We were required to dock here because a large Princess ship was too tall to pass under the bridge. As a result they docked at the heart of the action in Circular Quay. We got the 20 minute shuttle ride to the same place. Last year we were on the big ship that docked at Circular Quay. It is far more convenient.
We had decided to walk the city today. We boarded the second shuttle to leave. It was 9:00. We arrived in The Rocks next to Circular Quay at 9:40. So much for the 20 minute ride.
We had purchased tickets in November for Barber of Seville at the opera house at 7:30 tonight. Our plan was to go straight to the opera house to pick up our tickets, and then start our walk. We would catch a shuttle at 4:30 back to the ship. Then we would change clothes, grab a bite and return to the opera house.
We walked to the box office, arriving at 10:00. After a short wait we presented our email receipt and our tickets were printed. I asked about the dress code. The nice young lady chuckled and said there is none. They love tourists, and we should just come as we were. We just gained 2.5 hours. Our walk began.
First we photographed the opera house to death. It is so impressive in person. Then it was on to the Botanical Gardens. We walked through them, around a small bay toward The Domain and Mrs MacQuarie's Chair. We followed a new path in The Domain, along yet another bay. This took us past a beautiful Olympic swimming pool back into the botanical gardens. We visited the Garden Shop, and crossed the park to the exit next to the Music Conservatory. What a lovely building.
We walked along the edge of the gardens to the Sydney Library. The reading room inside was very large with excellent appointments and nice stained glass. Alice asked about a children's collection, and learned there is none here.
We moved on past government house in search of St Mary's Cathedral. First it was lunch time. We headed in the direction of a host of people, but could only find fast food outlets. A stop in the transit office provided information for the public buses, subways and ferries. We asked the clerk about a good place for lunch. He directed us to the Weatherfield Mall where we found many suitable restaurants.
Refueled, we headed back toward Hyde Park. The cathedral is on the opposite side of the park. On the way we found the David Jones store. Barbara, our port lecturer, had suggested that the food court here rivaled Harrod's. We must find out. The selection and preparations rivaled anything we have seen. So did the prices. Gulp!
The cathedral was nice. It is large with beautiful stained glass windows. The organ looked very impressive. A lower level crypt hold the remains of past bishops. We did not go down. Out the front entrance we found a reflection pool and memorials.
We now were seeking the War Memorial. We found it back in Hyde Park at the far end. It's reflection pond is under renovation. We combed the steps, and entered a marble hall that surrounded the memorial statue. High above were embellishments in marble. Atop one of these sat a beautifully colored bird. The security guard was intent on removing this trespasser. He was not having much success,and bemoaned the cleanup task ahead of him. We left.
Several blocks away was George Street. Her was St. Andrews, the Anglican Cathedral. It was closed, so we started our walk back toward Circular Quay and the opera house. We were quite a distance away, so we did minimal shopping until we got to the Queen Victori Building. This houses three levels of specialty shops. We did it justice, and returned to George Street.
Forging ahead we arrived at Circular Quay at 6:00. We walked to the lower level of the opera house. This has restaurants and bars with water views. At 6:15 we sat down in the Opera Bar for beer and calamari. My Fitbit showed that we had walked 12.2 miles. We tried two different Australian beers, Lash's and Enright. Both were enjoyable as was the calamari.
We arrived at the opera house at 7:00 and proceeded to our door 25. Our seats were in the center of the third row of the dress circle. We climbed stairway after stairway and finally arrived at the highest door in the opera house. We opted not enter immediately, but went down one level to an indoor terrace and bar that overlooked the harbor. Breathtaking!
When we entered door 25 we were directed down to our row. It was down quite a way. We were not in heaven after all. Indeed, there was no dress code. We saw everything from shorts to ball gowns on the ladies, and shorts to tuxedos on the men. We fit right in the middle.
The sight lines were perfect. When the overture began, the sound was perfect as well. The performance was excellent. The staging was very original, and the presentation was comedic. It all worked very well. At the first applause we were overwhelmed by the volume, the whistles and catcalls. This enthusiasm was magnified by the hard surfaces of the iconic ceiling. Awesome. What a grand evening!
We exited ar 10:20, and started the 20 minute walk to the shuttle stop at The Rocks. We had been told the last shuttle was 11:30, so when we arrived at 10:40 we felt safe and joined the long line of passengers. The shuttle arrived at 10:45. Boarding stopped two passengers ahead of us. The attendant informed us that the bus was full as it pulled away. OK we will board the next one. No Way he said. This was the last bus today. One of the men in front of us worked in shore excursions. He insisted that the attendant call his superior. He did. Then he told the 30 of us in line that we must take taxis to the ship. Alice and I joined two other passengers in sharing a cab. On the way back we agreed we would go to the front office to seek reimbursement for the fare. The other couple was disembarking in the morning so I paid the fare with my Visa. We went to the front desk. We were treated with courtesy, and told we would learn of the resolution in the morning. It was now midnight.
We bid the others farewell, and went to put our things in the cabin. Now it was off to the Lido for cold drinks. We shared out tales of the day with some passengers who had taken the ship's tour with transportation provided. As we told of our long walk, I went to confirm the distance on my Fitbit. It was gone. I had last looked at it as we entered the cab. I checked our cabin and my bag. No trace. Then I remembered that when I got out my credit card to pay the driver, it was a tight fit getting into my pocket. I have had a few other instances of the strap coming undone when snagged by my jacket. I was sure that it had snagged on my pocket and fallen off in the cab.
Fitbit will hear from me when we get home. I am unhappy with them for their poor clasp design, and with me for not being more sensitive.
Sleep came hard.
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