Checked into the Hyatt and in the afternoon my darling Kathryn came to the hotel and a joyous reunion took place. Wonderful to see her. We went upstairs to the Zephyr bar, which Kathryn knows well (!) and she had a cocktail and I had a glass of Rose. The view over Darling Harbour was lovely and the sun was so hot that they kept spritzing the bar with cold water droplets.
In the evening Stella and I had a meal at an Italian restaurant on the edge of the harbour and just sat and watched the world go by and the lights on the water.
Next day we went to the Opera House. Now I have been there so many times and yet each time I see it I am enthralled by it all over again. The boldness and beauty of the design is stunning and has really put Sydney on the map. We went on a tour. I went on one a few years ago but was happy to repeat it We are not allowed to take photos but before you embark on the hour long tour your photo is taken and then when you are finished you can purchase a book all about the building and its history and inside your photo is superimposed on different shots of the opera house. It is a great souvenir and I decided to buy one, though I wished I had brushed my hair...
After this we went for a walk in the Rocks area, which I shall revisit myself later on as I shall be here another few weeks, but good to get a flavour of it all. Then back to the hotel and crashed out for an hour or so.
Today we went to Manly on the ferry which is another thing I love doing in Sydney and of which I never tire and though I had promised myself no more pics of the opera, I simply had to take this one. The sun was shining on the shells of the building, it was a glorious blue sky and I am delighted with the result.
Manly is a charming place and when you are there you feel far away from the bustle of the City. The waves were coming in, not too high, but a lot of surfies about. We had a nice lunch, a beef sandwich shared between the two of us as they are monster and, once again, chunky chips with aoli. SUBLIME.
And look what I bought for Beatrice and Florence..