Blooming Hearts: A Museum & A Market

Another cloudy morning had us racking our brains for something (preferably cheap) that we could do indoors. This can often be a struggle in a city like Sydney, but there are options out there. Our pick this Sunday: The Museum of Contemporary art (affectionately known as the MCA).

The museum sits comfortably on the edge of the harbour overlooking the Opera House (and all the ferries in between). It offers several levels of galleries: a permanent collection and a few changing exhibits. Now let's be clear, I’m not what you would call an art lover. I can appreciate the talent of an artist and the aesthetic and/or creative qualities of a work. I love the quiet solemnity of art galleries. But I don’t know much about art and I’m just not as interested as I wish I was.

Kind of looks like an old bank with a spaceship growing out of the side... In a good way.

In saying that though, I reckon the MCA can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what their art preference (apart from the resolute complainers or intense art purists). We were lucky to catch the Energies exhibit by Haines & Hinterding. The artists aimed to shed light (and sound and smell) on the subtle energies that undercurrent our daily life, such as television signals and electromagnetic waves. A little bit like children, we ran around trying out all the interactive features. Props to all the headphones, a 3D environment controlled by hand movements and the intriguing fragrances of the sun, created in an “aroma lab”.

When we left the MCA the sky had cleared, so we made an impromptu trip to the Rocks Market, which starts on George St (just behind the museum) every Sunday. The stalls line the cobblestone streets that wind through the Rocks, mainly selling designer and handmade jewellery, clothes, art, candles and souvenirs.

Cleanse With Benefits is a gorgeous Australian brand, specialising in natural and ethically made soaps, candles and skincare. I bought their vanilla rose lip scrub, which smells absolutely divine. I also stopped at Cicada Chocolate for samples and a bar of handmade Madagascan chocolate. Another standout is the corn on a cob from the Australian Corn Company. With a simple combination of butter, salt, pepper and a bit of chilli, it was pretty much the best corn I’ve ever had.