It's Saturday morning in Sunny Sydney

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Thanks very much everybody for the messages and comments which enhance an already great travel experience. I've left some replies which I hope reach you.
It's Saturday morning in Central Sydney and it's very hot and sunny though I am mindful that it's very different back home and I hope that the severe conditions are not affecting you too badly.

I've had some excellent coffee whilst sitting in Railway Square listening to Jason Miles and watching the "beautiful people" passing by. Not so much a matter of seizing (?) the moment as of savouring it.

Yesterday I went down to THE harbour and caught my first sights of THE bridge and THE Opera House. Both are undoubtedly fabulous and it sounds churlish, even unkind, to say that, wonderful as they undoubtedly are, they are almost victims of there own hype. Like the Taj Mahal, they are icons amongst world icons and as such their popular image is almost always going to exceed the reality, WONDERFUL AS IT UNDOUBTEDLY IS. Architecturally the Opera House is imaginative and perfectly set in its landscape and I would urge anybody to see it if they get the chance, but I think it looks better in photographs than in reality. Perhaps that says more about "me" than "it" - come and see for yourselves. I offer you only my own opinion and images. The really fabulous thing is the Harbour and the City as a whole, along with everything in it. This is so apparent when one takes the ferries and sees it all from out on the Harbour or out on the Parramatta River which is a magnificent, attractive artery to the impressive Olympic Park, with the awesome Telstra Stadium where the 2000 Olympics had their heart and where "Johny" kicked England to victory in the last Rugby World Cup (with apologies to the Scots). Some of the residential areas on the waterfront are very mouthwatering - no doubt with a pricetag to match. It's a lovely City and today is a lovely day and I feel so very lucky to be here.

Finally, a little bit about people rather than places. I've been talking to a massively well-travelled "Kiwi" (is there any other kind?) who loves it here in Sydney amonst the "Bloody Aussies" then there was Matt on his first ever visit to the "East" from Perth which is pretty much isolated from any other city in the world - he's a big AFL (Aussie Rules) fan and an ardent follower of the Western Eagles whose greatest rivals are the Sydney Swans. He's here for the day/night cricket game between Aus and Nz and even offered me the a spare ticket which was tempting but ... talking of cricket, I caught the tail end of yesterday's England defeat at the "Gabba" , wherever that is...

Dining - last night I went to an unpretentious Lebanese restaurant fordinner - Baba Gannoche, Mixed Kebabs, very nice / the night before was Thai - fish cakes followed by Thai chicken salad and coconut ice-cream to finish with lots of green-tea to which I have become very partial.

ENOUGH TRIVIA - take care - Glenn

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Photos

Downtown from the south
This is close to where I'm staying - it's relaxed, very slightly frayed at the edges, cosmopolitan and slightly bohemian - I like it very much.