Lazy day down under...

I feel so clean and like I have so much space all the sudden! I'm not sure that I'd be this wowed by Sydney if I weren't just coming from southeast Asia where I constantly felt hot, sweaty, dirty, and like I was so crammed in with so many people! Sydney is such a lovely city, yet so very similar to home (not that I'm surprised by this, I have been here before). I let myself sleep in this morning to the glutinous hour of 10:30 am! I can't even remember the last time I went to sleep without setting an alarm and so nonchalantly strolling out of bed! I lounged and showered and read... It was so glorious!
Anne and I then went out to get manicures as I, the nail-biter, seem to have gotten through the last three weeks without ever putting my fingers to my mouth (Alicia, I hope you are reading this, you'd be so proud) and it was time to reward myself by making them prettier (and to protect them as I'm able to keep my hands much cleaner and it can be a slippery slope back to nail biting). Any who, I'm not sure how interesting that is to anyone who might be reading this, but it certainly is one thing I am very proud of myself for. The girls doing our nails were super sweet and happened to be from Vietnam, one of them from just outside Halong Bay, so that was really fun. They also told me I have "mermaid" eyes. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm going to take it as a compliment.
We then went for a walk in the city - beginning in the botanical gardens and looping over to the iconic Sydney Opera House. Anne, born and bed in Sydney, and from a family who's history is so intertwined with the city, has a story for every building and every island. She is the perfect tour guide!



Can you believe this is all ONE tree? (tree in the botanical garden)



Mrs. Macquaries Chair - in 1810, the governor's wife arrived in Sydney. He had this chair carved out of stone at the end of a road overlooking the view of the city for her pleasure.



The view from the chair. That mini island you can see became a mini Alcatraz but is now a popular location for events and weddings.



This city has such a fabulous skyline! I love how diverse the shapes of the buildings are and yet how oddly symmetrical the whole of it looks.



The opera house. The building was finalized in 1973. I find that amazing on two levels 1)that a building that "young" can be that much of an international symbol (like the Eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, etc) and 2) how modern and creative it still looks! I mean it's not like Disney Hall looks all that much more "out there", to me at least (I say that because of how painfully aware I am of how little knowledge I have on the topic - it's not like I've read any architectural literature on this matter or anything...)



The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Anne says most people from the east suburbs (where she lives, just to the east a few miles of the center of the city) have a psychological barrier when it comes to crossing the bridge to North Sydney, that thought it technically isn't that far, it really feels it. I told her we have something similar in Los Angeles -the 405.

We went home, collected Tom, who was getting back from work and went to a delicious Italian dinner at a place called "No Name," given the name because it used to be somewhat of and "underground" Italian club. Oh what fun!


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