Day one in Sydney

Ok.  Where did I leave off?  Rushed details on the flight and a little about first impressions.  Now that I have a little more time maybe I can do a better job.  This time, I’m going to type out what I want to say and then upload it to the blog and add pictures.

Here is the Yankee crew as we prepared to leave the wintery confines of Columbia: 1523

And since I was unable to load photos into the last post here are some from our Virgin:  1531, 1532

And the first sight of land was this… 1534, 1537

Off the plane, on the train and into the Quality Inn Cambridge.  Nice place, but definitely a European feel to the rooms.  Small, small hallways and small lifts (elevators, I’m trying to learn the language).  Very nice staff who were accommodating to a couple of yanks right off the plane.  Cleaned up and out the door into the city, fighting the Jet Lag monster.

Out of the door and first impressions about the city.  No sirens, traffic going the wrong way and that extends into the sidewalks.  Stay to the left on the sidewalk to let everyone by, just like the roads.  It takes some adjustment for me but seems to work out well for pedestrians.  It doesn’t help me at all with the roads.  Our first stop is Hyde Park.

A cool oasis in the middle of the city is Hyde Park; with tall eucalyptus trees and manicured grass with bright flower beds.  Of course, at eight-something in the morning, there are not a lot of people in the park which made it that much cooler and quieter.  We are moving together through the park and savoring the brilliant sunshine and cool breeze.  We figure the best way to beat the Jet Lag monster is to head right out and see what’s about in the city and what we can do on the spur of the moment.  Snap shots are in order with more posed photos tomorrow after we’ve had a sleep and cleaned up a bit.  Here is a fountain with an Aboriginal design:  1541

And here is another shot of Hyde Park showing the eucalyptus trees and palm trees:  1543

The park is several blocks long and leads all the way to the Royal Botanical Gardens and to the waterfront.  Many fountains and sculptures are in the park representing figures from the history of Australia.  1551

Next to Hyde Park is St. Mary’s Catholic Church a Gothic designed cathedral that is one of the largest churches in Australia.  It is open to the public but no photographs are allowed inside the sanctuary which is a shame because is really is not cathedral-like on the inside.  I’m used to the inside of cathedrals being dark and foreboding, kind of a “You really want to keep the homeowner happy” kind of place.  The inside of this cathedral is not like that at all.  It is very bright and airy with lots of natural light coming through stained glass windows and regular windows down both sides.  The building is situated on a vague North-South orientation so the long sides of the building are on the East and West letting in lots of sunlight.  Here are some photos of the church:  1544, 1545

A quick aside, here is a monument to the Irish potato famine.  I thought it was unique because the design incorporates the former barracks where the immigrants first stayed and is made with names etched on glass:  1552

On the way to the shoreline and Royal Botanical Gardens, we stopped for a quick dose of good luck by rubbing the hogs nose… 1561

Here we are walking into the Gardens.  This sculpture is located near the entry 1568 and is Captain Authur Phillip the first governor of Australia.  The following are photos from the Royal Gardens.  An amazing location in Sydney right near the Opera House and Circular Quay (language note, pronounced “key”.  Don’t ask).  The grass is cool to the touch, the flowers are incredibly bright and the pathways are neat.  I think that someone is taking care of the gardens with hand tools, scissors and the like.  The views of the surrounding areas are magnificent.  1577, 1580

Lunch was had during a Harbour cruise.  One of the first things that strikes you in the Harbour is the immense size of both the Opera House and the bridge.  We will take a tour of the Opera house on another day and I’ll post more information about it then.  But, I’m completely taken aback by just how big everything is.  Here are some photos from the lunch cruise.  1594, 1615 (and the first victim of Jet Lag).

That about wraps the activities for day one of our Australian adventure.  We struggled back to the hotel about 6 or so in the evening, thought that we’d take a nap and head out for dinner.  That just didn’t happen.  Jet Lag monster beat us down and it was 7-8 in the morning the next day before we were up.