Welcome to BrisVegas

I still can't figure out why Brisbane is nicknamed BrisVegas. The Lonely Planet says it's linked to "its penchant for highrises and glitz". Yeah whatever. I went there expecting something lively, beautiful, with loads of nice buildings and a "friendly vibe", like in Sydney. Instead, I just saw loads of modern buildings, arranged in a rather messy way, and I realised the local builders had a strong taste for concrete.

However, on a more positive note, Brisbane has a good array of cultural buildings, including a few museums, an interesting art gallery, a few monuments, a nice "alternative" area called Fortitude Valley, a tiny Chinatown and, woohoo, a library with free Internet.

Brisbane's Nepalese pagoda.


The Maritime Museum overlooking Brisbane River.





Strange cast-iron sculptures can be found in the city. Pelicans, kangaroos, you name it, they have it...


Beautiful wonder of the modern world, Captain (!!!) Cook bridge.





Petit rassemblement entre amis, au bord de la riviere. I think they are Jaguars.














The imposing Story Bridge. There is something very Vancouver-esque about it.


While working for Gillette, I met David Beckham. Now see who the new "faces of Gillette" are. Whyyyyyy did I quit my job??? (OK, to finish my studies... but still...).


Chinatown. Remember the roofs in Beijing's Forbidden City? This one looks familiar, doesn't it?


The ANZAC Memorial. Now let's talk history. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. They are the soldiers who fought during World War One, in various places around the globe, including France and the Ottoman Empire. 25 April is known as ANZAC Day and commerates the ANZAC's first involvement in military action in WW1.





One can read: Amiens, Villers, Bretonneux, Mont St Quentin...


Tiens, une clock tower!


Woops j'ai oublie le nom de cette eglise.


Kangaroos!


Inside St John's Cathedral which, by the way, is still being built...

And this is how our trip to Brisbane ends. Interesting but not exciting.