Sydney Journal 2: Ferry Walkabouts and travel to the Blue Mountains
Part Two of the Sydney Journal documents the continuing adventures of Australia Travel Specialist Alece Schreiber. After having a House Trade, we explore a Ferry Walkabout and visit with Alece and Dave to the Blue Mountains! Then off to Tasmania!
(PRWEB) July 31, 2005 -- After 2 weeks in the upside down house, we are adjusting well! We can now navigate the stairs and the electronics and what more can one ask?
Recent activities: We have taken up a new diversion called ferry walkabouts. Let me explain: the ferry service puts out a little booklet detailing the way to take the ferry, get off and walk to the next ferry stop. One goes along the shore of the bay or Harbor, occasionally walking a little inland through a neighborhood. One is perambulating through the "poshest" real estate in all of Sydney, running along the shoreline where the views are stunning. And, I imagine, a lot of the houses are like our's, with many steps and levels. Sometimes, as happened to us, you find that you have to take a different ferry, go to the main dock in Sydney, to Circular Quay, change ferries and take the correct one back to one's stop. This is all great fun except for the fact that while waiting for the next boat, there is inevitably a little cafe on the dock. End result is that you have a nosh and put back on all of the calories you just walked off!
Another advantage to ferry riding is that of course, you meet people. One elderly (anyone older than we are) lady and her husband told us how they took the ferry to work in downtown Sydney for 40 years. She said that woe be to the person who sat in the seat that a fellow commuter had pegged as his own! One day, a good looking Aussie with briefcase, about our age, helped us with the automatic ticket machine. "No worries," he said. When I was in San Francisco, someone helped me, so I am just returning the favor.
Shopping update: Glory be, we have found a little Shadyside, not 5 minutes drive from "our" house. It contains: a Shadyside Market, a deli, a dry cleaner (Chinese like I remember in Squirrel Hill when we were little), and a Schillers. In other words, everything is small, one can park, and everything costs 50% more!
Evenings: We have had some lovely evenings out. The aforementioned David Thomas from Swain and his girlfriend Natalie came and took us out to eat in a beautiful seaside restaurant....actually one of the ones in Balmoral that we couldn't get into the week before. We attended a performance at the small Drama Theater at the Opera House. The show had 2 guys and is called Lano and Woodley. They are on the Comedy Channel, apparently. It was very clever and would be a big hit in Las Vegas. As an aside, due to the Schreiber house evening driving rules, we took a taxi. It was pouring down rain, the ride was about 30 minutes, due to massive traffic, and our driver regaled us for the whole time with the story of his trip with a mate through the United States via Greyhound bus and rental car...for 3 months. This is the length of time the cab ride seemed to take. I zoned out somewhere in South Dakota. The Swain driver told us to use this company as the drivers speak English. I e-mailed this driver that we are going back to the other cab companies where the drivers are like in New York and don't speak English. Another night, Dave and I went to a highly recommended restaurant in town. We were almost finished eating, when Dave said: "isn't that couple who just came in from Pittsburgh"?I won't keep you in suspense: it was Herb Siegel and Robin Bernstein. Of course, I knew he would plutz to see this house from the famous architect, so we invited them to "call in" 2 days later. We also invited the lady, Pam, who had let us into the house on our arrival (she is now on her way to stay at our house in Aspen as she is best friends with our hostess here)! We had a really lovely evening and I think that Herb and Robin enjoyed seeing the suburban side of Sydney. Never mind, but it is a small world.
Travels: I am afraid to write about this as it involves driving, but here goes. We went out to the Blue Mountains, about 2 hours drive west of Sydney. Now, we have been to the Blue Mountains before, once with Rita Langue. At the time, we all agreed that this area looks a lot like Western Pennsylvania!! But, the object this time was to stay for 2 nights at a place called Lilianfels, an Orient-Express hotel, where clients sometimes stay and I wanted to check out. Of course, I don't have to tell you, but I will anyway, that the drive out was torture: first, city streets, then a motorway, then more city streets, then the M4, then a regular road. The traffic is biblical and I wished I had a Bible so that I could pray and read Psalms!! I wanted Dave to stay in the left lane (the slow lane here, don't forget) but, unfortunately that lane often has an arrow for exiting, so that won't do at all. Sometimes, due to indecision, he would straddle the line between the slow lane and the middle lane. This made the other drivers mad as hell!! Between the going and the coming back, 10 years are now off my life and I am 78!!
The hotel was wonderful, as you would expect. I had a Kodo massage. Don't ask me what that is but they burn incense and ring a bell at the end. It was divine, anyway and relaxed me from car fright! On the way home we stopped in a beautiful town called Leura, still in the Blue Mountains. I went into a shop (what should be different here?) and the lady saw that Dave's golf shirt said Jackson Hole. So, she told us about how her friends couldn't imagine why she and her husband would go to Wyoming, of all places (she has a friend there). Also, she related how much they loved that part of the U.S. Most Aussies love Americans (despite anything you may read) and one of the joys of being here is that they treat us as old friends.
Dave has gone to play golf today at Royal New South Wales golf course. He called when he arrived. I didn't ask him to do this, but it was quite thoughtful as one never can guess where he will end up!! He is playing at this course because when Danny took him to the Masters for his birthday, they met the pro from this place and the guy gave him his card and told him to call.
On Tuesday, we are off to Tasmania for 5 days and then to see Dave's 30 or so 3rd and 4th cousins in Melbourne. Will be back in Sydney for about 3 weeks at the end. So, I will write again after the big cousin reunion.
Love to all, Alece and Dave
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See Journal Part I, here:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb252298.php
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