Seductive Sydney

When you leave a country with a population of 4 ½ million people and then visit a city with a little over 4 million people, you can understand why one might get the feeling of being somewhat encroached upon. But don’t get me wrong. This city is as vibrant and cosmopolitan as they come, and seduces you with her energy and enthusiasm. Sure thousands upon thousands of tourists flock here and the cruise ships are parked right downtown, but it is cultural mix of the locals and Asians which sustain the economic driving force of this dynamic metropolis.

Our shuttle ride from the airport provides us with the first glimpse of the first of the two most infamous iconic symbols, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And sure everyone has seen the pictures, but seeing it first hand is a spiritual experience. Then of course, the second, being the Sydney Opera House. But one is really in awe, when you know, you are sure, the Opera House is right around the next corner and you are peering in anticipation of that first glimpse and then, on cue, it appears in her majesty. Absolutely one of those “you got to see it to believe it” experiences.

Prior to leaving for Oz, we were fortunate enough to book tickets to Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. So we had the additional privilege of watching this absolutely wonderful production in the Joan Sutherland theatre of the Sydney Opera House. We were spell bound throughout the production, as the set design, costumes and special effects were entrancing, but what had me totally engrossed was the aria sung by the Queen of the Night in the second act. Unbelievable!! We were left speechless but my hands couldn’t stop clapping and my grin couldn’t get any wider. The next time I hear that opera, at the point when the aria is sung, will instantaneously bring me back to that moment which will stay with me to my grave.

But alas, Sydney is not just bridges and opera houses. After getting a good overview of the city by hop on hop off bus, we embarked on a walking tour which took us to the botanical gardens and a walk to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair with an outstanding view of the harbour, bridge, opera house and city skyline. Shopping is not my pastime of choice but even I have to admit that I was smitten, though we kept our credit cards in check, even though the budget had been tossed aside long ago.

Another equally pleasant experience of a personal note, was meeting up with a long time school friend of our youngest son Tyler. Vanessa has been tramping the world since graduating university seven years ago and it looks like she has gotten that out of her system and has chosen Sydney to get on with the reality of life. We met her and her significant other Ken for lunch at Darling Harbour and continued our re acquaintance with a trip to their local which was only a 10 minute walk from there. The remainder of the afternoon was spent ferrying across the harbour visiting different venues but regrettably we only had so much time and this global destination, has to be a return visit for us at some point and perhaps a bucket list item for everyone.