A cloud over the Opera

But not nearly enough to give cover for those of us used to the northern high latitudes. We spent the day around the Sydney harbour area but there was a lot to see so we inevitably left a lot waiting for our next visit. Our hotel was in the Rocks district and ideally close to Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Botanic Gardens - all of which we visited in a relaxed fashion throughout the day. The cloudless weather pushed the temperatures to the high thirties but luckily never reached the less pleasant forties, so beer consumption and shade seeking was kept to a responsible level. We were surprisingly mesmerised by the Opera House and greatly impressed. I think that I had never expected to utter a sentence with both the words “Australian” and “culture” in it but found it on my lips today. Admittedly the architect who came up with the original ideas was Danish, but his plans were half baked and incomplete and it took the locals to interpret his drawings, to work out how it could be built and to complete the job. It was late and over budget as these projects often are, but worth waiting for. To complete our  cultural experience, we took in a show later that evening - a risqué cabaret which blended French chic with Australian raunch and threw in bare flesh for good measure. Again, not really what I had expected to be experiencing but all great fun.