Tuesday, November 4

When I woke up and looked out my cabin window, I had a full view of the Sydney Opera House just on the other side of Circular Quay! The other side of the ship looks out on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This means we are docked spang in the middle of the downtown area and right next to the oldest area of the city called “The Rocks.” Absolutely could nnot be more convenient!

I had a nice half-day driving tour of Sydney today. This photo is from the area called “Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair and shows the Opera House, part of the Bridge, and just left of the Opera House you can see the stern of our ship...just above that little white dome thing. We also went to Bondi Beach, and assorted other picturesque points. One of the best parts of this tour was our guide, Peter. When asked if the shape of the Opera House was meant to represent something, he listed off several things including, of course, sails, but also “a scrum of nuns.” I thought I’d fall out of my seat laughing at that one!

Back at the ship I had lunch on Lido aft deck while watching a number of groups of people actually climb up to the top of the Bridge! Yes, that line of little bumps is a group of climbers. They started offering this as a tour about 5 years ago and have evidently made a mint on it. Some people are foolish, some are foolhardy, and then therre are tourists! One of our table mates, Mary, is scheduled to make the clomb tomorrow. Not even in my misspent youth would I have tried this!

After lunch I took a long leisurely walk around to the far side of Circular Quay. This is where most of the ferry boats come in, and there are lots of shops, restaurants and ice cream parlors. I patronized one souvenir shop, one Baskin Robins and one ATM. The people-watching was prime this afternoon as it is the day of the Melbourne Cup (richest horse race in the world), and practically the whole of Australia turns out for parties to watch it. Lots of people dressed to the nines, most ladies with hats or feathers or bows or some other sort of headgear, and lots of them in really high spike heels with no stockings (makes my feet hurt to think of it).

Wednesday, November 5

Jill and I had a tour together this morning. The main point was a visit to a Koala Zoo where you can actually pet and/or feed some of the Australian animals. We then drove through Olympic Park and took a ferry back to town. Jill and I the stopped for an excellent lunch in one of the many restaurants at Circular Quay before strolling back to the ship. I came back with “wombat cooties” on one hand, “kangaroo and koala cooties” on the other, and probably “sea gull cooties” on the seat of my pants where I’d sat on the wall around Circular Quay to rest at bit on the way back after lunch.

Someone please tell Connie that I spotted James’ apartment building on the way back down the river by ferry. It is now almost totally surrounded by high rise condos, and there is a garish amusement park on the next spit of land between hisplace and the Bridge. I did not try to find out if James is still here since I can’t remember his last name.

We don’t sail until 11:00 p.m. tonight, so I am hoping to get some photos of everything lit up before we go.

I happened to turn on CNN just one minute before Obama came out to give his speech in Chicago’s Grant Park. I am also glad that Warner won in Virginia.