Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sydney...part 1


Thursday, February 19, 2009 – SYDNEY
Up at 5 – Dr. Paula Smith gave highlights as we sailed into Sydney Harbor in the dawn. The sun rose about 6:30 and we saw the lights of the city and the Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge in front of us. It was beautiful.

Our port-side balcony faces the Opera House!! What a fantastic view! The sun was shining brilliantly and off we went. We bought a phone card and could not find a phone. A wonderful Australian women in McDonald’s let us use her phone and I made an eye appointment with the optometrist and Gene called about a dental issue. Walking up George Street we found a different office and I had my eyes examined there at about a 1/3 of the price in the USA and since I don’t have insurance for this anymore…it was a deal! They told me I could not get the new glasses before departure tomorrow and we left. But glancing around at all the store fronts we found another eye glass store and they are stating a 75% chance I can get them tomorrow. Otherwise, we will have them shipped to Elsebeth in Hong Kong! It will work. Gene tried about six dental offices with no success. It was hot and sunny and we really enjoyed exploring the streets in the city center. Many memories of the days we spent in Sydney before and after our driving around the country. It is a great city! The harbor front, the ferry system, the Opera House, the bridge, the cafes…it was a perfect day to enjoy it all.

Photo is of Gene on the steps of the Opera House with the ship in the background!