Iconic Sydney

We did the Sydney thing today and loved it! We started with a ferry ride from Manly into Sydney Harbor. As we approached Circular Quay, the opera house and the harbor bridge came into view. There is a surreal feeling every time I see iconic images with my own eyes. I think about how grateful I am to personally witness the scenes that most people will only see in books and on websites. The day was sunny, and the opera house sails beamed in the light. The building is simply stunning.

Our first order of business was dropping our bags at the luggage storage. Free of baggage, we were liberated to move around more easily. We popped into a Thai restaurant for lunch before walking to the market on George Street. Luckily, I was able to muster up some restraint, and left the market without too many souvenirs.

At 3:25, we reported to our assigned area for our 3:30 opera house tour. Our tour guide, Emily, had certainly found her calling in life. Her enthusiasm and extensive knowledge was impressive. She led us through the building, providing historical context, while noting contemporary issues. The original architect of the building had drawn a breathtaking structure; however, it was an engineering nightmare. Despite enormous challenges and difficulties, the building, which was started in 1959, didn’t open until 1973. Just a few weeks ago, the opera house celebrated its 50th year of operation. We got to get up close and touch the sails. Actually, the white roof is not white. It is checkered with off-white and tannish tiles, each with a rough finish. Apparently, a pure whit roof would have been blinding to look at in the sun (remember, there’s a hole in the ozone above Australia), and the rough finish averts the collection of dirt, so that rains wash away the debris that collects on the outside. About a million tiles cover the sails. The tile were initially sourced from Italy, and somewhere in Australia is a warehouse with a surplus fo the original tiles, so that they have a stash that they can use if a tile needs replaced. The interior of the structure is as impressive as the exterior. The ceilings are concrete, but nowhere are there pillars holding the roof up. Instead, the long concrete horizontal beams holding the roof in place are engineered to support the weight without conventional beams. I’m no engineer, but I can appreciate ingenuity.

Following our tour, we hustled over to The Squire Landing to meet up with Angelique and her husband, Anthony. The google led us to the end of the road at the end of the pier opposite the opera house and just below the harbor bridge. Oddly, I couldn’t see the brewery, but we hadn’t gone far enough. Around the corner, and directly across from the opera house, the brewery rose three stories at the very end of the jetty. We found a table and waited for our friends, while taking in spectacular views of the Sydney Harbor. Once they arrived, we talked until the sun went down, the nightlife picked up, and the lights reflected on the water. I think the opera house might be even more beautiful by night.Read more