Two Loose Sheilas Hit Brisbane

Or, should I say, Two Sheilas Let Loose in Brisbane. Yes, that sounds a bit more seemly...

On Tuesday Carolyn decided that we needed to catch the train into the City.  As you know, Carolyn lives 20 miles north of this "frontier town".  Until the 80's with the World Games and Expo, Brisbane, Australia's third largest city,  was considered a provincial backwater.  Today it is a thriving, bustling city with modern high risers among the more older buildings that give the visitor a sense of of what Brisbane was in the past...a stylish, tropical paradise.

We took the train as far as Roma Street Parklands, a beautiful garden in the middle of the city.  The flowers were in bloom and as we hiked the trails, I couldn't help but marvel at all these gorgeous bushes and flowers.

At the top of of the hill is a Memorial Garden to "all Australians who fought in foreign wars".

Leaving Roma Parkland, we headed down a walkway that led us past Albert Street Church.  It was a beautiful structure and we decided to go in to take a peek at the gorgeous stain glass windows.

I was surprised to see that even in sub-tropical Paradise, when homeless, one needs a blanket at night.

Across the street was City Hall, a colossal ediface that had a 299-foot tower. rising above King George Square.

We then approached Queen Street Mall, the main street of Brisbane.

Leaving the Mall, we strolled further down Queen Street where we found the Old Post Office Building and MacArthur's Chambers.

Young Brisbanites lunching in Post Office Square.

Leaving Post Office Square, we approached Anzac Square.  The Old Central Station is in the background.

Anzac Square houses the Anzac Memorial in which lies the Eternal Flame of Remembrance.  The Park also has many statues memorialising different war time campaigns.

more lunch time lawn lunchers..

This businessperson, on the run, tie akimbo, phone at ear, needs a lesson or two from our orange-clad friend by the boabab tree.

Across the grassy squares, where midday diners relaxed on the grass, the inner city skyline reflected quietly amongst its peers.

We caught our train back to the suburbs and drove on home across the bay.  The city left far behind us, but stays with us in these images.