Brisbane, November 15: Quick Sightseeing

After dropping off our bags at Andrew's office, we took the elevator to the ground floor and entered the office of our sixth visit to an Australian medical facility. Like the one in Melbourne, this was brand-new, so new there was no line and the staff was excited to have a patient. The prognosis was the same: will take 4-6 weeks to heal. The discoloration is normal, due to the blood vessels working hard. The bruises changing from purple to green to yellow is a good sign. For the long flight home, try standing every hour you are awake. I emphasized the WHEN YOU ARE AWAKE part, reminding him sleeping is necessary for healing. He hasn't been sleeping well, which means I haven't been sleeping well.

We had about an hour before we were meeting Andrew and Jo. I remembered wanting to go to the Museum of Brisbane (MOB) in Town Hall to take the elevator to the top. We got lucky. Despite not having a (free) reservation, we were able to take the next elevator up.

The museum had a photo exhibit where the took an old photo and, using technology, shifted the photos to have a different subject in the center. 

My favorite part of the tiny museum was how things were labeled. Each description included a long, detailed answer of what we are looking at as well as a TLDR version with just he basics. Perfect!

Tucked in a hallway was an exhibit about a basement wall that was uncovered in 2008 when someone went to hang a shelf. The wall contains over 150 signatures of soldiers heading to War War II. It is being preserved. The wall is visible during the morning tour. I was grateful they have a picture of it on display now. 

The 1930 elevator goes from the museum on the third floor up the tower to the 10th floor. At the top is a 360-degree view of Brisbane. The elevator is ensconced in wavy bronze-colored wrought iron which gave me the felling of being in a basket.

At the top of the ride are four small bells that chime every quarter hour and one large bell that chimes each hour. The tour is timed in order that the bells are not ringing when people are in the top of the tower. A level down we stopped to see the clock. I'm disappointed with myself for not asking sooner for him to open the doors for a picture.

This past April the four clocks around the tower switched from being run by a small analogue clock to being run by a computer. For years, the people in Brisbane set their watches to this clock. As Queensland does not change their clocks like we do in New Jersey for Daylight Savings, the clocks do not have be adjusted twice a year.

Months ago Andrew and Jo bought tickets to see Australian comedian Celia Pacquola. They invited us to join them. We were in stitches! If you get a chance, check her out. Reminded me of the "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," but without the amazing costumes. Andrew and Jo bought their tickets six months ago and were up close. Ours were last minute one in a caged balcony inside the Powerhouse (a coal plant converted into an centerpiece for entertainment).

As Celia started her set at 6:30 pm she said we would thank her for the early hour. She was right! We all called it an early evening.