As a kid, my school used to take us regularly to watch Shakespeare's plays at the Abu Dhabi Theatre. At that time, I was always intrigued by a lot of things, like the costumes the characters wore, the archaic language used etc and in the process, I guess the theatre itself was given least importance. Looking back, I do not recollect how the theatre looked, from inside or outside...except maybe that was spacious enough to make a claustrophobic like me remain comfortable, for the duration of the plays. But the Sydney Opera House, that is an architectural triumph, one that you cannot miss, even if overlooking beautiful things around, comes naturally to you...:) The Opera House is a landmark of its own, so much so that if one needs to use a pictorial representation of Australia, the Opera House (and maybe a kangaroo too) would suffice.

We were put up at a hotel in O'Riordon St Mascot, and we caught a train to reach Circular Quay. From the station, we walked towards the Sydney Harbor which is a natural beauty in itself. The Opera House was visible from the harbour. Standing by the harbour, with the famous Harbour Bridge on one side and the more famous Opera House on the other, was a mesmerizing experience. Once we reached the Opera House, which is situated on the Bennelong Point, to be exact, we bought tickets to 'The Sydney Opera House Tour'. The price was a tad expensive (AUD 45/ person), but the lady at the counter was kind enough to give us a discount, acknowledging that we were tourists. It was an hour long guided tour around the House, where we were enlightened with the history and architecture of the building, by a knowledgeable and dramatic (in an entertaining manner) guide. The Opera House has about five theatres- Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, Playhouse, Studio Theatre and Drama Theatre. I liked the Concert Hall the best. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the theatres as many rehearsals were taking place.

While ending the tour, the guide suggested that we must come back to watch an opera or concert. Now my mom was the literature student, specialized in theatrics (which she tries to practise in real life too, at times..:)), so I am sure she would have loved to watch an opera performance, but I can manage to live without watching one, not being an Opera fan. So while I must say a one time visit is definitely worth while, will I visit the Opera House again? Perhaps if a Shakespeare's play is in action.