Sydney Swansong
The first part of my trip is almost over - I depart tomorrow on the 7:45am train to Melbourne. Sydney has far exceeded my grandest expectations despite the first few days of iffy weather. It's so amazing to be just minutes from some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, and to meet so many friendly people. Not to mention getting to take surfing lessons at Bondi Beach. Hopefully I'll get to return in the not too distant future to improve my very lacking surfing skills.
Yesterday, we all went out to the Blue Mountains, where the weather was surprisingly cold. Since standing still to watch the Three Sisters - a well known rock formation - was a chilly proposition, we ended up hiking along a trail on the side of the steep slope. Duncan ID'd birds for us and I took tons of pictures. We hiked VERY CAREFULLY down the stone steps out to the base of the Three Sisters to admire the view. I'm certainly not afraid of heights, but the steepness of the stairs made me uber nervous. A small slip could lead to a long and scary fall.
We had lunch in Leula - a touristy, but pleasant town in the midst of the Blue Mountains. The main drag is full of stores plying everything from 'faketiques' to Christmas ornanments to elegant carved wood figurines. Our actual meal was at a cozy little restaurant where our table was in front of a warm fire. That's Australia for you - one day you're surfing at the beach, the next, enjoying the heat of a warm fire up in the mountains.
After our adventures, Elisabeth and Brandon returned to Clovelly to celebrate their first weddding aniversary (!!!) and Duncand and I headed out to Manly. Having heard many stories, it was neat to finally meet his maternal grandparents. Getting from the station to their house turned out to be an adventure of which culminated in a geographically-challenged taxi driver. Lubricated by several glasses of wine, the dinner table conversations were varied and fascinating. I also had the honor of meeting the three resident canines, who quickly realized that I was a soft-touch - cozy up and I would instinctively reach down to scratch ears/tummy/head etc.
The rattling windows of Friday night were replaced with the sound of steady rain. Given the droughts that have plagued much of the area in recent years, the rain was a welcome respite.
Today was more relaxed - I caught the 9:25 Manly ferry back to Circular Quay, and the day's entertainment was centered around eating and shopping. We walked around to Coogee for lunch, no easy task given the not always gentle undulations of the coastal path. Later we embarked on an ultimately unsuccesful bikini shopping expedition. Elisabeth and I were both amazed at how many ugly or impractical bikinis exist in the world. The best options were to be found at the 'sportier' stores like Speedo or Quicksilver, which appear to be alone in employing bikini designer who appreciate the variations in female anatomy. Sigh.
The first part of my trip is almost over - I depart tomorrow on the 7:45am train to Melbourne. Sydney has far exceeded my grandest expectations despite the first few days of iffy weather. It's so amazing to be just minutes from some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, and to meet so many friendly people. Not to mention getting to take surfing lessons at Bondi Beach. Hopefully I'll get to return in the not too distant future to improve my very lacking surfing skills.
Yesterday, we all went out to the Blue Mountains, where the weather was surprisingly cold. Since standing still to watch the Three Sisters - a well known rock formation - was a chilly proposition, we ended up hiking along a trail on the side of the steep slope. Duncan ID'd birds for us and I took tons of pictures. We hiked VERY CAREFULLY down the stone steps out to the base of the Three Sisters to admire the view. I'm certainly not afraid of heights, but the steepness of the stairs made me uber nervous. A small slip could lead to a long and scary fall.
We had lunch in Leula - a touristy, but pleasant town in the midst of the Blue Mountains. The main drag is full of stores plying everything from 'faketiques' to Christmas ornanments to elegant carved wood figurines. Our actual meal was at a cozy little restaurant where our table was in front of a warm fire. That's Australia for you - one day you're surfing at the beach, the next, enjoying the heat of a warm fire up in the mountains.
After our adventures, Elisabeth and Brandon returned to Clovelly to celebrate their first weddding aniversary (!!!) and Duncand and I headed out to Manly. Having heard many stories, it was neat to finally meet his maternal grandparents. Getting from the station to their house turned out to be an adventure of which culminated in a geographically-challenged taxi driver. Lubricated by several glasses of wine, the dinner table conversations were varied and fascinating. I also had the honor of meeting the three resident canines, who quickly realized that I was a soft-touch - cozy up and I would instinctively reach down to scratch ears/tummy/head etc.
The rattling windows of Friday night were replaced with the sound of steady rain. Given the droughts that have plagued much of the area in recent years, the rain was a welcome respite.
Today was more relaxed - I caught the 9:25 Manly ferry back to Circular Quay, and the day's entertainment was centered around eating and shopping. We walked around to Coogee for lunch, no easy task given the not always gentle undulations of the coastal path. Later we embarked on an ultimately unsuccesful bikini shopping expedition. Elisabeth and I were both amazed at how many ugly or impractical bikinis exist in the world. The best options were to be found at the 'sportier' stores like Speedo or Quicksilver, which appear to be alone in employing bikini designer who appreciate the variations in female anatomy. Sigh.
posted by Scottish Missy at 12:57 AM
1 Comments:
Hello,
Thanks for the Postcard,
From all in Rm815
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