After a slightly unsuccessful supermarket sweep—Albany, despite its city designation, retains a charming, country-town sensibility, and thus, early Sunday closing hours—we found ourselves seeking sustenance elsewhere. A Lebanese restaurant, in another testament to our trip's recurring themes, proved to be our saviour. "Lebanese Restaurant" seemed like the perfect name for a story about dining at said establishment. Let us assure you, we were fully saturated.
With our stomachs suitably lined, we ambled down the hill towards Anzac Peace Park. The timing of our trip fortuitously coincided with "Lighting the Sound," a presentation by FORM. This involved a collaboration with Kari Kola, a Finnish light artist of considerable renown, co-designed and led by Menang Elders and the Albany community.
The setup was quite something, and we were keen to see the show.
The light show itself was, without a doubt, spectacular. The projections across the water and onto the landscape were truly impressive.
However, Mother Nature, apparently unwilling to be outdone, decided to stage her own competing display. The sunset that evening was simply breathtaking. The vibrant colours painted across the sky provided a stunning backdrop to the light show, and, to be honest, perhaps even stole the spotlight.
We observed the crowd gathered, a mix of locals and tourists, all equally captivated by the dual displays. We pondered our travels on the next day, with the museum district awaiting us for further exploration. And a lesson was learned: always check Sunday opening hours, or at least have a backup plan involving excellent Lebanese cuisine.
