Rain

As predicted, the rain came and stayed all day today. Not too cold, not too much, but certainly a day to be inside. We lazed around, ate breakfast, then took the bus to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

Confused about where to get off the bus and how to cross a busy road, we wandered in the drizzle, eventually following another couple who knew the way to the front of the building. Under the huge covered forecourt, school groups were having their morning tea.

We started with this art museum to see contemporary aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art. Paintings using the dot technique, designs on bark, masks, all with a modern look at traditional ways. I particularly liked the series of painted pots with lids, especially a bird one.

One wooden sculpture portraying 3 aboriginal men in chains being led by military officers referenced a historical event. Very painful to look at, which it should be.

Rather than perusing other areas in this museum, we wanted to see traditional aboriginal art in the Australian Museum, but first lunch. For some reason, Uber to the AM was about $11, to a restaurant 6 blocks further was $28. We opted for the first, then walked to Bill and Toni’s. Shared salad and the lunch special of chicken schnitzel with penne boscaiolo, Chianti, bread and butter (not olive oil?).

At the museum, we wandered the 100 Treasures in the Westpac Long Gallery, the first gallery in Australia, built in the 1840-50’s. The bird feather cape given to Cook, a large gold nugget weighing +10K, part of a 25,000 specimen crab collection, aboriginal art were displayed in this area to give visitors a relatively quick overview of the museum’s holdings. Of course, we took forever to get through it, not reading every label, but a dang lot.

By the time we got to what I’d thought I wanted to see, I was pretty tired. Rather than traditional aboriginal art, it was a display of islanders interacting with the sea, both old items and new ones. A huge fish made of ghost (abandoned) nets hung from the ceiling. I liked the buildings and little shoes encrusted with shells. Reminded me of the summer I worked in the Everglades at Corwin Shells cutting coral into pieces the Miccosukee women made into shell lamps for the tourists. Ours were certainly not art but I’d love to find one in a thrift shop somewhere. Kitsch incorporated.

I finally got good enough pictures to ask iNaturalist what the plants with extremely tall flower spikes are: spear lilies, Doryanthes, endemic to east coast Australia, with only 2 species. 

I don’t know kind which I saw, perhaps both, but they are planted in gardens and along the roads. Very pretty.

We took the bus home to rest before going to the theater.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sunset Boulevard starring Sarah Brightman as Norma. The cast and the orchestra were marvelous. What wasn’t marvelous was climbing to our seats 4 rows from the very top of the opera house. We’d thought we’d bought tickets on the main floor, at least the price seemed like that, but I’ll take it up with the seller later. In the mean time, we sat in our comfortable seats and enjoyed the production.

Side note: the bathroom has lighted toilet paper holders. Why?

We Ubered home, Grant made himself a salad because our shared chicken quesadilla, which didn’t have much queso holding it together, at the Opera Bar, didn’t quite make dinner. I joined him in a glass of Aussie Pinot noir and a couple of Tim Tam cookies.

Steps Today: 11,389