Oceania Vista

We boarded our cruise, on the Oceania Vista ship, yesterday. We have a day at sea, so today we’ve enjoyed working out in the fitness center, meals in three different restaurants plus afternoon tea with a stringed ensemble playing.  This is a nice life!  We are grateful for this opportunity to see so many new places and meet people from all over the world.  A few links to our cruise ship follow.  I can’t take photos like the ones online.

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/oceania-experience/post/vista/top-vista-ship-features#blog-navigation

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/oceania-experience/post/vista/just-revealed-vistas-imaginative-new-dining-experiences#blog-navigation

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/vista/suites-staterooms

Botanic Garden Sydney and the Opera House

On our last morning in Sydney, I walked in the Botanic Garden once again, and then Papa and I walked back to the Opera House.  Sydney became one of our “favorite cities in the world” over this week.  Now on to our next cruise, up the east coast of Australia, to Komodo Island, Bali, and ending in Singapore in 18 days.

Bondi Beach and the Coastal Walk to Coogee

We took our clothes to a local Sydney laundry this morning, then walked to the Circular Quay to get a bus to Bondi Beach.  There were very few people on the beach when we arrived at 10, under cloudy skies.  We got on the Coastal Walk and passed Tamarama, Bronte, Waverley Cemetery, and Clovelly Beaches before arriving in Coogee Beach.  The water was beautiful.  We saw a pod of dolphins and lots of people enjoying swimming in the Pacific Ocean.  We ate fish and chips for lunch at a local Coogee restaurant.

We returned to our hotel by 3 and took a siesta.  Our laundry was returned and we have clean clothes again!  We went out around 6 for ice cream and to take our evening walk to the Opera House.  It was a nice warm evening.  There were thousands of people out, having dinner, watching the sunset, just enjoying being outside in the evening on the Sydney Harbor.  We have had a great time in Sydney!

The Rocks, The Bridge, The Botanic Garden, and Dinner

Papa and I walked through the neighborhood, The Rocks, this morning, looking for a laundry.  We found it, and enjoyed our walk.  The Rocks is Sydney’s historic, premier harborside neighborhood.  It was the birthplace of European settlement in Australia in the late 1700’s, featuring cobblestone streets, colonial stone buildings, and some of the city’s oldest pubs.  We found the Bridge Stairs in The Rocks, and walked over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and back.  

We came back to the hotel.  Papa took a nap and I crossed the street from the hotel, and spent an hour in the Royal Botanic Garden.

At 6 this evening, we met Henry and Suha, brother and sister in law of my long time friend Linda (lives in Dallas).  They live in Sydney.  I met them a few years ago at Linda’s daughter’s wedding in Phoenix.  We went to Sahtien, a Lebanese restaurant in The Rocks.  We had the house banquet dinner, with over a dozen dishes to share.  It was delicious and we enjoyed talking for hours.  We had a nice evening, great time!

Exploring Sydney

After breakfast this morning, I took a self guided Historic Buildings tour, guided by GPSmyCity app.  Most of the buildings were built in the 1800’s, and all are significant, large.  The city has grown up around the historic buildings, but they seem to anchor the city, give it depth and weight.

Customs House now used as City Library

Old Treasury Building now Hotel Intercontinental and its Bar

Sydney’s First Hospital

Sydney Mint

St. James Church

Hyde Park Barracks

Saint Mary’s Cathedral

Queen Victoria Statue

Archibald Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park

Queen Victoria Building, Outside and Inside

Sydney Town Hall, Front and Side

St Andrew’s Cathedral

After my walk, we went to the Circular Quay and took a ferry to Manly Beach.  Today was a public holiday, so there were crowds of people on the ferry, on the beach, everywhere!  We walked along the coastal path, watching surfers and families enjoying the day, to the Fairy Bower Sea Pool, with people swimming.  We had fish and chips for lunch at a small Manly Beach restaurant - delicious!  We returned to downtown Sydney via ferry.  We rested a bit in the afternoon, then went out for gelato as the sun was setting, walking to the Opera House to see watch the harbor activity.  We had a good day!