私流シドニーの過ごし方
My favorite things to do in Sydney

そろそろ、南半球は秋本番ですね。旅に出て、できることは無限大。オージーになりきって胸いっぱいに空気を吸い込み、飲み、食べ、五感を思いっきり満たしてください。満喫した後はさて、どうしましょうか・・・
たまには、画廊を訪ねて、緩やかな時間の流れを感じてはいかがですか。私の大好きな場所はTHE ROCKSの中にあります。

【ケン・ﾄﾞ―ン・ギャラリー】
雑誌「HANAKO」の表紙の絵、そしてシドニー・オリンピックでのポスターの絵といえば思い出す方も多いのではないでしょうか。
ポップな色づかいと構図にオージー気分は全開になること請け合いです。対岸にシドニーのシンボル"オペラハウス"左手に"シドニー・ハーバーブリッジ"右手にサーキュラキーと観光スポットを網羅した中にギャラリーはポンとあります。倉庫を改造したギャラリーはひんやりした異空間にあなたを誘ってくれます。 原画やオブジェ、リトグラフの数々、ゆっくりとケン・ドーン・ワールドを楽しんでください。

そして...、好きな絵を見つけたら思いきって購入してはいかがでしょうか。購入できるリトグラフなどが気軽に閲覧できる様にディスプレイされています。値段も日本よりお手頃で、お気に入りを手に入れられます。 "絵は出会い"一目ぼれした絵は最高の旅の想い出になってくれるはずです。持ち運びも心配ご無用！大きなリトグラフもスタッフの方がくるくると上手に丸めてダンボールの筒に入れて下さいますので、日本への持ち込みも意外なほどに簡単です。帰ってから又、額装する楽しみもありますので二重に想い出は膨らむでしょう。

画廊の後は、せっかくですのでロックス地区散策へ。
19世紀当時の街並みに身をおいて、タイムスリップを楽しんではいかがでしょう。一つ路地に入っただけで、喧騒とかけ離れた静寂の世界に身をおけます。イギリスからの入植者によって最初に誕生した町だけに、アンティークめぐりも楽しめます。アクセサリーや生活雑貨に留まらず、いろいろなものがあるんですよ。例えばアンティークのボタン。見事な細工に唸ってしまいます。
カフェで一息も良いですね。日本ではなかなか食べられない、乳脂肪たっぷりのクロテッドクリームとスコーン...　それともラップド・ロール（海苔巻でした！）にしますか？金太郎飴もありました。オールディズからトレンディまで、何でも有りです。

最後に耳寄り情報を付け加えさせてください。
心を満たしたら、やはりお口も...と言うことで、甘いお土産はいかがですか？
その名は『クリスピー・クリーム』ドーナッツ、もうご存知ですか。日本では新宿に上陸、先日のゴールデンウイークでは購入の為になんと3時間待ちの行列!!をして手（クチ）に入れるドーナッツが、シドニー空港で味わえます。持ち帰って食べるときはレンジでチン！出来たての香りが漂います。

自宅でドーナッツ片手に絵を鑑賞。目に幸福，舌に口福、しあわせの二重唱、どっぷりオージーですね。

【ケン・ドーン・ギャラリー】
住所：George．St．The Rocks．Sydney．NSW．2000　

My favorite things to do in Sydney
Winter has begun in the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout the year, there are a lot of things to do, places to go, and sights to see in Sydney. Like Australian people do, let's breathe deep, fill lungs with fresh air of the country, enjoy fine food and drinking, and satisfy all five senses.

What to do next? I recommend you go galleries. Time passes slowly and gently there. One of my favorites is Ken Done Gallery, located in Sydney's Rocks area. For many Japanese, Ken Done is famous for designing the cover logos of Hanako, a Japanese fashion magazine, and for illustrating the magazine's covers for over ten years. Ken Done also did works for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games. Ken Done's artworks are boldly painted in bright colors, and seeing them will make you feel the energetic spirit of people in Australia.

Across the harbor from the gallery stood the Opera House, a landmark of the city of Sydney. The Harbor Bridge soared to the left side, and Circular Quay expanded to the right. Thus, the gallery was located in one of the most visited places in Sydney. Inside the gallery, that had been originally a warehouse, cool air was seeping out of the walls. The gallery housed many Ken Done works, including his original drawings, objet d'art and lithographs, and invited visitors to the trip to a different world. If you have a chance to visit the gallery, please spend as much time as you like enjoying Ken Done's fantastic works.

I also recommend you buy your favorite paintings. Beautiful paintings or lithographs were available at more affordable prices. They were displayed in a way that visitors could easily look them. The painting you are drawn to at first sight will always remind you of the trip. If you think that packing a big picture for air travel is a bother, don't worry! Shop staff rolls even a large sized lithograph and puts it in a protective tube. You will be able to carry it much easily than you may imagine. Putting the picture in a frame at home will be another fond memory of the trip.

Next, you should take a walk around the Rocks district. The streets of the Rocks, comprised of magnificent houses built in 1900s, took travelers to journey back in time. The alleys behind the main streets were almost perfectly tranquil, being away from the bustle of the city. As the Rocks is the historic site where the first English settlers made their own towns, there are many antique shops along its main streets. Those shops offered a wide range of items from accessories to household goods. I found a shop selling antique buttons, and I was amazed at how beautifully crafted they were. After browsing through shops, let's take a break. There were also many nice cafes that served unique selection of food. Some served freshly baked scones with clotted cream that contained milk fat. This rich and delicious cream is barely seen in Japan. Other cafes sold wrapped rolls, vinegared rice rolled in dried laver, and even Kintaro-stick candies.(*) Past and present blended at the Rocks.

Finally, I would like to share a secret with readers of this column. To top off the refreshing trip, how about getting sweets on the way back home? Wide varieties of hot doughnuts are available at Krispy Creme Doughnuts in Sydney airport. In early May, the first Japanese shop of Krispy Creme Doughnuts chains opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Hundreds waited for three hours in line to buy the doughnuts! If you take Krispy doughnuts home, you should heat them in a microwave before eating. Aroma of fresh doughnuts floods a kitchen.

After you safely back home, let's do the things Australians do. Enjoy freshly baked Krispy doughnuts sitting in front of the pictures by Ken Done. This will make you very happy.

【Ken Done Gallery】
Address: George Street, the Rocks, Sydney, NSW 2000

(*) Kintaro-ame is Japanese traditional long candy stick. Wherever you cut the candies, the same mark appears.