Sydney, on the Rocks

The Rocks is the only real historical area left in Sydney and also happens to be my favorite area. I've spent the past 2 afternoons/evenings there and beyond the outdoor markets, adorble tiny cafes, harbor views, cobblestone streets and pubs hidden between worn sandstone buildings, there's a feeling about that place that I can't quite point out but I know I love.

Also, rocks can refer to ice, and it is currently winter here. It's been 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. I have one REI fleece with me. It'll be even cooler in Melbourne. Thanks for that, southern hemisphere.

Yesterday:
Ferry to Manly Beach with Grant (friend from ultimate at USC, moved to Sydney after he graduated and is working here now), his Italian girlfriend Giulia, and a hostelmate, Karin, from Sweden. Apparently ferries are a normal form of transportation here, not just a novelty. Super cool. We checked out the beach despite it being cold, walked through a market, had some lunch, and checked out the art gallery.

From the ferry we witnessed a group of the ridiculous tourists who
pay $200/person to 'climb' the Harbor Bridge. Keep in mind that you
can walk the horizontal portion for free. And for $6.5 you can get
onto the Pylon Lookout which is the first of the two big pillar
things that bracket the arch part of the bridge.

At a microbrewery at Manly Beach. Happy about the selection.

Which do I want? All of them.
The tasting rack: 5 different brews, from sweet to bitter.

Cockatoos just chill on the grass here.

After the ferry ride back to Circular Quay, the big water transportation hub of Sydney, everyone went their separate ways depending on what they wanted to do. That was awesome to me-- having company for a bit, and then going on with my own itinerary. I explored The Rocks more in detail than the first time which was just a quick walkthrough as part of a free and wonderful walking tour of the city. Aka I kept walking and going toward interesting things until I pieced together the whole area and figured out the street connectivity.

At the Rocks Night Market, biggest vat of meatballs I've ever seen.

M.C. Escher in real life.

Lamb and sage sausage with grilled onions. I over-mustarded a bit.

At 6 pm Vivid Sydney went into effect and there were so many colorful, dynamic lights everywhere! It was a bit of a psychadelic experience, actually. By the end of the night I had wandered around The Rocks/Circular Quay/Opera House area for quite a few hours. And it started to lightly rain, so I rode the bus back to the hostel as yet another city-discovery adventure. No problem!

Glowing jellyfish along the harbor. Psychadelic, I tell you!

Sydney Opera House Barbie. Kill me now.

Rainbow-glow condom-people.

Harp? Yeah these little contraptions were all over the city.

Centerpiece of the city: basically a light show projected onto the
Opera House sails. I took some videos but I don't want to deal with
making them presentable right now.

Revival of the giant but shallow vat:
prawn and mushroom risotto, being buttered!

Remember when I said psychadelic? This city is like
Thematic Option Research Conferences on (more) drugs.

My best guess is that this is intended to reference Magritte's
"Son of Man" painting which made an amazingly clever appearance in
the film The Thomas Crown Affair. I'm open to other suggestions.

Magritte's "The Son of Man"

 Today consisted of tying the loose ends-- going back to all of the things I said I would when I didn't have time or energy earlier. Walked through the beautiful botanic gardens again on the way to the Government House, the official residence of the governor of NSW.

Morning in the gardens.

Gothic revival=sandstone castle. The empty flagpole on the left
means the governor was not home. I took a tour but couldn't take
pictures. It was absolutely royal.

Front door. I realize more and more how much I enjoy hardwood decor.

View from the State Room, where important functions happen.
Note teeny sailboats on the water.

Mmm arches.

Castle among high-rises.

Love the detail in the tiling. These are the shapes that were
played with in the light show.

Model of Sydney under the glass floor in the Customs House.

Almost feels wrong to step on it.

The Argyle by day. One of many bars/lounges hidden in The Rocks,
but this one was my favorite. Really cozy and relaxing, with a
wood/colorful cloth interior and an open courtyard outside.

So two of the major Sydney attractions that I failed to do in the last 3 days had to happen today. One was walking the Harbor Bridge. I took pictures of the varying angled views of the Opera House as I walked across it. Thinking of making it into a slideshow and posting that sometime later.
The other was touring the inside of the Opera House. Again small children ruin my life. There was a children's show in the main concert hall so we couldn't take pictures when we went in since they were deconstructing the stage, AND there was a giant black projector screen in front of the organ pipes :(

Beginning of the bridge. Distortion of space!

Engineering win. Also, a destination suicide spot!

Sydney in a nutshell. Literally, the Opera House was supposed to
be designed like a walnut-- a shell and a kernel which coexist but
don't have contact. A/C units lie in the void between :) But really.

Cultural differences.

 I could seriously open an exhibit featuring solely Opera House and Harbor Bridge photos. Uhh.

Shells.

Dusk.

Inside the nut. Structural integrity vital.

Without the sphere the curved shells of the Opera House would
have remained an engineering enigma.

Utzon's (Opera House designer) dad was a Naval architect.
This particular peak looks a bit like the bow of a ship.
The apple doesn't fall far from the architect.

Another glowing contraption.

Green apple, kiwi, vodka, green apple liqueur, mint.

Apparently this post is apple themed.
All packed and ready for Melbourne tomorrow! Weeeeeee!