Thank goodness for in flight entertainment!
...to an even more severe and prolonged storm.
I made a grocery run, thankfully there were 2 grocery stores within 3 blocks.
The storm was rather exciting, we don't get storms like this at home.
We hunkered down in our (upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite ...due to flooding) room able to concentrate on alleviating jet lag.
We were thrilled with Hotel Stellar, the service was excellent, the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Location was ideal, very close to beautiful Hyde Park which we explored the next day.
I believe this is St Mary's Cathedral.
The park and much of the city was littered with debris from the previous days' storm making it difficult for Keith to get around on his travel scooter. We were dismayed at how many non accessible areas there were in Sydney. Consequently we saw few folks using walkers or mobility scooters.
Hyde Park is full of statues of white conquerors, Queen Victoria statues are everywhere. There is also a large tribute to the ANZAC soldiers of WW2.
Dead umbrellas were everywhere!
The temperature was hot and due to the heavy rainfall the air was very muggy.
It was only a 2 kilometer walk to Circular Quay.
Magpie ~ Australian version
Ibis ~ They are everywhere in Sydney ~ and thought of as a pest. They love to hang out in gangs near garbage cans and appear to be quite social with each other.
We also saw parrots but they are quick and camera shy. They are easy to find however due to the very loud squawking.
We were very happy to be here at this iconic site.
These small seagulls were everywhere, I had 2 incidences of them flying through my hair! Folks dining at the many outdoor restaurants had to carefully guard their food from being stolen.
Lunch time.
Mom had, on a previous trip with Dad, taken a harbour ferry so we decided to do the same.
This was not quite as easy as it sounded. Firstly, the route that Mom wanted to take had the 2 final stops inaccessible due to flooding. Secondly, one needed either a transit card or a credit card and some N American cards just did not work. Keith went through first, his 2nd credit card finally worked. Me 2nd (why I did not make sure Mom got through first, I just do not know what I was thinking!). My 1st card did not work, I had better luck with my Visa. Then Mom's turn, her 1st card also did not work, I passed her my Visa card but that was a no go as you can only put one fare on each card. As a long line is forming behind her we started to panic but being Aussies they were chill and even supportive. Another card, one that Mom was not wanting to use, finally worked and we were all on the same side of the barrier.
We couldn't get enough of the Sydney Opera House.
Who knew we would find another Abbotsford!?
Sydney in the distance.
We rode the ferry to the end (which was 2 stope from the actual end ~ they were both closed due to flooding) and stayed on until the stop before Circular Quay to give us a different walking route back to the hotel.
My friends in Sydney had recommended that we stop at The Queen Victoria Building. We happened to spot it as we walked back. It is beautiful and had many enticing coffee shops and was a welcome rest on our way to the hotel. The pastries were sinful and delicious.
Inside Queen Victoria Building.
The next day we splurged and invested in the Sydney Hop On Hop Off Bus. The bus was sort of accessible ~ the ramps were a bit sketchy and poor Keith took a bad tumble on one. I was very careful to be right behind him after that.
The commentary was clear and interesting on the 1st bus but the 2nd was not great.
The highlight of the tour was Bondi Beach. It was a lovely day (our 3 days in Sydney were predicted to be stormy) for a walk along the waterfront and a lunch of falafels.
A baby bird catching some shade under a car.
That evening, Ann and Robert, who I had met on my camino, picked us up and drove us to the other side of the Harbour Bridge to a private club for dinner.
Over the Harbour Bridge.
Happy Hubby
These clubs are common in Australia, they offer inexpensive food which is subsidized by slot machines, this one also offered an amazing view of the Harbour Bridge and .. at dusk ... hundreds of bats.
Ann and Robert.
Robert is a very modest guy, he had never mentioned that 2 years ago he had fought forest fires in BC and that he had recently finished a stint of fighting the terrible bush fires in his home state.
We all enjoyed our evening very much, thank you Ann and Robert for your warm hospitality
The next morning both Mom and Keith wanted to take it easy. I went exploring.
I love this building which was just down the street from our hotel.
The Sydney train station has a very English feel to it.
Train Station
A couple of Green buildings set in a trendy neighbourhood. They are covered in living plants.
Close to China Town.
More dead umbrellas!
The hotel in the background is called The Posh Hotel, OMG anything But! There were discarded mattresses littering the lobby.
I strolled through this nice park.
Soon it was time to return to the hotel and take a taxi to the Majestic Princess. There are 2 ports in Sydney where the cruise ships dock depending on how big they are and if they can pass under the Harbour Bridge. Somehow one of us had the wrong port and we ended up taking a very long expensive and extended taxi tour of busy Sydney before reaching the right location.
The boarding was quick and very organized and our luggage arrived very soon after we did.
The view from our cabin.
The weather is changing, some fog for effect.
We were happy to find that the dining room was open on our first night. This is a dish called potstickers, delicious!
There was a delay leaving port, we found out many days later that 3 employees had jumped ship.
The delay meant that we left Sydney in twilight, The Opera House was even more stunning.
A day at sea, I enjoyed meeting fellow stitchers at the usual 9am get together. Three full meals takes up a lot of one's day. Love Boat Dream is the perfect way to end our first full day on board.
