Gallivanting Grandma

Tuesday – November 20, 2018

We had read about “The Blue Mountains” which are located about two hours west of Sydney.  We left early in the morning and took the train from Central Station to the town of Katoomba.

The mountains get their blue hue from the droplets of oil in the air from the native eucalyptus trees.  We took a bus from Katoomba to a tourist area called Scenic World which offered multiple ways to view the mountains.  There was a cable car to go down into the valley to experience the Rainforest.

In the cablecar, we passed the rock formation called “The Three Sisters” and heard several different legends about the famous siblings.

We walked along the wooden walkways on the floor of the Rainforest.  Unfortunately, there’s been a longterm drought in the region and the forest wasn’t very moist.  I guess we were lucky it wasn’t raining.  There was a variety of rainforest trees which was very interesting.  Coal mining was the main commodity here about a century ago.

Scenic World reminded me of an amusement park with several “rides” to go over, under, in, and around the nearby mountains and valleys.  At the other end of the Rainforest walkway, we took the Scenic Railway back up to the top of the mountain.  It was like a short fast roller coaster ride.  But we went up backwards!  I imagine going down might be very scary!

Scenic World was crowded with multi-generational families.  Later, we rode across another deep gorge in a giant cablecar that held 75 people.  The floor of the car opened during its passage to reveal the tops of the trees below.

Later in the late afternoon, we caught a bus to take us to the train station to return to Sydney.  We decided to take the train from the nearby town of Leura on the same railroad line.  The Leura post office was decorated for Christmas, but with 70 degree temperatures, it doesn’t feel like Christmas!  It was a fun day and gave us a chance to see the region outside Sydney.

Sunday – November 18, 2018

We were very lucky to get tickets to an afternoon performance of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.  They played two of our favorite Beethoven pieces in the magnificent Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

We attended a pre-concert lecture given by Francis Merson who was the former editor of an Australian classical music magazine. The lecture was held in the “North Foyer” overlooking beautiful Sydney Harbor.

It was an excellent talk about Beethoven’s life and Mr. Merson explained the story of the two pieces: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and the beautiful 5th Symphony.  After the lecture, we had enough time to find our seats in the concert hall.

I was surprised that there were seat behind the orchestra and on both sides.  I don’t know what the sound would be like in those areas.  This is a photo I took from our seats facing the orchestra.  This is the largest concert hall at the SOH with more than 2,000 seats.

Another surprise was that the musicians of the Chamber Orchestra stood up during the entire performance (except the cellists).  The conductor was Richard Tognetti who played the violin while conducting.  It was an incredible performance!  And a real treat!

This is a view of the city of Sydney looking from the Opera House.  There was a different cruise ship in the harbor every other day.

The Opera House at night:

Saturday – November 17, 2018

We’re having a great time in Sydney we and love exploring this dynamic city. It’s too bad Australia is so far from home. It’s a wonderful city to visit. Our hotel is located in the historic “Rocks” district so we learned about the redeveloped waterfront neighborhood. High-end modern shops and restaurants in the old buildings:

“The Rocks” was the original 19th century port of Sydney filled with commercial sailing ships, whaling vessels, and ferries.  It flourished with warehouses, chandleries, and houses for dock workers.  One side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was built in 1932, is anchored in the Rocks.

Everyday, we saw people climb the steps to reach the top of the Bridge in all kinds of weather. There are 1,332 steps to the top. Climbers wear special suits and harnesses. It must be a fantastic view!  We were NOT tempted to do the climb.

Climbers are not allowed to take any personal belongings with them, including cameras. Guides take photos of the adventurers at the top of the bridge. I would be very frustrated not to have my camera.

On Saturdays and Sundays the end of George Street was closed to traffic and a fun weekend market was set up.  They sold everything from jewelry, masks, juice, food, soap products, craft beer, tee-shirts, corn on the cob, clothes, and tourist souvenirs.

Face painting at the market:

It was spring in Australia so the beautiful blue Jacaranda trees were in bloom everywhere.  This one was in a narrow alleyway between buildings in the Rocks:

There were many good restaurants, cafes, and boutiques in the historic buildings:

Warm weather brought out musicians working for donations:

People rested on comfortable bean-chairs on the ground while they enjoyed the music:

This fellow always attracted a crowd:

This is a birds-eye view of the Rocks along the approach to the bridge:

Sunset beyond the Sydney Harbour Bridge:

Friday – November 16, 2018

People told us that Australian weather was unpredictable and it changes quickly, so I carried an umbrella & rain jacket in my daypack. This morning was a lovely 68 degrees with large puffy clouds rolling against a bright blue sky.  We really like Sydney and are having fun exploring. We’re gradually working down our list of “Things to Do in Sydney.”

We passed Sydney’s Public Library:

We walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens.  I love botanical gardens and I could spend many days exploring the beautifully landscaped scenery and reading the signs that identify Australian plants and trees.  This goes back to my youth in the Bronx because my grandparents lived within walking distance of the N.Y. Botanical Gardens.  My brother and I spent many summer days wandering around the Gardens, admiring beautiful native and non-native trees and plants.

A gorgeous Banyan tree:

Australia has an incredible diversity of unusual vegetation.

This was the entrance to a special exhibit of carnivorous plants.  It was called, “Plants That Bite!”

On the other side of the Botanical Gardens is the Art Gallery of New South Wales.  This is Sydney’s major art museum with exhibits from around the world, including Aboriginal art.

Neither the Botanical Gardens or the Art Gallery charged an admittance fee.  All public museums in Sydney were free, but sometimes there was a charge to see special exhibits.

The exterior of the Gallery was neo-classic Australian sandstone, but the interior of the building was quite modern.  Contemporary art was displayed next to classic works.

It was a treat to see Aboriginal art and learn that recognition was given to the artists.

We spent several hours exploring the Art Gallery and saw a variety of artistic works.

On our way out of the Gallery, we saw a pair of colorful birds perched on a wire.  They’re native to the state of New South Wales and the city of Sydney.

Thursday – November 15, 2018

My alarm chirped at 5:00 AM this morning and we were showered, dressed, and walking to the Sydney Opera House by 5:45.  The sun was rising over Woolloomooloo Bay and cast a warm glow on the CBD buildings.

A single ferry moved in the bay, but otherwise the harbour was deserted.  A few days ago we made reservations for an early morning Backstage Tour of the SOH (Aussies shorten everything) so here we were enjoying an early morning stroll around Circular Quay.

We arrived at the Stage Door in plenty of time for the 7:00 tour. Our small group of seven people were given bright green security vests and I.D. badges with our names printed on them to wear during the tour.

The first place we visited was backstage of the Joan Sutherland Theater.  Today the venue is primarily used for operas, ballet performances, and contemporary music concerts.  It was named for the “dramatic coloratura” Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. We started in the orchestra pit.  I stood on the box where Richard Bonynge and other famous conductors directed the pit orchestras.  It was a tangle of music stands, chairs, wires, and ropes.

This was the view the musicians see of the Joan Sutherland Theater from the orchestra pit:

We passed Joan Sutherland’s dressing room, currently being used by the Prima Ballerina of the current ballet.

It was ballet season at the SOH and the stage was set for that night’s performance of Spartacus.  Nonetheless, here’s a view of the theater from the stage.  This was the view seen by Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Robeson, Brigit Nilsson, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, and President Nelson Mandela among other famous people.

This is my photo of “The Green Room” where performers relax, grab a snack, play a game of pool, or chat with each other between acts.

I did a double-take when passing an office.  Queen Elizabeth officially opened the SOH in 1973, but she wasn’t there on the day we visited!

We also saw the magnificent Concert Hall where large musical events are held for 2600 people.  The Australian Orchestra plays here and contemporary musicians play concerts regularly.  Jeff got a chance to conduct:

Jeff stood next to the gigantic case of a Double Bass.

Since it was still early when we finished the Backstage Tour, we hopped on a ferry and rode out to Manly Beach.  Manly looked like any beach town: tacky souvenir shops, stores selling surf boards, towels, & bathing suits, also restaurants, cafes, and bars.

The beach was lovely.  It was windy and the surf was up!

We had fun watching the surfers.  They seemed to glide on the water. The wind picked up and more surfers appeared.

Eventually, we walked back to the ferry dock.  The city of Manly put up their Christmas tree although it’s only the middle of November.

Manly is a suburb of Sydney and a 30 minute ferry ride away from the city.  What fun it must be for surfers and other young athletes to live and work here.