It's looking a lot like an adventure... in Sydney

Our picturesque view from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

From the Great Ocean Road winding along beautiful ocean vistas we went onward to Sydney. It’s practically a hop, skip and a jump via airplane. I’m told it would be an all-day drive by car or train.

Traveling by train is quite the adventure as we navigated the ‘how-to’s’ like buying an Opal card and loading it with a prescribed dollar amount. The gentleman helping us at the customer service window was very kind and helpful. I’m thinking we had that tourist vibe going or maybe it was our question of how to determine which train we wanted that gave us away? Of course, we found ourselves caught up in the after-work rush hour so the train was quite full.

A few stops later we landed at our stop; figured out that we had to swipe our Opal cards to get out of the station (thank goodness for a crowd, they inadvertently were our examples) and then we were free. The streets were bustling with people and skyscrapers loomed above, hiding the sun. Turns out that our hotel was a five-minute walk from the station. We discovered this after we found the hotel. And that there was a side street we could’ve taken as a shortcut. Again, after we found the hotel. Although it did come in handy during our stay.

Ahhh, air conditioning, how I missed you on the train ride and the walk to the hotel. Hubs, not particularly keen on air conditioning, volunteered to find a grocery store and supper. Once he returned, I was fascinated to find out that the grocery store was hidden in the basement aka underground level of a big shopping plaza/business office towers complex. There weren’t signs pointing to ‘grocery store this way.’ Apparently, hubs asked someone for directions. Haha. On his way back he encountered a Thai restaurant and, later, we agreed the food was delicious.

Our first full day in Sydney we wandered, on foot, finding coffee shops and bakeries. Noting restaurants for later we watched cars drive by with no apparent parking anywhere (street parking was in a very small ratio to the number of cars on the streets). We perused a few shops, enjoyed the gardens where the hustle of city life faded and the trills and chirps of birds took over. People, reminiscent of cats and dogs lounging in the sun, napped on the vibrant emerald green lawn as they basked in the full glory of the sun. I stuck to the tempting cool patches of shade (I’d forgotten sunscreen) and I was hot. It was a little muggier here than it had been along the Great Ocean Road.

Intentionally, we had no plan for this day other than coffee, chill, get a few steps in and repeat. That evening we were attending an opera performance of The Merry Widow at the famous Sydney Opera House. I was excited! The opera had been my top request of sight-seeing and hubs indulged me. As the opera house was only two kilometers away we decided to walk. My workhorse, with classy undertones, travel purse managed to hold my black high heels while I wore black tennis shoes. Two kilometers is about 1.9 kilometers farther than I’d walk in high heels, especially with the gently rolling and descending path.

Our view from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

I’m sure we were a sight, in our evening attire for the opera, as we briskly sauntered the straight shot from the hotel to the opera. Interestingly, we were normal and didn’t receive any curious looks. Must be that city life with all kinds of ‘fashion.’

The show was amazing! Even with the added bonus of meeting someone from Denver, CO all the way here, in Sydney, the show and experience was pure memory gold. Even hubs enjoyed the new experience. Clearly, he only attends a symphony with me out of duty as they’re not his favorite. The radio turned up and cruising down the rows in the field in his trusty tractor, now that’s more his thing.

Earlier that day, walking through a park

After we paused by the entrance, gotta switch the footwear, we discovered it was raining. Not any ol’ rain either but coming down in sheets. The taxi lineup was a good sprint and a half away, in the rain. Our route back, also covered in rain. Umbrella? Nope, the weather forecast had shown zero chance of precipitation. Hmm. We waited and waited. No, I’m kidding, we waited about ten minutes and it slowed to a fine misting drizzle. Perfect for our walk.

The gardens we walked through were lovely, dark and damp. The light globes were shrouded partially in the mist and music drifted sleepily, almost lazily on by from a concert nearby. The trees stood tall above us creating a natural arbor from the mist. A clock struck the half hour and it echoed quietly, muffled in the mist and the wind toying with the trees. It was a perfect night for a walk.

May your week (and weekend) be of good cheer, green (St. Patrick’s day anyone?!) and good coffee at hand.