After being away from Adelaide for two years, I am now looking at this beautiful city through the eyes of a tourist rather than a resident, and really appreciating some of its varied and unusual architecture.
I recently went for a walk with my Mum who was visiting from Queensland, along the beach. We walked from Glenelg (see picture below) halfway to Brighton, pausing to admire some of the amazing houses on the way.
Glenelg beach; photo taken from the Glenelg Jetty
These two residences are almost directly next to each other; one of sleek, modern design and the other a Victorian style homestead. I love both of them for different reasons: the huge wooden beams ensure that the more minimalistic house is not lacking in character and the abundance of glass provides a breathtaking view across the ocean. The classic home…well, it has a turret, which for me earns it far more points than any glass ever could; and it is a great example of classic Adelaidean architecture.
Modern architecture
Victorian seaside home
The next house is my favourite beachside home in Adelaide, located in the suburb of Brighton. About ten years ago this was the most derelict house on the Esplanade; it looked as though it might be blown away with the next storm. I always loved the weatherboard front and the gabled roof despite the aged look, and evidently the owners saw the potential too, because a few years ago they started updating the exterior. They almost finished but there was a patch of the front left unpainted – rumour has it that the owners had run out of money to complete the painting. One day they received in the mail a lovely letter from a stranger saying that they have seen how great the renovations are and they would like the owners to be able to complete the painting; enclosed in the letter was a cheque to cover the costs. I don’t know if the rumour is true or not but I like to think it is; stories of the kindness of strangers always warm my heart.
Isn't the colour perfect for the beach?
And another quirky little thing about this house…anyone notice the symbol embedded onto the chimney in the photo below…? Bizarre! But it makes me want to know the history of the house and who built this beachside beauty.
Uhm...Ok...?!
