This week's post is a vignette written by Nora, a dear friend. She has kindly shared her memories of setting out by ship from Sydney long ago, and how different it felt to today's hectic airport farewells.I remember as clearly as if it were yesterday, leaving on my first overseas trip. It was a cool, sunny day in October, 1960 and there was a great sense of occasion in the air. My school friend, Jill, and I were about to set off for the holiday of a lifetime, firmly believing that this would
be our only chance to go abroad before settling down to marriage and raising a family. Relatives and friends came with us to town, to wave us goodbye on our adventure. Mum wore a hat, which she didn't often do, and we lined up, suited and well-dressed, my two young cousins clutching balloons, for the obligatory photos.
In those days, guests were allowed on board for final farewells. As the time approached for our ship to sail, visitors were escorted ashore, the band played '
Now is the Hour', streamers were thrown and, as the sun set, the 'Fairsea' moved slowly down Sydney Harbour through the Heads and out on its journey into the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
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| Farewell to Australia - then |
We could never have imagined then how different life would become and how commonplace travel would be. Today it seems nothing to go on safari in Africa, a train journey through India, a cruise down the Rhine or a skiing holiday in Japan.
Family and friends no longer gather to wave us goodbye. Airport parking is expensive, check-in is stressful and travellers disappear quickly behind the anonymous walls of immigration, where we endure long queues, questions and scrutiny of our person and belongings, all in the name of security. Then we are herded into the belly of an aircraft to sit, or sleep if we can, seat-belted up, next to strangers, for tedious hour upon hour while we wait for the journey to end.
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| ("Source: Qantas") Farewell to Australia - now |
Do you have travel memories from an earlier, unhurried time? Do you think we are better off travelling today or have we lost more than we have gained?
Terimakasih anda telah membaca artikel tentang Leaving Sydney. Jika ingin menduplikasi artikel ini diharapkan anda untuk mencantumkan link https://travellinginternasional.blogspot.com/2015/04/leaving-sydney.html. Terimakasih atas perhatiannya.