Australia Days 1 & 2 (Sydney)

Our first two days in Sydney I think we all walked about 10 miles touring the city from our apartment (a 25-30-minute walk to downtown) in Darlinghurst. Darlinghurst was a little bit eclectic/funky and a lot gay = FABULOUS.

Our apartment was quite spacious, a little funky (I think all of Darlinghurst was like that), and had a piano in our bedroom (which Ryan loved, and drove my father batty). It also had a great view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge that we could see each day.

Once we unpacked and settled in, our first exploration was nearby Hyde Park and the Anzac Museum. The Museum was beautiful, but no pics because I wasn't feeling it. However, we kept running into this funky little bird every day that appeared to eat just about everything we fed it. I think its the Australian version of a seagull...they're everywhere, are kind of aggressive and eat anything (one poked its nose into our unattended dinner bag). Australians ignore them, we swooned over them.

More Smartecars for me to swoon over. I think this one is perfectly Ryan sized and were it not for the pesky issue of $25,000 and a drivers license, I swear, I'd buy it for him. I'm sure he'd be a great driver.

Our walk to downtown took us through the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens...which was filled with unexpected beauty.

We saw more parrots in the wild in Sydney than anywhere else we've ever been (even Hawaii).

I had no idea there were so many sandstone formations in Australia...I think the country is built on sandstone. Ever since watching a House Hunters International somewhere in Spain where people live in caves, I'm smitten with the idea of finding my own secret cave and making it livable so that when the apocalypse happens, I can sit back, get fat(ter) on my rations and laugh. This cave here I've reserved for Ryan. :-)

A pic of Sydney from the Royal Botanic Gardens (popular view/peninsula opposite the main sights of the city).

And of course...the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge!

I don't normally get enamored with restrooms, but I looooved the ones in the Sydney Opera House. Even the toilet paper was illuminated by light. The water from the sink cascaded over the edge of the sink so you couldn't see/hear it. FANCY PANCY. Me like.

From the Opera House, we walked around the bay to Circular Quay (the hub of downtown transportation), and around to the Rocks (the historic area of downtown).

There was a lot of good food down in the Quay...here's a pic of mine! (Since we're classy, big ballin' travelers, I normally eat such fancy meals on the road like Kind bars from home with a banana and gummy bears. So a nice hot panini like this is a big treat for me. :-) 

Grandpa & Ryan...donut buddies for life. (Guess who picked the glaze color?)

Our first encounter with an aborigine (really, a walk by in town, we saw more later)

I loved the history and architecture of The Rocks...especially the Rocks Museum and this incredible candy factory that we visited not once, but twice).

I've never seen candy made in such a traditional, time consuming, artistic process. We were all riveted to this factory/store (Sticky).

Getting ready to walk across the Sydney Harbor bridge...

A slightly better view from the bridge than the Royal Botanic Gardens...

Oh dear God...yes. There were a number of cheesy tourist trap stores selling our version of the lucky rabbit's foot- kangaroo balls and back scratchers. And yes, they are real. . :-( Gag. Give these animals their dignity.

I think I'll leave you with this since it's such a lovely, lasting impression of the country... :-)