barbara Hepworth.This image shows one of the many couches spread throughout the gallery for patrons to sit on. It is my version of art. I call it “asses that sat.” 😂“The Surfers, Bondi” 1963 by Jeffery Smart. “Suspended Stone Circle II” 1974-77 by Ken Unsworth“Come of Things” 2010 by Del Kathryn Barton Ibis crossing. The juncture of Kings Cross and Potts Point. My favorite exhibit from the “old” building was called The Patchwork Portal by Raquel Caballero. This is “Scraps” the Patchwork Girl of Oz.” Worth a deeper look: https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/raquel-caballero/If any of you know my mom, I had to message her while I was at this exhibit, because I knew this would be her happy place! ❤️Scrap’s dog Ojo. SO much incredible art! They even had some Native American Indigenous art on display. “Speaking to the Trees Kissing the Ground” by Jeffery Gibson who is Mississippi Choctaw/ Oklahoma Cherokee. “Betamax” by Sonny Assu who is from Turtle Island/Canada. Ligwilda’xw of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations. Another day we went to the Australian Museum where they had an Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Exhibit that was incredible! I am sure you can tell how difficult it is for me to choose what to share! This photographer was taken by Ross Gudgeon who was the Overall Winner. It is called Fractal Forest and is the “inside-out” view of cauliflower soft coral. I’ve never seen anything like it. “Glacial Blue” by Stuart Chape is an aerial image taken from over the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand’s South Island. It reminded me of our visit to Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia.The “dead” zoo. Wallabys.Koala. It was a cool way to see birds, animals and artifacts that are native to Australia. Another day I visited the State Library of New South Wale, where I’m currently working on my blog. It also has a new and old building with serval exhibits inside. This piece is entitled “Oz? Tapestry” by Martin Sharp is in the entryway of the new building. This is the “iconic” Mitchell Library Reading Room in the original building of the library. One of the exhibits was called “Paper Universe” which celebrates books actually being the art. This is “Southern Ocean” by Liz Powell. “Parlement of Birds” by Charlotte and Victoria Clutterbuck.It’s been nice having so many free indoor spaces to get some respite from the heat, and I missed riding the ferry, so on Thursday the 18th I took the ferry to Manly. I started off at Norma’s which I was told has amazing focaccia sandwiches. I went with the folded eggs and sourdough instead and it did not disappoint. Manly Beach. The walkway to Shelly Beach and Shelly beach in the distance. Costal swimming pool. Norfolk Pine at Manly Beach. It was a beautiful day!On my trip back I got some incredible views of the Sydney Opera House and…The Harbor Bridge from the water. I’m so glad I went and I hope I have a chance to go again. On my way back home I peeped inside of St. Mary’s Cathedral. It was another 18,000 step day. On Friday we went back to the Australian Museum for the Relics exhibit. It reminded me of the Tiny Worlds museum we went to in Tokyo, but with Lego! https://australian.museum/exhibition/relics/The synopsis of the story for the exhibit is that the humans are gone and the Lego people have made their lives out of the junk that we left behind. An old jukebox. An old dumpster. A bookcase. A Volkswagon Beetle. A refrigerator. I don’t know if you can see them in this picture but there are Lego people are climbing the “ice cliffs” on the side. The attention to detail in each of these pieces was mind-blowing. There is no way you can notice it all. A grandfather clock. And an ATM. I’m so glad we went back to check it out. For the nostalgia and the fun. We had a pretty good weekend in spite of the heat. It was 101 degrees on Friday! 🥵 On Saturday we booked a tour for inside of the Sydney Opera House. We saw these beautiful Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos in the Royal Botanical Garden on our way. They are gorgeous and good LAWD can they squawk! Our first stop on the tour was the “theater in the round” where they were set up for the show Gatsby. The people who reserve seats for the cabaret style show and sit at the tables on the floor can interact with the actors. This is the only theater you can eat and drink inside of. The next set of pictures were taken outside of the the main hall. The wood, concrete, windows and line work in this space are beyond. Inside of the main hall. Each theater has different rules and licensing for when/ if you can take pictures inside. We got very lucky that there weren’t any shows going on and that no one was doing stage work during our tour so that we could take pictures of the truly incredible space! We were able to go out on one of the balconies and take pictures too. Can you imagine how cool it would be to see the fireworks from here?!The custom-manufactured ceramic tiles on the roof come in glossy white and matte cream to create a subtle sheen that reflects sky without being overly glary.Each “sail” as they call each part of the opera house has a different theater and color theme. So many layers and gobsmacking views!On Sunday we walked through Darling Harbor on our way to the Pyrmont for breakfast at Social Brew Cafe before we went to the Star Casino to watch Dave’s beloved Packers play football. Darling Harbor is darling. After the show we found some live music at a pub. I can’t remember the last time we saw live music. The walk home, beginning with crossing over Pyrmont Bridge, was beautiful.I’m glad that we have two more weeks here because there is still so much to explore!
