Sydney
We have arrived in Sydney at a hotel called Sir Stamford on Circular Quay. We were pretty confident about what to expect just from the name - charm with a slightly old-fashioned look and feel - perhaps a gently down-at-heel country house. In fact the hotel has turned out to be delightful. The staff are friendly and helpful. The furnishings and decor hark back to the elegance of Edwardian England and we immediately feel at home. Perhaps that's because we have a rather typical English summer's day - grey skies with drizzle! We have used our brollies for the first time this trip. Weather forecasts say we'll have much the same tomorrow followed by two glorious sunny days. Into every life a little rain must fall!
Our room was exactly what we ordered this time, a large comfortable room with a good seating area, king-size bed and a large modern bathroom with bath and shower. It was also blissfully quiet. We are a short walk - about 100yds - from the steps of the Opera House, so have a wonderful location close to the Harbour Bridge, the ferries and all the restaurants and shops of downtown Sydney.
Tonight we made a reservation at Aria, one of the best eating houses close by. Dinner was excellent, the best meal since Southern Ocean Lodge. Our table was in the window with the Opera House to the right and the Harbour Bridge to our left. We had a perfect evening relaxing, eating and looking out over the harbour lights, watching the ferries coming and going.
We have seen Sydney's two iconic landmarks countless times in films, photographs and on television. Being here within yards of both of them is still exciting and we've almost had to keep pinching ourselves.
Sydney is absolutely beautiful. We both agree that we would live here in a heartbeat. It is easily the best city on the trip. Even when the sun is not shining, it is warm with a breeze coming off the harbour. When the sun comes out, its just better What makes the city so beautiful is the fact that it is spread out over a large area and is built around the many harbours, inlets, coves and beaches down this part of the eastern Australian coastline. The heart of the city and the business district with it's skyscrapers is much like a host of other major world centres, but all the areas on the various waterfronts around the city are gorgeous.
It's a cosmopolitan city, but there is a lot of space and plenty of open water, so it doesn't feel crowded. It feels relaxed and much less frenetic than say, London or New York with bars, cafes and restaurants serving every kind of cuisine never more than a few steps away.
As is our habit when exploring cities, we've spent the day walking the streets. The Rocks is the name of the s quarter of the city, but even that's only 150 years old and we've explored pretty much every inch of it. Attractive though the older parts of the city are, however, nothing beats the harbour area, particularly in the evening.
It's been a great first 24 hours in Sydney.
Our room was exactly what we ordered this time, a large comfortable room with a good seating area, king-size bed and a large modern bathroom with bath and shower. It was also blissfully quiet. We are a short walk - about 100yds - from the steps of the Opera House, so have a wonderful location close to the Harbour Bridge, the ferries and all the restaurants and shops of downtown Sydney.
Tonight we made a reservation at Aria, one of the best eating houses close by. Dinner was excellent, the best meal since Southern Ocean Lodge. Our table was in the window with the Opera House to the right and the Harbour Bridge to our left. We had a perfect evening relaxing, eating and looking out over the harbour lights, watching the ferries coming and going.
We have seen Sydney's two iconic landmarks countless times in films, photographs and on television. Being here within yards of both of them is still exciting and we've almost had to keep pinching ourselves.
Sydney is absolutely beautiful. We both agree that we would live here in a heartbeat. It is easily the best city on the trip. Even when the sun is not shining, it is warm with a breeze coming off the harbour. When the sun comes out, its just better What makes the city so beautiful is the fact that it is spread out over a large area and is built around the many harbours, inlets, coves and beaches down this part of the eastern Australian coastline. The heart of the city and the business district with it's skyscrapers is much like a host of other major world centres, but all the areas on the various waterfronts around the city are gorgeous.
It's a cosmopolitan city, but there is a lot of space and plenty of open water, so it doesn't feel crowded. It feels relaxed and much less frenetic than say, London or New York with bars, cafes and restaurants serving every kind of cuisine never more than a few steps away.
As is our habit when exploring cities, we've spent the day walking the streets. The Rocks is the name of the s quarter of the city, but even that's only 150 years old and we've explored pretty much every inch of it. Attractive though the older parts of the city are, however, nothing beats the harbour area, particularly in the evening.
It's been a great first 24 hours in Sydney.
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