Day 15: The ultimate cinema experience

The summer of 2011 was a very important one for nerds such as myself. For me, of course, it was the summer I went to Sydney, but it was also the summer where the world watched an era come to a close. I am, of course, talking about the films and books that defined my childhood, and those of many around the world...Harry Potter.

I came to the realization that I would be in Sydney when the final movie came out long before I ever stepped on a plane, and I secretly hoped that Tanya and I would be able to go see it. Luckily, Tanya was thinking the same thing as she wanted me to experience what they call "Gold Class Cinema" at the Macquarie Shopping Center.

For those of you who don't know...Gold Class Cinema is the best and only way one should experience a movie theater...that is if you are made of money because it is rather expensive but also rather excellent. A ticket to a Gold Class Cinema will cost you about $30...and even more if you watch in 3D, which we did not. The concessions are another $30 if you're going on the cheap, but when you're watching the last Harry Potter, and witnessing a piece of your childhood come to and end...$60 is a small price to pay for absolute comfort and first class cuisine.

You could eat your entire meal at Gold Class if you chose. They have everything from small appetizers to full-on entrees that they will deliver to you at your leisure. In order to cut down costs, however, Tanya and I had lunch outside the theater at a little mexican place called Mad Mex. I had nachos, and they were actually pretty spectacular.

Tanya and I had purchased our tickets to the film far in advance to secure our prime seating for the ultimate cinema experience. We then perused the menu, deciding on a sundae and hot chocolate that would be delivered separately...the sundae about halfway through the movie and we were quite full and the hot chocolate near the end.

We went into the theater where our seats awaited us. Our seats, I should point out that were in the form of massive reclining chairs. It was just the two of us to our own row, and it honestly felt like the two of us were just sitting in the living room enjoying what was left of the Harry Potter dynasty.

Ours was a much smaller version of this, but you get the general idea. 

The movie was fantastic. I cried through the better part of the second half and left feeling thoroughly satisfied, and with no regret whatsoever for the small fortune I just paid to experience that film.

I know I keep saying this, but even though we weren't sight seeing or doing anything particularly adventurous, this was one of my favorite days. I will remember for the rest of my life that I saw the final installment of Harry Potter in Sydney, Australia (which, by the way, had a special message at the end from Daniel Radcliffe just for Australia, so that was kind of cool) and it was something Tanya and I shared together. As a huge Harry Potter nerd, it meant a lot that we were able to make the whole experience like a grand send-off party.

After the movie, we went back to Tanya's place to just kind of relax. The rain still hadn't let up from the night before, and frankly, we were still exhausted from the entire ordeal. We picked out some movies from Tanya's collection that I hadn't seen before (can't remember which ones...Tanya spent a lot of time giving me a film education, so they all sort of blur), sat back and simply had a good time enjoying each other's company.

It was a simple day, but still one of the best, as is often the way with good food and good friends, and of course Harry Potter. What else could a girl possibly ask for?