Canberra ............... in the sun

We arrived from the East and went to the top of Mount Ainslie which overlooks Canberra and its Parliament Buildings. This was the view from the Mount (and also the War Memorial/Museum below us) down Anzac Avenue which has tasteful 'alcoves' all the way down on both sides with memorials to specific platoons, countries, professionals who served in the various wars. They even generously dedicate one such alcove with sculptures and poems to their enemies e.g the Turks. It is really quite touching to read all the writings to the nurses, and medics, the army , airforce, navy etc.
In the distance you can just see the 'old' parliament buildings, which remind me of Buckingham Palace, glowing white. They now house the National Portrait Gallery and administrative offices.
Above them, on the top of the hill, is the 'new" parliament which is American designed - a unanimous choice. It has huge grass slopes and a large four pronged spider like sculpture on top.
I was not enamoured of the external design but it is inspiring and every part of the design has a 'meaning' and rationale as to why it was included, beginning with the indigenous Australian people in the form of a huge cultural mosaic and water sculpture outside the entrance.
Canberra was for me a somewhat sleepy city of 350,000 people of whom at least 150,000 work on Capital Hill but which has much architecture to recommend it.