Wednesday was a glorious day- beautiful blue sky, warm, stunning… Then we got on the bus. I had just finished explaining how much I liked the Sydney public transport system when our bus lady drove into an oncoming car at the roundabout. Not content with having produced language from me that would truly shock my mother, she then reversed into the traffic behind her. And then giggled. Having decided at this point that being alive was better than sticking to my schedule, we got off the bus and went for breakfast at the Sweet Spot, which, as its name suggests, is a good place for cake and strudel. Having given the buses an hour to return to normal, we finally made it into the city.
We were booked in for a behind the scenes tour of the Opera House at 10:30, so spent the time before the tour pottering in the Botanical Gardens. I had been before, but was still struck by how stunning the gardens are, and how close they are to the CBD. The Opera Tour was pretty good- I was a bit put off by the need to wear headsets, but other than that it was great to see behind the scenes. It was interesting seeing the original design that won the Opera House competition and to appreciate just how over-budget and delayed the project was. I still can’t quite believe that that same person who is responsible for the Opera House is the same person who designed Elvet Bridge. He must have been having an ‘off-day’. We were lucky enough to watch part of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s rehearsal, which was truly awesome. The seats in the Opera House were designed by a surgeon to be as comfortable as possible, and they really are.
After a wander around The Rocks, we returned home to shower before dinner and the Opera. Dinner was at Aria, a restaurant I had been to, and loved, before. The pre-theatre menu was good and the views were spectacular, but it all felt very rushed. We very nearly didn’t make it to the Opera House on time, which is bizarre considering they are only 300m apart. The Opera was stunning. I love Marriage anyway, but the performance was first-class. Suzanna and the Countess in particular were brilliant, and Figaro had the most beautiful voice. If this medicine thing doesn’t work out, I think I will spend my time reviewing operas. But only decent ones! I’m beginning to appreciate the advantage of knowing an opera as a singer- I really wished Sarah was there to appreciate the cat-fight between Marcellina and Suzanna with me!
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