Checked out then had breakfast at a cafe in Manuka. Drove up to check out the new Parliment house and ended up spending a couple hours wandering around and taking the tour. It's a very modern structure built into a hill in the center of Canberra. From the grassy roof (which you can walk over - supposedly symbolic for the people being put above the government) you can see how undeveloped the capitol still is.
After leaving Parliment I wandered around the shore of Lake Burlry Griffin near the Captain Cook Memorial (a fountain that shoots a jet of water out of the lake a hundred fifty feet into the air). I tried to find the Australian War Memorial, but realized that I needed to get back on the road so I didn't get to see it.
The drive home was unexciting - though very hot, making me realize that I do need to look in to getting my A/C fixed. I stopped midway and called my friends Dave and Megan who I haven't talked to in five years. My mom had just forwarded their christmas card with their new number on it. Dave wan't home, but it was a nice break in the drive to get caught up with Megan. As I drove back into Sydney is started to rain.
Spent the evening at the outdoor cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens. it was sponsered by Pettaras Press - Susie and Belinda's employers - so we ahd access to the free beer and food - excellent! Despite the sudden rain as I drove into Sydney it cleared up and the weather held for the showing, which was "Roman Holiday" - great, I don't think I've ever seen the whole thing through before. After the movie I managed to drop my phone down underneith the bleachers, but Nick Pataras (one of the bosses) had a flashlight and Belinda called it so I was able to climb down and find it. Finished off the evening at Kinselas.
