Back to Sydney, Australia

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G'Day Mate!

I know I've been neglecting you but I've had people to see, places to go! It's great to be back in Sydney town - now that the weather has changed from being cold (after Thailand) so that I had to go out and buy some winter clothes. The sun is once again shining and all is well with the world for me.

I've been staying in suburban/semi rural Belrose with my son Simon and my daughter in law Martine, not forgetting cats Eric (who emigrated back from England with them 3 years ago) and Troy. As fitness trainers (ex Pilates Chiswick and USA), I am good hands to get me into shape and with their fitness studio downstairs, I have no excuse not to go to classes. Not only exercising but following their calorie controlled nutrition plan, I am on the straight and narrow except for weekends when I'm catching up with friends and going out on the town, such as trying out the Malaya Restaurant at the new Kings Wharf near Darling Harbour, then Thai Intra at Glebe on Saturday. This is the life!

My other son Kim and wife Becky and my two grandsons live further up on the Northern Beaches and and we're catching up again soon.

It's Sunday and I'm spending another weekend in Chippendale, inner city, at my friend Ann's terrace house close to Broadway. I've been re-visiting some of the popular touristy spots, such as Circular Quay with its excellent street theatre. The performers were banned there for a while, I don't know what happened in the meantime, but they are back, silver statues, fireater, didgereedoo players, and Captain Cook wandering around promoting cruises...all adding to the buzzy atmosphere.

Course I had to go round to The Opera House, gaze at the bridge, and when the batteries in my camera gave out, the only decent thing to do was to go to the Irish Pub in the Rocks area to listen to live Irish music. I also popped into famous The Hero of Waterloo pub to check whether the oldies (in their 70's and 80's) still played music there at the weekend. Yes, indeed, they still strut their stuff and after me being seven years away, they looked as if time had stood still. That will be an outing for another day.

Last weekend I was invited by friend Christene to join her and some Rotary friends to view the Sculptures by the Sea at Bondi Beach. It was very pleasant wandering along the foreshores. Some of the sculptures were unusual and one or two had particularly ironic humour, one was white lines along the rocks to keep out refugees and another at the end of the walk on Tamarama Beach were traffic lights to stop an influx of the same. They were fixed on red lights a lot and only on green briefly to let a few people in.

I'm desperately seeking a campervan. Have only viewed one so far and the rest seem to be in far flung places like Taree, Lismore, Newcastle and Bangalow. I hope to view a few more closer to Sydney and then I'll be ready to take off on my travels.

As you can see, Kev Koala (KK to his friends) has settled back nicely in Sydney. He's a marvellous icebreaker in talking to tourists and I'm having a lot of fun.

TTFN

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Photos

Sydney Harbour Bridge
It's like an old familiar friend

Australian Aboriginal street theatre
At Circular Quay

Kev fraternises with Korean students
At Sydney Opera House

Kev snoozing with new friends
What a life eh!

Rocks near Bondi beach
Sculptures by the sea outing

Sculptures at Tamarama Beach
An enjoyable Sunday afternoon stroll

Sculptures by the Sea
Looks familiar!

Traffic Lights Sculpture
red lights to keep refugees at bay

Comments

[Rowena]

Welcome back
G'day Glad to see you made it home downunder and are enjoying renewing your acquaintance with Sydney. Look forward to seeing you in Brissie once you find your new mobile home and join the Grey Nomads. Sheila and Greg Bond (plus their two beagles) are currently doing the nomad thing in Queensland. I will write to you later on your old hotmail address in hopes you drop in to an internet cafe sometime. Lots of hugs ....... Rowena

[Siobhan]

Hey Linda, it sounds as though you had a great time on your way back to Oz, and it must be fab to be back home. ...and to make you feel even better, the view from Millbank these days is generally grey, drizzly, dark and damp!! Keep adding your blogs and photos, they're a source of inspiration - much like your good self! xxx

[Colin Fong]

One degree of separation with James Bond
Linda Last Thursday, Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond, walked into the University of Notre Dame Australia Sydney campus, on Broadway. He was with his uncle, who works at UNDA Fremantle, and the uncle comes over to Sydney regularly. All the girls' hearts were a flutter. Unfortunately I did not get to meet him, but I did shake his uncle's hand later in the day. If you had been staying at Ann's place, you never know, you could have met him and said: "Scott, I'm Linda Scott!" Ciao Colino