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Walking Sydney
Jun. 22nd, 2006 08:32 pmI've now been in Sydney for one night and one full day and a bit of another and I keep getting mixed feelings about it. Last night, I walked down to The Rocks and took pictures of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House all lit up and looking utterly lovely. Then I spent probably far too much money on a wonderful Italian meal, the fish was okay, but all was rewarded with a heavenly chocolate cake. Then I went back to my hostel, grumbled about everyone else being asleep and getting the top bunk and got ready in near darkness, but I slept well and woke at 8:30 or so. I proceeded to a nice shower and a day of walking.
I used my Borders discount for my birthday to buy a David Duncan Blades' book, a good fantasy adventure which is nice to have around. I'm in the midst of dark Mark Twain stories and have been reading various short stories so I'm ready to plunge into a novel and I like the Blades' series. It might not be great, but it makes me smile and I like the world he's created. Back to the day, it was then off to the Sydney Aquarium, which was crawling with little kids. This actually worked because I love hearing the kids be excited or scared then I don't feel as silly when my knees go to jelly when the huge manta ray swims over me. A nice aquarium and I just wish it was bigger than I could have spent more time there, also while I was there, the sky opened up and I was dry.
Next I got lost and headed off to the Powerhouse Museum, a combo of Tate Modern and the Air and Space Museum, cool building, some nice exhibits, free internet and a not too overpriced lunch. By this point, I was getting a little tired of bumping into school groups and buisness people, so I headed out to The Rocks, the old part of Sydney, which has lovely shops and just feels nice. Sadly it doesn't feel too alive, too many shops and museums, not enough people who seem to live there. I had a good wander and a lovely pancake a funky dinerish restaurant. I've decided that my major purchase for this trip will be a piece of opal jewelery and a piece of Aborigine Art, the sales are on too.
Tis dangerous ground for a woman who likes to get presents for people and is celebrating her birthday. And opals are bloody expensive, greenstone and paua can be fairly cheap in New Zealand, but expensive only if they've been carved beautifully. A lot of this jewelery has been placed and pampered and though the stones are lovely, I've had trouble finding what I want, but I may have. Though I may have, there's a kind of opal from Queensland called boulder opal that sometimes is sold as a polished stone and some pieces are pricey, but they have a look of being still part of the earth instead of taken and inserted in gold and silver to please rich ladies from China and Japan. Oh dear, that didn't sound good, well Sydney has been reminding me of Athens today with all the tourist shops and Asian tourists and workers, I feel unsure especially since I keep wondering where the Islanders are or at least the Aborigines.
Tommorow, maybe I can answer that since I'm heading out for a day trip to the Blue Mountains and will see wildlife and other lovely things. Oh and later today I walked around the Opera House, it looks best from a distance, up close it looks like three lost snails. But I'm still hoping to see something there since that would just be cool and also go to the Zoo. Oh dear, I do have a lot ahead of me. I keep needing to remind myself that I have almost of week instead of a weekend. But Sydney is a good walking city and a nice place jsut today it was quite full of kids and buisness people and I had a bit of pinball syndrome. I don't think that will be a problem tommorow. Now to watch tv, get to bed early and have an outdoorsy day tommorow.
I used my Borders discount for my birthday to buy a David Duncan Blades' book, a good fantasy adventure which is nice to have around. I'm in the midst of dark Mark Twain stories and have been reading various short stories so I'm ready to plunge into a novel and I like the Blades' series. It might not be great, but it makes me smile and I like the world he's created. Back to the day, it was then off to the Sydney Aquarium, which was crawling with little kids. This actually worked because I love hearing the kids be excited or scared then I don't feel as silly when my knees go to jelly when the huge manta ray swims over me. A nice aquarium and I just wish it was bigger than I could have spent more time there, also while I was there, the sky opened up and I was dry.
Next I got lost and headed off to the Powerhouse Museum, a combo of Tate Modern and the Air and Space Museum, cool building, some nice exhibits, free internet and a not too overpriced lunch. By this point, I was getting a little tired of bumping into school groups and buisness people, so I headed out to The Rocks, the old part of Sydney, which has lovely shops and just feels nice. Sadly it doesn't feel too alive, too many shops and museums, not enough people who seem to live there. I had a good wander and a lovely pancake a funky dinerish restaurant. I've decided that my major purchase for this trip will be a piece of opal jewelery and a piece of Aborigine Art, the sales are on too.
Tis dangerous ground for a woman who likes to get presents for people and is celebrating her birthday. And opals are bloody expensive, greenstone and paua can be fairly cheap in New Zealand, but expensive only if they've been carved beautifully. A lot of this jewelery has been placed and pampered and though the stones are lovely, I've had trouble finding what I want, but I may have. Though I may have, there's a kind of opal from Queensland called boulder opal that sometimes is sold as a polished stone and some pieces are pricey, but they have a look of being still part of the earth instead of taken and inserted in gold and silver to please rich ladies from China and Japan. Oh dear, that didn't sound good, well Sydney has been reminding me of Athens today with all the tourist shops and Asian tourists and workers, I feel unsure especially since I keep wondering where the Islanders are or at least the Aborigines.
Tommorow, maybe I can answer that since I'm heading out for a day trip to the Blue Mountains and will see wildlife and other lovely things. Oh and later today I walked around the Opera House, it looks best from a distance, up close it looks like three lost snails. But I'm still hoping to see something there since that would just be cool and also go to the Zoo. Oh dear, I do have a lot ahead of me. I keep needing to remind myself that I have almost of week instead of a weekend. But Sydney is a good walking city and a nice place jsut today it was quite full of kids and buisness people and I had a bit of pinball syndrome. I don't think that will be a problem tommorow. Now to watch tv, get to bed early and have an outdoorsy day tommorow.
