"Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it." -Tom Lehrer

Mark played Schubert's Impromptu Opus 90 #3 at yesterday's concert.  He played it again for us today so Dave could capture it on video.  Enjoy!

A Musical Send-Off

If our Australia experience were a story, last night would have been the climax--you know, the scene where everything comes together. The final turning point. The emotional apex.

Just like in a novel or a film, all the key characters were in place:  Mark, his mother Gloria, our new friends Beci and Natalie, and a rich mix of music lovers and the best musicians from the Queensland Orchestra.

And oh, what a place.  A home with a crystal staircase.  A home designed by classical music lovers Avon and Helen Phillips to share their passion with others--ergo, the music room that houses Victor Borge's grand piano, and space for 90 guests, and long windows that evoke a modern church framing an expanse of trees.

The evening was billed as "Opus 6:  Soiree on Sundays at the Phillips."

For the first piece Mark, at the piano, was joined by an oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon for Mozart's "Quintet in E Flat Major."  Listening to it felt like floating in champagne bubbles.

crystal staircase (photo by Beci)

The second half of the program, with the addition of a flute, featured the French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)--whose music was described for us as "half priest, half clown."  Indeed, the instrumental mix elicited delight, creepiness, and the sublime.

This mix of reverence and irreverence reflects Poulenc's life as a devout Catholic and an out gay man.  He once said, "You know that I am as sincere in my faith...as I am in my Parisian sexuality."

The audience erupted in gasps and claps at the end of the first part of the Poulenc piece. Then we fastened our seat belts for the rest of it.

Afterward we enjoyed Helen's delectable hand-made sandwiches and sweets.  The baklava was almost as ethereal as the Mozart.

Mark said this piano is ideal
for playing Schubert and Liszt.

When most people had left, Mark sat at the piano and played a spontaneous private concert for our hosts, the architect of the house and his wife, Beci and Natalie, and Dave and me.

Mark flayed open Schubert with incredible passion. I saw through blurry eyes that I wasn't the only one deeply moved.

And now the denouement--the story's resolution, or literally the "untying of the knot."  We pack our bags in the room where every morning Mark's music drifted up to us as he practiced.  We leave here with a song--and a new expanse of joy--in our hearts.

It's People!

Love has our back!

Yes, we've seen so many amazing animals and places in almost five weeks in Australia.

But it's the connections to people that have been the richest.

We've become a family with Mark and his mother Gloria as we live under the same roof. Every morning I bring coffee to them downstairs. Then, while Dave and I do yoga or eat breakfast, Mark plays the piano.

Joy:  Living with a concert pianist.

The other morning a violinist joined him to practice for a recording session.  Dave and I were in heaven as they rehearsed Vivaldi's "Four Seasons."

Sharing meals and conversations, gazing at the fish tank together hoping the most exotic elusive fish will pop out, watching videos, taking day trips--we've been doing all the stuff that family does.

BFFs in new hats.

Last night, Dave and I gave Mark advice on what to wear for a date.  If that's not sibling behavior, I don't know what is!

Getting some dog love at an Airbnb host's house.

Adding to the family vibe has been this:  staying in others' homes (via Airbnb) for our trips to Noosa and Byron Bay.

Dinner with new friends:  Susan and Andy in Noosa.

Also, we've had a blast hanging out with new people we've met through our gracious friends who are following our travels.  With the internet, this is no longer a "Six Degrees of Separation" world; it's more like one or two degrees.

With a little help from our new friends, we've seen the wonders of Noosa, Brisbane, Byron Bay, and the wacky city of Nimbin.

With Beci and Natalie at Byron Bay Lighthouse,
the Eastern-most point of Australia.
 

It's inevitable that we will get close to people on this journey, and then part.  But as Maya Angelou said, "Why spend precious hours fearing the inevitable?  It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives."

Hanging Out With Koalas

Good thing I practice "the tree" in yoga.

"Be a tree."

That was the advice of the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary employee while positioning my limbs (arms) in preparation for a koala to perch on me.

Her name was Tinkerbell.  And the minute I felt the trusting weight of her compact body lean into me, I fell in love.

Why do so many people go nuts over koalas?  Perhaps because they are insanely cute. And they smell--so adorable!--like cough drops.  I think the fact that they are marsupials adds to their allure.  How delightful is the fact that they carry their young in a pouch?

Munching on eucalyptus, ergo the cough drop scent.

Koalas spend most of their time sleeping, especially during the warmest parts of the day. For that reason, we'd heard they might not be very active. A cool day played in our favor.  We saw them eating and moving about.  But we also saw plenty koalas endearingly snoozing while curled up in tree limbs.

zzzzzzz......

This sanctuary is an awesome place.  There are many amazing animals to see.  We were able to get up close to raptors and dingoes that park employees walked around with.

Can get up to 85 K (190 pounds) and 190 cm  (75 inches ) tall.

Dave was especially thrilled to get to see--finally--the Southern Cassowary.  This colorful, large, flightless bird is the only bird in Australia that ever killed a man.  That was in 1926 so it's really not something to lose sleep over.

We also saw various other birds, wombats, a Tasmanian devil (which looks nothing like the cartoon version), platypuses, and kangaroos.

so soft

The kangaroos--and a few emus--hang out in a large enclosure that you can walk around in.  You can pet these docile creatures who are clearly used to people.  That was quite a contrast to having seen kangas in the wild.

Getting to the sanctuary was fun because--although you can drive or take a bus--we chose to ride a boat up the Brisbane River. 

Brisbane

The boat ride takes about an hour.  It's a lovely experience, floating past the city and under numerous bridges that are architectural wonders.  As you leave the downtown, the river is lined with beautiful foliage and amazing homes. 

Dave's got photo skills.

The riverboat captain noticed a boa in a tree and stopped to allow people to take photos.  I heard it was off-season for snakes, but this one didn't get the memo.

When we returned to downtown, we walked around the city, just exploring.  Before we knew it, the sun was setting.  And we experienced a final treat:  the splendor of Brisbane at night.