A few shots from last weekend, taken as we explored Sydney's annual festival of light. With loads of creative and interactive light installations to be discovered around the harbour foreshore, it's a pretty special time to be in Sydney. It's particularly special to Rich and I as he proposed during Vivid four years ago, you can read the story here.
We loved the extra day off thanks to the Queen's Birthday public holiday. We spent it de-cluttering and getting a stack of odd jobs done around the house. It feels great, I feel SO refreshed! De-clutter your house and de-clutter your mind, so they say...
How was your weekend?
Belinda x
We were lucky enough to get tickets - and amazing seats - to two great shows at The Sydney Opera House during the Vivid festival.
First, Janelle Monae & The ArchAndroid Orchestra. Tiny lady, massive voice, killer moves!
It was a brilliant show, she's clever, quirky and crazy talented. I'm completely won over with a big band sound especially if that band is dancing the whole time. And, although I appreciate that she's created an avant garde, Alice in Oz fantasy world and the show was intended to feel immersive much like Michael Jackson and Prince have done before her, it did feel a little too scripted at times. It was clear that everyone on stage and off were having a great time. I don't know, I guess I get more from a show when it's more fluid and the artist is responding to the audience and translating that into their performance, real time. It makes for a more unique and personal experience to me. That being said, it was completely fun. Her ridiculous voice. Love her.
Then there was The Temper Trap. Holy Heck. What.a.mother.flippin.show.
These boys had just returned home and were pretty pumped about it, you could totally tell. It was a dream combination, that sound and those vocals in the Sydney Opera House. Didnt hurt that we were just 3 rows back from the stage too!
That last image of The Temper Trap's bass player, Jonathon Aherne, makes me smile. Dude can play. But not only that, he's so amazing to watch. Wears his bass high, which I love, and he just gets inside the music. He dances with that axe as if it's an extension of himself, like a samurai. He's having such a great time, you cant help but feel it too. Brilliant! (See what I mean, here.)
All images taken with the iphone. I wanted to give you a taste but the quality doesn't do the shows justice, unfortunately. I always worry about taking a camera for fear of some door rule that forces me to leave it in the cloak room. Then, inevitably during the shows, I always regret not bringing it.
Right! M'off to enjoy more of this Sunday sunshine, who knows how long it will last!
Happy weekending.
Belinda x
The annual Sydney Vivid festival is a special event in this house. On the Queen's birthday long weekend, three years ago, Rich and I hit the town for the day. It was a spontaneous 'Ferris Bueller' kind of day, no plan just going wherever the feeling took us. An exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, taking in the view from Centrepoint Tower, lunch in The Rocks. And, once the sun went down, we followed the light installations of Vivid around the harbourfront.
This eventually lead us up to Observatory Hill where Rich suggested we stop and take in the view. On a quiet park bench, under a huge fig tree beside the Observatory, Rich completely took me by surprise and offered me a beautiful ring and the promise of forever. He had stored that ring in his sock drawer for months, then carried it around in his jacket pocket all day just in case the perfect moment presented itself. Did it ever! Love love love, that man.
This year we started our night by meeting at our park bench at the Observatory. Once the sun had set, we joined a night tour and saw Saturn, Mars, nebulas and stars from the darkness of the Observatory domes. It's been a week of truly dreadful weather, so we were lucky to get a clear night. And gosh, it's such a beautiful, humble building. Built over a hundred and fifty years ago, it's no longer in an ideal spot for an Observatory given the light pollution of the city but, there's something quite magical about it. A stillness, watching over the bustle of the city and beyond. Way, way beyond. I cant believe I've never been before, it certainly wont be the last visit. I guess the beauty of it is that the night sky is ever changing and there'll always be something new to see.
Sydney Vivid is a 'Festival of Light, Music and Idea's' and runs over two weeks finishing on the Queen's birthday long weekend. It's a lovely time to be in Sydney, there's always amazing shows to see, forums to join, pop up shops to browse and the city sparkles with art and light. Exploring this beautiful city is fun at the best of times but with light sculptures and interactive installations found in alley ways, corners, tunnels, on buildings, under the water, suspended over the water, roaming around discovering them is a joy.
So, just like that Vivid is over again for another year. Short but so sweet. It was tough to make the most of everything on offer! We missed out on Florence and the Machine at the Opera House (curses!!) but we did catch Janelle Monae and The Temper Trap (insanely good) but more on that later. With so much to do and see, and timed right about when Winter starts to get under my skin, it does well to remind me how great it can be to live in Sydney. And, it gives us a wonderful excuse to relive and cherish our engagement story. Long may it continue!
Belinda x
PS. Doing my best 'dodgy loiterer' pose in that last photo! pretty impressive eh...
