Sweet Wayfaring

I climbed the steps of the library, looked back down and noticed this sculpture.  Having just had a bower bird move into our garden and build a bower I felt sure this must be imitating one of those. So I walked over to find out but the signage says it's about fire and water.

We are back at the National Library.  Next time I am down in Canberra I expect all of those poplars will be golden yellow.

It's time to walk back to the Library, back past the rose gardens and the Tent Embassy.

There is a House of Representatives garden on the other side of Old Parliament House.  This one what quite similar but had a bowling green.

It's the old Senate gardens now open to the public.  Nice. If there are Senate Gardens  I am guessing there will also be House of Representative gardens on the other side.  Let's go find out.

I haven't noticed those gates before.  And look they are open.  Let's go take a peak inside.

Of course the reason why the tent embassy is located where it is, it is on the lawns in front of the Old Parliament House, which was the active Parliament House in 1972.

I had no idea the Aboriginal tent embassy had grown so large, there were lots of tents pitched at the site.  The embassy was started in 1974 as a protest for land rights and indigenous representation.

Ah I've found the rose gardens. Not looking too good, the recent heat and dry patch seems to have taken it's toll.  What are all those tents - it looks like a camp site.

There are of course government offices in this vicinity, known as the Parliamentary Triangle.

I am such a sucker for a nice avenue of trees. I usually head towards the lake but on this walk we are going in the other direction,.

I am back in Canberra and back at the National Library but I am sick of working all of the time, so let's go for walk before I got find a desk. I am so glad they introduced parking fees, now it's possible to get a car park.

Ah ha. I found some sandstone. Inspiring. @ Macquarie University, Sydney

I am an old fashioned type of person.  Nothing will persuade me that these buildings are lovely. So different from the inspiring sandstone campus I attended. And so like the equally ugly award winning Cameron Offices where I worked in Canberra, built in the same era. That's the library below, which is a little bit smarter, but I reckon the building beside it looks like a car park. @ Macquarie University, Sydney

We are at Macquarie University -- Sydney's third university, founded in 1964. Enough time for some foliage to soften the brutalist architecture of the buildings, more on that tomorrow. @Macquarie University, Sydney

It must be a university library we are going to ... the usual city business crowd has given way to youthful students. @Epping Station, Sydney

We are off on a new adventure in the city, in search of yet another library. @Epping Station, Sydney

We end this little jaunt with some of the prize winning exhibits on display. @ Showground, Rylstone

@Showground, Rylstone

This is fine wool growing country so not surprising to see some woolly stuff going on. @Showground, Rylstone

We went to the Kandos-Rylstone show a week or so ago. @Showgrounds, Rylstone

The Leonard French stained glass windows at the National Library are somewhat obscured these days by the book displays and a cafe on the other side of the foyer. I love this bookshop, I imagine writing essays based on the book titles.  Just look at the ones you can see here -- Island Home, Behind the Lines, Comfort Zone, Barry Jones, The High Places, That Empty Feeling, Public Library -- I am sure I could make up something for each of those.

I've been gone a few weeks and have been out and about but haven't found the energy to post any images so it's time a corrected that. We go to Canberra regularly. Last time I was there I found this monkey at my usual haunt the National Library. Yep another library, you are right if you are beginning to think that libraries and bookshops are just about the only places I go ... but I do go to lots of different ones.