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| Day 17: November 16
- Sydney |
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Just an observation -- the El Camino is alive and well down under. Holden, a native
car manufacturer, makes a model called the Commodore that is everything like the old El Caminos. People seem proud to own these models
and enjoy accessorizing them.
Today we started with breakfast and shopping in the Rocks. Basically, we needed to kill time until our Sydney Opera House tour at 12:15.
Because of Kirsten's sprained ankle, we booked the "lift" tour which means you don't have to walk up as many stairs. We were very lucky at
12:15 to discover that we were the only ones for the tour.
Our guide was Wayne who we met the previous day
when we inquired about the tours. He was very accommodating
and we learned about the 14 year construction of
the SOH. THe site was chosen based on it's location
and views. THe architect who won the competition
envisioned a design that was more elliptical, but
the engineering firm convinced him to take the pieces
from one sphere and place them at angles while allowed
for better construction.
We toured most of the theatres and in the opera
hall we got to watch the dancemaster for the ballet
reviewing steps with a principal for "La Fille
Mal Gardee". While we were there, Wayne described
how up to 5 different opera sets are stored below
the stage and are completely changed over each night
to rest the voices of the singers. We saw that area
on the tour and it was cavernous.
The crown jewel of the SOH is the concert hall.
It seats 2600 and is completely encased in wood.
Different woods make up the ceiling and the floor.
THere are sets everywhere including to the side
and behind the orchestra. All are usually available.
Wouldn't it be neat to see the symphony from the
performer's view?
The room is so acoustically magnificent that no
amplification is required. They have these big clear
donuts that they can raise and lower over the orchestra
so that the performers can hear each other better.
The best part was the organ. It is an older mechanical
style that dates back 200 years. There are so many
pipes that the organ takes up 8 meters of space
behind the wall. Wayne said that when they play
it the whole building shakes.
At the end of the tour, we headed for the ferry to Darling Harbor and the Aquarium. We had a quick lunch at the Harborside shops and then explored the
aquarium. It was a decent aquarium and we got to see many of the fish we saw on the reef. In addition they have a huge shark tank with some of the
largest rays we ever saw. We also saw wollongongs and a shark that was a cross with a ray.
We ended the evening with dinner at Circular Quay at the only 24x7 restaurant. They are the equivalent of a greasy spoon in the states but with a wider
range of foods and much less grease. Howard enjoyed a Satay chicken panini and Kirsten chose the chocolate pancakes with vanilla ice cream and
chocolate sauce from the breakfast side of the menu. They were fantastic!! |
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Designing the SOH |
SOH Tour 1 |
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SOH Tour 2 |
SOH Tour 3 |
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