sydney

Some of the facades of the building include elaborate friezes. A lot of the buildings in Sydney are made from sandstone, I assume it was locally available, it adds a warmth to the building and many of the facades are beautifully carved into as in the bottom photo. It seems the mineral in the sandstone 'rusts' to this lovely colour.




I am always intrigued by plants that grow in unusual places in this case a rather large shrub is growing in the down pipe.





It is hard to tell but the facade has a date of 18 .. - what a shame the building is so run done. Chippendale is so close to town you think it would be ripe for the revamping our inner suburbs experience. In Redfern there are old terrace houses everywhere you turn so cute but so run down.





Sydney has so much history compared to Perth, so much that there are so many beautiful old building vacant and derelict. In some cases it doesn't even seem possible that anyone is living in them but as you can see from this they are if you look closely there is a well tended tomato plant on the sill on the top floor. I can't help wondering who the owner of it is and how he lives. I do love the name of the shop though, you may not be able to tell from the photo but the Rationalist News was available from here.





One of my favourite buildings in Sydney is the mortuary station I love the architecture. Luckily we were staying in th Y Hotel nearby so I had the opportunity to take some photos (the last time I as there it was covered in scaffolding). The Mortuary Station was built to take the dead and their family to the Necropolis at Rookwood. This page give some more detail http://www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au/c_building/wlocality9_2_ochert.html





My two favourite building in Sydney the Queen Victoria Building and the Strand Arcade. Does is say something about me that these are both shopping arcades? The Queen Victoria Building was actually due to be demolished in the 1950's but was saved and scheduled for restoration which was completed in 1986. The Strand Arcade is Sydney's first shopping arcade and has a wealth of wrough iron and a glass ceiling. Apparently it was almost destroyed in the late seventies by fire. These were actually taken from a previous trip - no time to shop this time.

11:11

I have had a bad week (diet wise) I have just celebrated my birthday which involved several convivial meals with family and good friends. I am still recovering from the wining and dining. Although - I did not indulge in the 'festival of birthdays' that a nameless friend (yes you know who you are) holds. She actually indicated to me the other day she doesn't have birthday parties just so she can have many separate gatherings - good move I say pleasure should always be stretched out.
I commented to a friend the other day that I seem to be seeing 11:11 on my digital clock a lot lately and I laughingly commented that there must be something spooky in this - well ever curious, I decided to serach for this phenomona on the internet - you should try it there are some interesting people out there on the weird wide web.

wonderlust

Today as I was working I heard the sound of an icecream truck playing Greensleeves - it was as if I had still been connected to my childhood by a lacky band - I was instantly pulled back to my youth. The excitement when I heard that sound, the dash back home to mum to beg for money for an icecream, the agonising decision over what to buy. I actually hate soft serve icecream but I sure was nostalgic for those days. I don't know if children today can get excited over the little things which is sad. I think they have lost their wonder. I hope I never get so jaded that I cannot be excited about a ladybird landing on my hand or seeing a kookaburra in the middle of the suburbs. Perhaps I have always just been satisfied with small things.

I have some leave from work and since I still rise at 5.30 - 6.00 have been taking the opportunity to walk. I have been walking for at least an hour each day. I must look a sight because I realise I unconsciously walk along to the pace of my MP3 player which has an unusual mix on it but I haven't planned the playlist well for exercise. One minute I am striding along to Iggy Pop's "Passenger" then I slow down for Rose Royce "love don't live here anymore". I will have to remix the tracks to match my exercise.

summer

Finally, I am getting glimpses of summer - it is about time. Where I live seems to have a lot of bird life for a suburb 15 minutes from the city centre. A cheeky little Willy Wagtail perches on the fence just above my head as I am weeding, no doubt hoping for some 6 legged snack. They seem to have all been surfacing lately (unfortunately at 5am). My bus stop has a tiny little triangular park opposite and I have noticed as I wait for the bus at least 5 different species of birds. It disheartens me though to note that at least 2 of the birds I observed only had 1 leg, no doubt due to damage from cats. Why aren't pet owners more responsible? It isn't impossible to keep your cats in at night.

Although I must admit I am a sucker and try to feed the birds I see with injuries , thereby creating some reverse of 'survival of the fittest'. I am probably ruining the order of the universe!!

Driving me crazy

Someone recently commented to me that it must be nice that my daughter now has her driver's licence because she can now pick me up from events etc.. Sounds great in theory, if the gaining of her licence had not coincided with a burgeoning social life.
Yes it would be handy, if I ever saw her. Do you think if I turned down the sheets and left a mint on her pillow she would get the hint?

some things never change

I have been fixedly avoiding some study I should be doing. Someone in particular reading this will know exactly what that study is. The house suddenly needs cleaning, you know that cupboard you haven't looked at in years. I have tried to pretend that neatly arranging the paperwork and putting some index labels on it actually constitutes study.

xanadu

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea...."

An extract from my favourite poem, not the least because of the myth behind it.