Before heading to Sydney, we opted to check out the Blue Mountains, and after driving into the afternoon, we made it to the town of Katoomba which offers the best scenic view in the area. The Three Sisters rock formation is a particularly well known sight (see pic above). We spent a little time in this town wandering the streets and chatting. We planned on staying there for the evening, but as the caravan park was all booked up, we headed to the next town, Blackheath, in the Hippie in the hopes of getting a spot in their caravan park. As it turned out, they did have an open spot, and we ended up checking out the local pub and fish chip shop. This town, like so many in the area, was very quaint and had a mainstreet lined with older buildings with their historical features still well preserved. Our experience turned a little sour the next morning, as the caravan park owners wouldn't allow us to stay an extra 30 minutes to finish our laundry despite the fact that we offered to move our car across the street and that the reason we were done yet was one of their drying machines not working. After a few heated words with the crotchety managers, we gladly hit the road for Sydney.
It only took a couple of hours, and we found ourselves in the heart of beautiful Sydney. Our little Hippie was quite the attention getter in downtown, particularly when we pulled up to our hotel, the Sheraton, directly across from Hyde Park. As we pulled up to the valets, I got the distinct feeling that they were more use to business men in expensive suits, but we were greeted warmly nevertheless. As soon as we were checked in, we strapped on our running shoes and went for a jog through Hyde Park and the Botanical Gardens before finally arriving at the famous Opera House, a specatular structure. We hit the gym as soon as we returned, and Tracy found time for a little yoga on the balcony while enjoying the view of Sydney from the 22nd floor.
The next day we enjoyed a little breakfast at a cafe in the park before setting off again. We took a similar route as before, but this time we had cameras in hand. As it was a warm, spring day in Sydney, there were plenty of plants in bloom and many wedding parties having their pictures taken. We also passed a few hours exploring the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
After snapping a few pics of the Opera House, we headed for the area of Sydney known as the Rocks and Circular Quay. This is the oldest area of Sydney complete with old stone buildings and a few cobblestone streets. As we passed the Fortune of War, we noticed that it claimed to be the oldest pub in Sydney, so we of course stopped for a pint. Inside we found a small band led by a elderly female singer belting out old jazzy numbers and that included a gentleman playing a washboard. I'm not kidding a real washboard.
After exiting the Fortune of War, we decided we really liked this area of Sydney and would spend the rest of the afternoon there. We wondered through the streets checking out more pubs, ducking into pie shops, and trying to decide what sumptuous cake to buy at small bakery. We finished up the evening with a very nice tapas style meal.
As we wandered back to our hotel late in the evening, we played around taking some pictures in the empty streets of Sydney and wondered what we find along the coast when we headed out in the morning. We both agreed that more time in Sydney would have been welcomed and that it was our favorite Aussie city to date.
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