Day 2 in Sydney

Thanks to relatively good night's rest, Katie and I have fared much better on Day 2! After getting up between 7 and 8am and eating breakfast, we took off towards George Street again, even though taking Elizabeth would have been a slightly quicker way to get to the Opera House. As we were walking, I turned to Katie and said, "I like George Street, I feel safe here," and Katie smiled and said, "It's because of all of the people here." Just minutes later, a group of guys stopped in front of us, turned around, and one stepped out to ask Katie, "How are you today girl," extending his hand. We kept walking. A few blocks later, we walked past a cafe whose front door was shattered, like a rock had been thrown through it. So much for my comment ;-) Still, it is nice to be surrounded by so many people.

We walked through Circular Quay again and headed towards the Opera House. It doesn't matter how cold and windy it is, as soon as I see the Harbor Bridge or Opera House, I smile. Like yesterday, we both took a ridiculous amount of photos of both landmarks...from different vantage points, when the sun would finally sneak out from behind the clouds, to try and get a better shot...you get the idea :-)

We took the $23 tour of the Opera House. A bit overpriced for what we saw, but it *was* nice to see the 2 largest concert halls. The largest one is absolutely beautiful!!! If I decide to see the Sydney Orchestra preform the Wizard of Oz my last night in Australia, I think it would be in this room. Our tour guide Will was quite entertaining -- full of the usual historical information, but with bits of humor and sarcasm throughout :-) We learned that Bennelong Point, the land the Opera House is located on, was named after one of the Indigenous Aboriginals who was here when the first settlers arrived. He became the interpreter between the two groups, and eventually the Point was named after him. As far as the actual Opera House is concerned, the 10 sails are made of over 1 million tiles, located on over 4000 (I think...) chevrons (the design of the plates that make up the sails).

After the tour, we checked out the small arts and crafts festival on the steps of the Opera House before walking along the edges of the Botanical Gardens. In addition to Manly, the Gardens rank up there with our favorite parts of Syndey thus far. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I took a picture with the tall buildings of the city in the background of the photo and the gardens in front of them. In the midst of this busy city, parks and gardens abound for peaceful retreats.

Katie and I were very hungry by this point, so we headed back to the cafe at the Opera House to grab a salad. Mine was basic -- romaine and prawns with some veggies that I don't typically eat...mom, I was craving vegetables so much that I actually ate the cucumbers!! Aren't you proud?! :-)

Then Katie and I headed down MacQuarie Street, passing the Botanic Gardens and the Domain and heading to Hyde Park. Katie and I *loved* the trees and the peacefulness of Hyde Park. We took a couple of photos, but we know they won't do the park justice.

It was getting to be late afternoon, which means twilight and dark, and we've been encouraged not to be out late. After a pit stop at the hostel, we headed to George Street to souvenier shop and look for long sleeved shirts. Then it was a quick trip to Coles so we could buy dinner, and now we're here!

Rene, our roomie from the Netherlands, leaves tomorrow morning, and we'll miss him. As I have mentioned, he and Darren have been really sweet to me and Katie an made us laugh quite a bit.

Tomorrow: relaxation, visiting The Rocks, maybe another trip to Manly if time allows, and The Bridge Climb!!

Cheers!