Seize the opportunity. Long layover in Sydney.

After a lovely recovery weekend at the Beach Cottage, we set out Monday night on the long flight over the pacific ocean.  Actually, it was even a little longer than the last flight this direction since we decided to take the opportunity for a long layover in Sydney, Australia.  After 15 hours on a plane, we were glad to be up and walking again come 6 am when we left the airport for Circular Quay (pronounced "key")--Sydney's port neighborhood.  

The first thing to catch our eye was, of course, the famous Sydney Opera House jutting out over the harbor with the bright rising sun reflecting off the white tiled shell-like roofs.  Across the water on the other side arched a huge bridge.  The whole sight was just too hard to believe!  It wasn't sinking in!  That's the thing about hopping on a plane and waking up on the other side of the world; it can get a little surreal at times.

Nearby we found the Royal Botanical Garden and wandered around for a while enjoying the crisp, clear morning sunshine and the interesting foliage and wildlife.

 Jonathan relaxes under a particularly old tree.

 We stopped at a café for a flat white!

Next we found a quaint old section of town called, The Rocks.  The name comes from the cliffs surrounding this area.  Part of it was along the water, where we snapped this picture:

And from there we walked through lovely parks and down cobblestone streets and alleyways with very british-looking pubs and restaurants lining the narrow walkways.

 One such picturesque pathway.

We loved it so much we went back to The Rocks for lunch, which was delicious, I might add!

Moving on, by ten o'clock we were due for our tour of the Opera House.  

 Here's our reflexion in the windows overlooking the harbor.

Sydney's Opera House is stunning!  Although, it seems a lot smaller in real life than it tends to look in pictures.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get any pictures on the inside because they weren't allowed, but, trust me, those huge auditoriums filled with wood seating, wood flooring, and a magnificent wood ceiling towering overhead, were breathtaking.  Now just imagine it with the sounds of Beethoven or Dvorak reverberating off every crevice!  It was absolutely tantalizing to be there and not get to see a performance of some kind.  

 Between the two main auditoriums.

On one stage, we did get to see some ballet dancers beginning their rehearsal.  They swayed and glided to the un-amplified piano music coming from just out of sight.  They way that music swelled inside that room, I can't even begin to imagine how magical a legitimate performance would be!  Maybe next time...

My favorite detail we learned on the tour was about the giant elevator portion of the stage that lowers directly into the piano storage area where they keep all the best brand names because no professional performing pianist ever plays on anything except their preference.  However, even moving the piano onto the elevating stage and raising it to performance level is considered too much for these delicate and intricate instruments, and a house-employed tuner is always on staff to tune a piano each time it is moved.

After that spectacular tour, it was warming up outside, so we caught the ferry to Manly, a beach suburb of Sydney.  Leaving behind the city skyline, we passed by rocky cliffs edging the endless stretch of the Pacific Ocean.

Sydney's skyline.

 We had to touch the Pacific from this side.  

Strange to think the Beach Cottage is just at the other end.

The water was sparkling.  No other word for it.  More green in color than in California, it became almost aqua as the waves curled over into white spray.  

We didn't stick around long as, like any good beach city, it was crowded.  Back on the ferry, this time pulling into the harbor, the city was a magnificent sight!  We still had a few hours so we walked through a little of the city proper, looking much more like Chicago, or Portland, or even Los Angeles with its towering skyscrapers.  

 Oh, yes!  And we saw a koala.  Outside a mall or something.

Sydney skyscrapers.

By the time we limped our way back to the train that would take us to the airport, we were beat.  But it was well worth it!  I decided I like trying to see a city in a day.  We've done that several times now--San Francisco, Portland, Seattle--and while it's true, you can only get a taste, it's enough to see what's unique to that city, and also enough to see that it's another normal city--full of normal people living their normal lives.  

So long, Sydney!

And off to New Zealand we go!