Harry Potter in Sydney

We left Melbourne this morning and flew to Sydney.  We have been sort of getting the lay of the land.  Since our rooms weren't ready, we walked to the Sydney version of Victoria Market--not like Melbourne's of the same name.  This Victoria Market is like a Melbourne arcade, and we found some lunch.  Then back to the hotel to unpack, visit a grocer, and get set up with internet. (I needed to rent a Vodaphone mobile internet access for this leg of the trip.)

Sydney apparently has the largest IMAX screen in the world, and guess what is showing? Right--I know you read the title pf this post.  Believe me, Hagrid was HUGE on this screen!  Harry Potter is really over:  no more books, and no more films.  We have had a whole series of summers with Harry Potter.  In 2000, we were driving cross country when the fourth book was released.  We found a little book store in Mitchell, SD a few days ahead of the July 8th premier.  The bookseller was very low key and set aside a copy for us.  I read it out loud to everyone over the road noise as we drove.  The sixth book also came with us on a summer vacation, to Acadia National Park in Maine.  The family had me reading that one aloud until I couldn't hold my eyes open any more.  (Right, it must have been past 9pm---but we did spend all day hiking, I earned my sleepiness!)  I remember that one day we got up and realized we would not be able to go anywhere until we finished, so we stayed in cottage and I read.  Dumbledore dies at the end, and Mark still swears that his vacation was ruined.

Seeing the last movie in 3-D on a great big screen was pretty exciting.  I also think it was a nice experience to see it with such an international audience also.

Sydney has a reputation of being a bit more hectic and with less charm than Melbourne.  It is a bigger city population wise and in area.  It's too soon to be certain of its character yet.  It is Sunday after all, and things seemed a bit quiet.

The IMAX theater is at Darling Harbor, which has a boat show at the moment, and this added some glamor to the evening through the boats and the people who own them and came to see them.  It's a few degrees warmer here and definitely feels like spring.