Our tour of the Sydney Opera House was interesting, but we were not able to take pictures of the indoor sights, like the theatres. There were craftsmen at work in the theaters. More importantly, I suspect, Ryan Gosling was filming a movie somewhere in the complex. (Well, excuse the heck of the rest of us Ryan.) However, I did manage to pull one shot off the internet. The theaters are acoustically amazing. The seats are comfortable with sufficient leg room to imagine a pleasant evening at a concert or opera.

The history of the construction of the iconic building was fascinating to hear. It began with a group of renowned designers and architects rejecting the design until Eero Saarinen convinced his colleagues that it was the winner. The designer, a relatively unknown young Danish architect named Jørn Utzon who envisioned a sculptural curved building on the harbor. His vision for the exterior of the building was completed, but political intervention over costs led to his resignation from the project and another architect was brought in to finish the project. In the end, however, Utzon was asked by a later, perhaps more artistically sensitive government to develop a set of design principals regarding the building which now govern how it must be maintained.  In 2007 the Sydney Opera House was formally recognized as one of the most outstanding places on Earth with its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the World Heritage Convention. Sadly, Mr. Utzon never returned to Australia, but our tour guide told us that he had the honor of having Mr. Utson grandson on one of his tours last year.

Another touching fact that was mentioned during the tour was Dame Joan Sutherland’s devotion to the Opera House. At a time in her career when she did not need to take the time away from singing in the great established houses of the world, she made room for this new venue in her homeland and brought her fame and friends to it. After her death the opera theater was named for her, and this lovely portrait (best picture I could find) hangs outside its doors.

A few interesting shots from outside the Opera House, one shows a close-up of one of the iconic “shells” and another shows the famous harbor bridge.

That evening, we went to dinner at Darling Harbor. Steve had learned of a series of fireworks displays and water shows in commemoration of Lunar New Year. We hoped to finish dinner and try to find a spot to see the fireworks over the water. We found a spot at one of the many restaurants that line the harbor, but because of the crowds present, were unable to get seated, served, and complete our meals before the fireworks started. I was able to find a spot between two bushes to get some shots of the fireworks-not great quality, but I hope it gives you an idea of the spectacular,

It was quite a night and, as the old saying goes, “my dogs were barking” by the time we got back to our apartment that night.

• Uncategorized