Departing Sydney

I have a real soft spot for the city of Sydney. All the things we say about it in our promotional material is very clichéd but, in most cases very true and in which lies its appeal. Brash. Loud, Flamboyant. International recognition. That unique harbour. All true and part of the formula. On an autumn day when the temperature is in the low twenties it is especially appealing (although I prefer the humid heat of summer). The sugar maples are not too sure if it is really heading to winter so their leaves are still hanging on, some a dirty green, others a burnt umber. But bare branched? Not at all. As if hanging in there with the rest of us, denying the notion that winter ever happens in this place. A clear blue sky but with a hint of yellow haze as the sun drops early, long shadows tricking the mind into thinking that it is later than it really is. Throwing the city in relief, highlighting the off-white building surfaces and showing off a city that is never in any doubt that it is up there with the best of them. This view from the international terminal and on day one of the long haul to London. Which is a 22 hour marathon from here. And a world away from this brilliant place.

3 Comments

walkable says:

May 14, 2007 at 9:05 am

I remember that view well from Botany Bay. I had tears in my eyes when I left Sydney, I did not want to leave (I’m from the US and studied abroad there a few years back). It’s my favourite city in the world, and I’ve been to quite a few of them.

Steve Madsen says:

May 14, 2007 at 6:19 pm

We leave our adopted home in Seattle next month headed back to Oz. I’m sure we’ll have similar feelings as the Space Needle and Mt Rainer disappear into the distance. Crossing the Sydney Heads will signal we’re home.

ozlady says:

May 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm

I love Sydney – I had the most amazing experience in this wonderful place that my heart calls home during the 2000 Olympics, when all the schmaltz came true – it was amazing the feeling of friendship and harmony. It breaks my heart to hear the violence and pettiness there and around the world today.

Niceblog.

Author: Bruce Lyman

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