Sydney day 3 Friday

I had a list of what I wanted to do in Sydney, but after us going out in the morning for a pint of milk and getting saturated by rain, I modified our plan for the day.

We caught the 311 bus to Observatory Park. Great views of parts of Sydney from the high ground of Observatory Park. We did not go inside the Observatory. I am not very interested in skies. Learning a bit about it being a navigation point and the time ball was interesting.

We had planned to get the bus back to Circular Quay, but it was a bit of a walk back to the bus terminus and the service was infrequent. It is not so far to walk, I told R, as we stared across the multitude of car, bus and train lanes travelling across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I remembered seeing what looked like a tunnel when we walked up the steep hill to the park. Yep, it went under the bridge and we were quickly in a market street at The Rocks. We have done The Rocks to death on previous visits. I knew my way from there to Circular Quay train station. We caught the train to Central and the tram, Sydney people like to call it a light rail, to Dulwich Hill. The tram originally terminated at Lilyfield but the line has been extended to Dulwich Hill. The only reason really is that there was an existing goods train line to the location. Nevertheless, the tram was busy enough along the way and I would call it successful.

There was little to see at Dulwich Hill, but near the tram terminus was quite a good cafe where we lunched. The two guys who seemed to be owner operators of the cafe where Middle Eastern looking and quite hot. We were catching the train back to the city and with some minutes to spare we stood on the street near the station and one of the owners came out and had a cigarette as he crossed the road to his very smart sports car. He zoomed up the street with much exhaust pipe roaring and then parked in another space. A sexy and slightly sleazy bloke. Would not do me at all!

The return trip to town on the train was uneventful. We alighted at Town Hall Station and I wanted to see Martin Place as I had not been there since it was first constructed. I had forgotten about Pitt Street Mall and we crossed from George Street via Strand Arcade. Martin Place was a bit benign and then we saw the tv Channel 7 studio, opposite the Lindt Cafe where the awful murders were committed. We were suddenly sad and I had no inclination to take photos. We walked a little further and caught the 380 bus back to our hotel.

Where to go for dinner? We had a glass of wine in our room. We stepped out to Oxford Street and went to Columbian Hotel where we had a few glasses of wine. My wine glasses were now perched on my nose and every bloke looked hot, in some way. He was older than me, so no great cred, but I detected him looking sideways at me. Huh R, I can still pull. It was time to move on and I gave the old dude our pub raffle tickets. He began to bang on about odds of death and winning a raffle. Cheers man, see you. The Columbian Hotel is great and the staff very nice. A Kiwi drag queen was the hostess for the evening.

More wine was had at the Courthouse Hotel, where we sat outside in the warm evening air and watched the passing parade. I will say by this point we were not quite sober but enjoying ourselves immensely. We are supposed to eat.

We walked a little further along Oxford Street. Fancy a little Greek, my dear? Why not. I got upsold. Would you like a salad with your lamb balls? I replied yes but immediately realised what had happened. No matter, the salad with the Greek balls was perfect for us to share.

It was quite wet when we set out, but did improve as the day went on.

The bridge from an different angle to the normal.

Anzac Bridge in the distance.

The works going on mid picture are for the creation of Barangaroo. I read somewhere that they are doing the nice part of works, a public area, before the true horror of what will be built begins.

An airport control tower? Where is the airport? Ah, shipping control tower. It looks quite old.

Imagine the impact on the local residents of the construction of the Harbour Bridge, well those who weren't in the way and stayed.

Looking across to the North Sydney office towers.

The time ball atop the main building.

There were a couple of these chains. What were they for? See how they have eroded the stone.

A little info on the Signal Station.

Perhaps where the signals were signalled from.

Down in The Rocks.

A gas lamp.

Mostly food stalls.

The Manly Ferry passing by the Opera House before she berths.

Circular Quay Station and Ferry Terminal.

The old Customs House, now a hotel I think. We had coffee at the outdoor coffee on your right.

A more conventional photo of the bridge.

Departing on the train. Did you think I was standing on the train tracks?

Central Station, not to be confused with Centraal Station in Amsterdam or Sentral Station in Kuala Lumpur.

Here comes the tram. There is only one every 15 minutes.

I can't say Dulwich Hill is the most attractive or prosperous looking suburb. Maybe at the bottom of the steep hill there is a more attractive shopping area.

Terrific little cafe.

An ad for Bearded Lady bourbon.

Mortuary Station from the train.

High roads and low roads.

The Strand  Arcade, linking George Street and Pitt Street.

The studios of tv broadcasting station Channel 7.

 Looking down Martin Place with the GPO clock tower in view. It probably isn't a post office now.

I don't normally publish food photos, but the lamb balls and salad were so nice.