sydney

After doing all we could with our time in Cairns, it was on to Sydney. The final stop on this whirlwind tour. Upon arrival, we walked across the Pyrmont Bridge and got an eyeful of Darling Harbor (and a mouthful of delicious dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants). The next morning it was off to the Opera House, and a tour of the interior. The outside facade is something marvelous, but it was the soaring concrete inside that really got me. I'm huge fan of Brutalist architecture, and this was just so fluid, ornate, and dare I saw delicate? Yes. Delicate concrete. Fantastic. Next was a walk over to The Rocks, and a stop-in at one of my favorite places in the city, the Museum of Contemporary Art. So much fun. Finally, we made our way to the Sydney Tower, for a high altitude lunch at 360 (so named for the fact that the restaurant completes a full rotation in just over an hour). Beautiful food, dizzying views, and a nice cap to a busy day.

Concrete, warm wood, plenty of glass, all my favorite architectural elements in one dazzling space

Wonderful little peeks of the surrounding city from inside the museum

and plenty of colorful, engaging works of art

bold color, smooth cement, bright natural light, I absolutely love this room

masses of bleached starfish, suspended in free space

and a massive, wildly colorful, intricately taped floor that everyone, young and old, was captivated by

then my favorite piece, one of the best things I've ever been a part of. A submersion into a stunningly beautiful video and music, with life-size, human shaped pillows on the floor for cuddling. Wonderful. 

And finishing our exploring high above everything, slowing making our way around and getting a glimpse of the truly gargantuan spread of the city