more about Canberra
the second day in the ACT was fun, but unnerving. I became convinced that the national capital has been placed under strict but secret anti-terrorist measures.
in the morning we wanted milk. We found Woden shops on my cousin's street directory and set off in the car. Hadn't even taken five turns before we realized we'd somehow taken a wrong direction and were heading south (on a dead-end road) rather than west. It looked like a country airstrip - crumbling asphalt leaking into sere grass, barbed wire fences and grim winter fields. Well, we got onto the freeway and travelled TEN KILOMETRES to the shops for our two litres of milk and two bananas. L said she saw a sign for local shops in our suburb, but no shops were to be seen.
Once in the shopping centre we found a map. It didn't lead us to the supermarket; it lead us into a dead-end corner of the mall. We had to go back twice to check we were going where we thought we were, then gave up and asked directions in a shop. There was something about our not being on the level we thought we were - but then the only reason we thought we were anywhere was the "you are here" marked on the directory sign....
Now for two science graduates this was a bit hard to understand. Clearly the strategy is to confuse anybody who's not a local by a thoroughgoing strategy of providing incorrect maps. That way the terrorist won't be able to find her way to Parliament House, the Mint or any of our other essential organizations. She'll be running out of petrol at the end of Lake Burley-Griffin when she gets picked up by the Feds, so desperately disoriented that she's grateful for the lift.
After another ten-km drive back to the flat for breakfast, we packed up and set off for the national gallery. I was sorry that there is so little pre-twentieth century European art on show there. The new Koori art was stunning and utterly moving; to my surprise I found myself moved to cry by a few of these paintings. In my excitement in this part of the gallery, I realized I had run back and forth past the notorious "Blue Poles" a couple of times before even noticing it! We mada a favourite new discovery in German artist Anselm (what a perfect name) Kiefer.
http://www.albrightknox.org/ArtStart/Kiefer.html
One of the two Kiefer pieces in the gallery was an immense book made of lead, called "the secret life of plants". The other is "Abendland", in English the slightly more pompous "Twilight of the West":
http://www.nga.gov.au/International/Catalogue/Detail.cfm?IRN=14804&ViewID=2&GalID=2
We *loved* this one. Hung high on an oblique wall it was simultaneously rich and bleak. If I lived in a warehouse (a real one, not a converted unit) it would be the perfect piece for a main wall. I shall start saving up.
The Art Gallery's cafe sold surprisingly poor quality food. Once again we were bewildered trying to locate the place - signs were useless; a security guard somewhat more useful. :/ Advice to future travellers: bring your own supplies. Sit in the cafe for the view and a glass of wine: surely that won't be able to be wrecked the way our pasta and foccaccia were....