Categories: uncategorized
Date: 26 January 2005 10:27:50
A very nice Australia Day.
Lunch at Mado Cafe in Auburn -- entrée: cucumber dip with a wondrous bread; main: grilled chicken with spices galore on rice with salad, and mince 'sausages' [I forget what they were called] on puffed wheat with salad; dessert: Turkish tea and hazelnut ice-cream. Absolutely delicious. The cafe is also a wondrous environment in itself: many historic and modern objects of everyday life in Turkey are hung on the walls.
We then went to the city to see the Life Beyond the Tomb exhibit at the Australian Museum. Before that, we went to the Food and Wine Fair in Hyde Park to sample the delights. As we ate and drank, we were treated to an air show of four planes doing various manoeuvres -- the pilots are very talented people.
It was then to the museum. As it was Australia Day, the price for the exhibit had been reduced by $10, so I got in -- with my student card -- for $5. The exhibit was magnificent: full of historical pieces and historical information, and examples of not only mummified humans but mummified cats, falcons and even crocodiles! The exhibit of mummified heads freaked me out quite a bit. It was not without moments of amusement though. Spell 53 for the safe passage through the Underworld was a spell to "prevent the eating of faeces and drinking of urine in the Underworld". I can't even begin to think why one would need a spell for that!
After the museum we battled out way through an antique car show and returned to Hyde Park for some more food and drink -- and plenty of chatting.
After that we walked on to the Botanic Gardens, but before we reach the gardens, we discovered the NSW Art Gallery was still open [it opens until 8pm Wednesdays in summer], so we popped our heads in. The display of Japanese screens had me in awe: they truly do have the ability to transport you to the scene painted and to draw you in with the use of colour and the style. I am a complete art ignoramus, but I did love them.
Time got on, and it was time to head back home. A wonderful -- and an informative -- day out wth friends.