The Gap!

26 October 2009

The trees are in fact Briazilian jacarandas, and they bloom their lilac-purple flowers for just a few weeks in October, so we've inadvertently timed it right. This I know because we have been to Brisbane, and stayed with two of the loveliest people ever. Louise's mum and dad, Peter and Fiona Firth, were good enough (and grateful enough for our blog when their own child failed to keep hers up: naughty Louise!) to offer us their hospitality. And we are unemployed enough to accept gratefully. On Friday night, after a little education concerning Australian flora, they fed us and put us to bed in Louise's room. We're generaly really comfy in the van, but I must say, it was so nice to sleep in a real bed. And in a neighbourhood called The Gap!

Brisbane is the third city of Oz, and was long considered a bit of a backward cousin to Sydney and Melbourne. But it's growing quickly (1000 new residents a week), and has a great transport system, and is a thoroughly nice place. On Friday afternoon we moseyed up to Mount Coot-tha, with it's lookout over the whole city. Saturday morning took the bus into town to give David and break on the driving, and spent the day wandering along a bit of a walking tour. Variously encountering Ann, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Catherine Streets...sorry, Fran. Clearly Bris-Vegas was meant for me...both The Gap and a free fashion exhibit at the Brisbane Museum ('Dressing Brisbane') featuring clothes by all the best dressmakers of Brizzie; really, what else could any city offer me? It's a cultural mecca. And you can buy enchiladas made by Chinese people for lunch.

The City Hall was once the most expensive building in Australia (beaten down by the Sydney Opera House in 1971. Bad Opera House!) Went up the clock tower to see the view. There's an Anzac Square with neoclassical tempiettos and bizarre trees with bulbous trunks...all very diverting.

There is also a cathedral, the oldest Catholic one in Australia (or Queensland, can't recall), designed by Augustus Pugin himself and dedicated to Blessed Mary Mackillop, in line to be the very first Australian saint. Very inspiring or something. Next door is the nouveau-riche, OTT cathedral which clearly fails to exhibit Pugin's brilliance and also has no Scottish Outback saints in residence.

Took the very good city cat ferry thing down the river to New Farm Park and Fortitude Valley, home to the sort of hipster boho middle-class kids who like their t-shirts expensive and their tattoos visible. Freebie music festival on, featuring a White Stripes-esque rock country group at the time, doing a decent cover of 'Jolene,' although I suspect they don't know that Dolly did the original and instead were attempting to channel Jack White. Dinner at a place called Breakfast Creek Hotel, which is an institution because they still serve beer from a wooden cask. Whatever. They tried to make us eat in the rain, so they're not that cool. Gorgeous steaks, though.