Sydney, Day 3

Today I accidentally found a rose garden. I was looking for something else entirely and found a public rose garden instead. What a lovely surprise.

 Sydney is the capital of New South Wales. I set out to find their Legislative Assembly. I was expecting something a bit closer to what most Canadian capitals have because they have very similar parliamentary system as we do (as all of the Commonwealth does). I tried to get a tour, even pulling out my "I work for the Canadian Government" card, but it didn't work. School tours only.

 I love the interrobang. It is my favourite punctuation mark. It is also highly appropriate for a State Library to use. Good on you, NSW State Library.

 This sign lied. I waited and waited and waited for about 20 minutes and there were a total of zero zebras that crossed. Highly disappointing.

On the other side of the crosswalk, however, was a Guy Fawkes protest of some sort. There were about 50 people on the steps of the old State Library building hollering on about something, all wearing Guy Fawkes masks. At first I thought it was some Anonymous bullshit but then I realized it was 5 November and they were reciting Remember, Remember. They dispersed shortly after. They had even invited the police to watch and make sure they didn't take the poem too literally.

It was nice to stop and smell the roses, both literally and figuratively.

 I had set out on the day to find the Anzac Memorial. This building is beyond words. It is gigantic and simple all at once. It is made of concrete and clad with pink granite. The interior is made up of marble with four niches listing places the 1st AIF fought during many wars.

 It is a very quiet place.

 The pigeon didn't seem to know what was behind it.

I sat down for lunch and had some company. I had heard parrots in the trees all day long but this was the first that they actually flew down!

Next stop: Cairns!