Day 26 - Sydney - With Blondie at Bondi and a night at the opera
I got some feedback to the blog that it lacks pathos. Well, it seems that I’m still a techie, not a writer, but I intend to work on that in the future.Onwards with the heroes! After a dark and long night, we rose to the first light of the new day to get what is known to some as Breakfast Of Champions, to others as a Grand Latte at Starbucks (ok, enough pathos now?).
Anyway, afterwards we took one of the bus shuttles that travel all around the city to go to Bondi beach. Even though there are other lovely beaches and probably Bondi is not even the most scenic, it is definitely the best known. Stayed there until it started raining early in the afternoon.
And then… to the opera! I do admit that I do not really care for plays where people do not talk to each other but sing in strange languages and most of the time I am sound asleep in the middle of the second act.
This time however, the opera was … subtitled. Yes, really. Actually surtitled but you get the idea. Sounds funny but is a good thing for people that do not really speak the language of the opera (italian in this case). In my opinion this should be mandatory for all operas in the future.
We saw “La Traviata” which basically is about sex, honour and sick people. There is lots of pathos as well (it is italian!), so I might just steal some for later blog entries.
And if you have some idea what is happening on the stage it is a blast. So in the end, this turned out really well for me (I know that Kristin was concerned about that) and we really had a great time (I still do not understand how Violetta could sing that well with tuberculosis but then again it might just be me).
australia bondi beach la traviatta opera house sydney travelDay 25 - Sydney
Ah, Sydney! Home of the iconic opera house, the harbour bridge and many other touristic sights.We went for an early stroll down to circular quay to get coffee at the M.C.A. and then to the major tourist spots.
As we got advice that the best way to view Sydney is from the water, Kristin and I took the “big harbour cruise” (where there are probably more Germans per sqm than in any other place).
Met up with Scott Eade in the afternoon (now I think I know all of the Turbine people) and went to a nice pub called “Lord Nelson”. Had some beer, a lot of fun and even got presented with a T-Shirt. Thanks Mate, for a great time!
Even though my knees were a bit shaky after the beer, we went up to harbour bridge for the sunset. Great view. I don’t think that I would be able to do the bridge climb, though.
australia harbour bridge opera house sydney travel