We woke to 3 degrees, just when Chris had tried to assure me that Perth was warmer than Canberra, where today those in the country’s capital enjoyed a balmy 6 degrees. He was mistaken as are those who try to promote this city in the west as warm and sunny. We wrapped ourselves in a multitude of layers and hats and ventured out on foot.
Today I took my husband into my Perth, that part of the city I have discovered for myself over the past two weeks, because it is indeed two weeks today since we arrived. He gazed out the window of the buses recognising very little but then decided that since this had been his original point of entry to Australia forty three years ago, he was more taken with the unpeopled beaches and the warm sun rather than all the details we note now as we travel about. We also understand that travelling youth have an entirely different appreciation of new places than more mature travellers.
We went in search of the Hotel Britannia somewhere north of the railway, Chris’ first place of residence in Australia, and decided that multi-story parking buildings have taken its place. A visit to the council office sometime over the next couple of weeks may solve the mystery.
Lunch was consumed while we sat in Forrest Place, the entertainment today a repeat performance from the WA Police Pipe Band. We sat some distance from the stage area between the water feature and the bright green sculpture; Chris is not as passionate about the stirring of the pipes as I. He has no Scottish blood flowing in his veins.
We visited the Art Gallery of Western Australia during the afternoon and found, unsurprisingly, it rates on our layman scale rather below those galleries in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Ballarat. In fact for the first hour, I was particularly uninspired with the lesser works of well-known artists, however further corners of the gallery turned up some delights.
As we have discovered so oft during our travels, Year 12 students include some very talented artists, and here today we saw more brilliant work. Many of these students will make their names on the greater stage in the years to come.
We also enjoyed the exhibition in the basement titled “Your Collection: 1800 – 1920; Here and There” which included work by Frederick McCubbin, Auguste Rodin, Hans Heysen, Arthur Streeton and the like, and not so much that titled “Your Collection: 1920 – 1960; Many Modernisms”, but that would be because we are really very conservative sorts if you had not already worked that out for yourselves.
Both feeling rather weary, we rushed to the street side bus stop in St Georges Terrace and stood in the cold longer than expected, waiting for the 299, which did finally turn up.
Back at camp we found ourselves sharing the pine tree lined driveway with a convoy of cars heading into the park. It seems that the Adventists have a gathering on this evening; maybe a prayer meeting to convert the infidel caravanners on their patch?
Chris is not feeling altogether wonderful this evening; I do hope he has not caught some lurgy on the air flight. It is Saturday tomorrow; we will have a more relaxed day. It takes some days to recover from these long international journeys.
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