After a long flight, that was really uneventful, we made it to Sydney.
The airplane food was edible.
We watched lots of shows.
And once we arrived everything turned out upside down. Just as we expected.
We grabbed our rental car and made our way to our hotel in downtown Sydney. The bellman helping us with our bags asked where we were from and was really interested about where in Utah we were from. It turns out he was from Kaysville, but was an expat living in Sydney for the last few years. Small world we live in.
The next shocker was that we were able to watch the Sunday afternoon football games (it was mid-day Monday). Crazy.
The lovely Queen Victoria Building.
We really didn't have anything specific planned for our time in Sydney. We were just going to play it by ear depending on how we were feeling.
We went for a walk and stopped by a grocery store to grab some lunch and snacks. Kate found herself some Rice Bubbles.
Tasty red apples. Note the oversized game of chess going on in the background.
The birds didn't let any crumbs go unpecked.
Al and her quiche.
I got some roast beef. We sat and ate our lunch in Hyde Park.
Kate wanted to play chess, but there were some older men playing some long games (and lined up to play more).
Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park.
I was surprised to see people playing one of my favorite outdoor games, Swedish Chess. I made a set of these for my parents and Alison's parents years and years ago. At the time I couldn't afford to make a set for ourselves. I wish that I had!
Another fountain picture. This time with the Sydney Tower Eye in the background.
St. Mary's Cathedral.
The kids in this household love pigs. Apparently this one gives you good luck.
We walked from the park to the little peninsula with the Sydney Opera House. Our first view of the Harbor Bridge.
Sydney Opera House. This place was stunning.
Chocolate covered strawberries on the banks of the Sydney Harbor.
And of course we brought the masks...
This seal lives on the steps right behind the Opera House.
The backside.
After we walked all the way around the opera house, and dodged a bit of rain we went looking for somebody to take our picture wearing our masks.
Our hotel - The Grace.
I was thinking that we would be too tired after our long walk, but everybody decided that they still had enough energy to go to the Sydney Aquarium. They had a boat ride through the penguin enclosures. We needed some blankets to keep us warm.
The girls were especially excited to see Nemo and Marlin in Sydney. There's a good chance these are the real guys who starred in the movie.
Touching the starfish.
We walked back to our hotel and found a place with hamburgers that we could take back to our room. By this time we were all ready to crash. Sydney is a long ways away, but with the International Date Line in the mix the time didn't really feel too much different than back home. Just a day ahead.
Videos: I had Alison take a video while the girls were putting on their animal masks. It's great to see people's reactions to these funny American kids.
Penguins on the boat ride.
Tomorrow: The Taronga Zoo.
