Australia -- Day 3

The bags situation is still a nightmare: Day 4 and no bags. I am so exhausted with the whole situation I cannot even devote words to it.

Today was another day with fantastic weather- between 60 and 65 degrees. Today’s itinerary was to head to perhaps Australia’s most famous beach: Bondi Beach. We took the Bondi Explorer, which basically has 19 stops all around the area and you can jump on and off whenever you like. We began at St Mary’s church, a stunning gothic cathedral. When we got to the bus stop, we were alerted by the bus driver that we had been sold the wrong tickets. No worries, as they say in Australia. He let us ride to the next stop, where some sort of GM figure inspected our passes, wrote “OK!!! For Bondi Explorer Only” and signed his name. The passes were well-accepted the rest of the trip. In America, there would have been paperwork, and BS, and suspicion—but in Australia, they try and take care of you. Beautiful.

I was startled at the heights Sydney reaches—we were going up steep cliffs and around tight bends. We saw lots of the different beach and bay neighborhoods, yacht clubs, etc. My favorite was Rose Bay – very old Hollywood hills glamour. Absolutely beautiful panoramic views. Then we got to Watson’s Bay, and The Gap, where I was just blown away. The cliffs, the vastness, the sheer volume of Tasman Bay was breathtaking. One of my most favorite places I’ve ever been. I hope that Jay and I will be able to return on our final days in Sydney. Likewise with Bondi Beach…I can see why it’s the most famous of Aussie beaches. It even FELT warmer there (it was about 62*)—not only were their plenty of surfers but there were people in shorts, tee shirts, even bathing suits. The crescent shaped coastline and architecture had a very Mediterranean feel! The waters were the bluest of turquoise, very tropical! I could’ve stayed there all day…and again, I hope we’ll be able to return. We walked on the ocean a bit and I collected some shells as souvenirs. We headed up the street to a restaurant at which Jay had eaten on his last trip to Australia – Hog’s Breath Café. Think Outback Steakhouse except REALLY Australian. We both had burgers topped with beets, among other things. Beets? The fries were delicious dipped in this honey-chili sauce. Before boarding the Bondi Explorer again, we stopped at the Beach Supplies Australia surf shop and I picked up a red hibiscus print tee shirt with the BSA logo which is way cooler than any American surf supply shirt.

We ended our enjoyable trip on the Bondi Explorer (nice to sit and be transported around after all the walking we have been doing) at Circular Quay.

Our final activity of the evening was climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Yes, can you believe that they actually allow yokels to do that? They’ve only been doing it about 6 or 7 years now. We were scheduled for a 17:25 climb (5:25pm) ensuring it would be nice and dark with glittery lights by the time we ascended. Now, I am not scared of heights usually, and I ride the scariest of rollercoasters and all that, but the thought of climbing the steep iron staircases made me extremely nervous. The Bridge Climb group does a great job of preparing the climbers, however. We had tons of gear and took “practice” climbs indoors before doing the real thing. The actual climb took about 2 hours. We had a fantastic guide named Niomi, a Sydney native, whom Jay and I talked to a lot throughout the climb b/c we were right up front. She put me at ease. She gave the group a lot of historical information about the bridge as well as Sydney, and we stopped for a few photos along the way (that they charge you for of course—I’ll have to scan ours in when we get home).

The experience was surreal: being up in the air and viewing Sydney in a completely different way. With the exception of 8 steep flights (4 up, 4 down) which were not fun for me (you climbed them one person at a time, so it felt very isolated!) the rest of the climb was extremely gradual. We truly felt on top of the world, seeing Sydney 360* with all of the gorgeous night lights and sights and sounds of the trains and cars passing below us. An unbelievable experience

Day 2

Day 2

We began the day with another quick breakfast at Hungry Jack’s, watching the morning traffic – foot and car – go by. We took the monorail (one of Sydney’s many, many forms of transportation—walking, monorail, metro, taxi, ferry, train, bus) to Darling Harbour. Darling Harbour is absolutely fantastic. Seaside paradise—interesting architecture (very fair-like), great views of the skyline, plenty of shops and places to eat. We went inside and toured the shops, including an Opal shop and an Aboriginal Art Gallery that Jay loves—he bought an aboriginal painting on his last trip, and is searching for another one for the collection. That particular art gallery is the only aborigine-owned gallery in Sydney.
Next, we went to the Chinese Gardens of Friendship: a lush, tranquil spot in the busy city. Beautiful rock formations, vegetation, carvings, and even a waterfall. We continued our walk around the Harbour—plenty of kid-friendly activities abound—to Cockle Bay Wharf where we had lunch. We ate at Nick’s , our finest meal to date. We dined al fresco, yet shaded by the grove of plants, overlooking the harbour. I had Australia’s famous fish, Barramundi (grilled, served with chips) and Jay had chargrilled king prawns in a chili sauce (messy but good!) with salad. It was a fresh and delicious, leisurely meal in a perfect location. I once revealed my American-ness by asking where the “restroom” was. In Australia, they’re a lot more frank…they just call it the toilet.

We walked back to Circular Quay about 2:30pm—the place to depart to anywhere else in the city—to take the ferry to Manly Bay. Because it’s winter here, it starts to get dark, of course, around 5:30pm—so we wanted to see Jay’s favorite beach before dusk. The ferry is the ideal way to travel, in my opinion. Close-up views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, as well houses on the coast, the North, South and Middle Point cliffs, etc. The ferry ride took about a half-hour.
Manly Beach is definitely a relaxed counterpart to cosmopolitan Sydney. The store-fronts look straight out of the 60s. Lots of kids, joggers, etc. We sat on the sidewalk benches and watched surfers and the open expanse of water, as the sky turned pinker around dusk. We had dinner outside on the picnic tables: I had ham and pineapple pizza, Jay had beef kebab. It was dark by this time, so we caught the 6pm return ferry to Circular Quay. The lights on the water were absolutely STUNNING. The skyline is the prettiest I have ever seen. Glowing. Took many, many shots to get a couple decent ones.

Walked about a mile back to the hotel from Circular Quay, passing the familiar sites by now of Pitt Street. All this walking each day has left us exhausted but happy.

On day 3 (second full day) our luggage is still not here. It was supposed to be in this morning. Unfortunately, Quantas gave us the wrong information, and as of 8pm on the 27^th, our luggage is still sitting in Los Angeles!!! At this point, we hope it gets here before we leave for Darwin! I am really frustrated. One or two days without luggage, I can have a sense of humor about. Three to four days is unacceptable. Keeping fingers crossed.

Australia – Day 1

We love our hotel. Our room (on the 8^th floor) is clean and spacious, and the building is slightly modern and very cool. Our exhaustion may have aided in our appreciation, but the bed was fantastic and comfortable.

The staff is attentive and helpful, but that is definitely the normal Aussie personality. Their friendliness precedes them, and it’s quite refreshing in such a fast-paced city environment. You really get the impression that they love life, truly—they’re gregarious, outgoing, and have a zest for life. They don’t have the same sense of urgency that we seem to.

We began the day with a “Brekky Wrap” and small Coke at Hungry Jack’s, the Australian version of Burger King. (We’re trying to be as economical as possible, so we can enjoy better Aussie lunches and dinners.) The brekky wrap had egg, cheese, ham, and sausage, topped with barbeque sauce! Jay says that BBQ sauce is a very common topping for eggs. Also, you can truly see how global Coke is—it is the fountain beverage of choice everywhere. I am loving the linguistic differences and “quirks” of the Australian version of the English language. Instead of “no problem” it’s always “no worries.” I am sure I will encounter more fun signs and words: Rubbish (trash), take away (“eat in, or take away?”), Way Out (exit).

Even at 10 a.m., at the beginning of Sydney’s winter, it was only slightly chilly. As the day would progress, the temperature would reach about 60*. I am a very cold-natured person, and I was fine in a hoodie, tee shirt, and boots. Jay stuck out in a sweater and…shorts! Aussies were dressed in heavy coats, scarves, and jeans—this is cold weather to them!

We may our way over to the Circular Quay (pronounced “key”) and The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney. The sun came out, and the water and all of the al fresco cafes looked so inviting. Got a fantastic view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge—truly a breathtaking sight—and the Sydney Opera House, an architectural landmark. Two of the most beautiful and quintessential Australian sights. There are so many places on the Quay to sit down, to eat, to take in the view.

We picked up our tickets to the Opera House.

Toured “The Rocks”…lots of the older architecture. Very quaint. It’s interesting that Australia is such a young country, but they have preserved a LOT of their historical buildings. Very European feel, to be understood since it still a British commonwealth. Saw the Holy Trinity Garrison Church, the very first church in Australia dating to 1840.

Had lunch at the Piccadilly Eat In – Jay had fish and chips (9 AUD) and I had Pad Thai (7.90 AUD). Both are very big dishes in the region—Britain (pub fare) and Asia (sushi, Thai, Japanese) are heavy influences.

Did a bit of shopping and shopping is everywhewre– a rugby shirt for Jay, some cool Australian dinner napkins and a down-under shirt for me (both from Done Art & Design store. Ken Done http://www.kendone.com/ is the modern Australian artist). Very cool, non-cheesy Aussie souvenirs, housewares, and art pieces.

We had an absolutely fantastic time at the Opera House tonight. We went to the finale of the International Concert series, and saw three separate orchestras perform. The first was a group of 8-12 year olds from Singapore, and they were MIND-BLOWINGLY good. Every note perfect, every breath precise. It was surreal to hear classical music so expertly played from such little bodies. The final group was, go figure, an orchestra from California! The San Luis Obispo Orchestra was absolutely fantastic. They were thrilled to be in quite possibly the most famous opera house in all the world, and it made it all the cooler that we were a part of that experience—we were the rapt audience making their dreams reality. They played, among other selections, “Summertime” by Gershwin and “Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got that Swing).”

One of the coolest things about the orchestra was the motley group of people comprising it – most musicians I have seen have that kind of stuffy, artistic look to them…ya know? And this group had a few of those, but it had several older people in their 60s and 70s (grandpa rocked it out on a saxophone solo!) who looked like they could be your neighbor, someone who could be a bus driver, or a teacher. All who came together to make beautiful music! Afterwards, we were able to get some beautiful shots of the Harbour Bridge and the buildings with all of the lights.

All in all, a perfectly fabulous first day in Sydney!

Greetings, from the land of OZ.

Well, we are here. And not uneventfully, I might add! My car broke down on I-95S in the rain just 50 miles outside of DC. We had to get a tow, leave my car at an auto shop, get driven to the Richmond Airport by the tow company, rent a car, and just BARELY made it to Charlotte (drove 280 miles in 3.5 hours) for our 6am flight Saturday. Then, our connecting flight into Chicago was delayed, so we ran through two concourses at O'Haire in 17 mintues and got to the plane just before they closed the doors. Therefore, our luggage from Charlotte did not make it onto the plane, and we had to leave LA for Sydney without it. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

So some 48 hours later, with intermittent sleep, we have arrived in Sydney just an hour ago...went and picked up some pizza, and are about to take showers.

Absolutely exhausted but thrilled to be here and explore the city tomorrow...including a concert at the Sydney Opera House :)

Just a little picture fix...

I am sorry I don't have more pictures to share right now...but I figured these shots of me and my old college roomie/friend Kathy at the reception would suffice! At least you get to see my dress! And yes, many of you remember seeing a different dress. It's a long story, but one with a happy ending, as I am wearing the dream dress I was meant to wear.

More, more, more to share with you guys...I promise you'll see lots of wedding pictures soon...I will try and post a few more candids tomorrow. Hopefully they'll be some honeymoon photos to share in the next couple weeks-we should have internet access at the hotels-so keep checking back!

Love to you all!

ETA: Here are a couple more...I don't have a whole lot right now! I will save some for the stories I tell in the coming weeks! Here are more from a friend's digital camera...
1) The Happy Couple!
2) Father-Daughter dance.
3) the handsome groom and long-time friend Jess.

Newlywed Bliss

I have tried to start this entry a few times--I am just overwhelmed with the many wonderful moments and experiences of our wedding weekend. I'll have to tell the story in pieces over the next few weeks (which I am sure you won't mind!). We leave for our honeymoon this Saturday--I am still blown away by the opportunity to take a honeymoon. I say this with complete sincerity: the rehearsal dinner, the party, the ceremony, the reception--it was all enough. A honeymoon is the best icing on the cake. I hope that I'll be able to share pictures and commentary from the trip since we'll have Jay's laptop. Hope that will work out!

I had such high standards for the wedding day. I was so excited, with such high hopes. And for whatever reason, God decide to indulge me, us, and our expectations--blessing us so many times the entire weekend. It was near-perfect, seriously. I am so grateful and blissful and blessed.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll share the highlights ASAP with some candid shots. Our wedding pictures probably won't be available for at least 3 weeks--they took mostly b/w film.

For now, I'll share our wedding ceremony via our program...everything is there except the bridal party pages, which follow the cover below. Exterior shots to come. Thank you for all of the well-wishes! I am soooooo thrilled to be a Mrs!

Less than a week!

We're getting really excited!!! The big day is almost here! Everything seems to be in place--the only thing I am anxious about is I have yet to assemble the programs and emboss the napkins. Pretty silly, right? Other than that, I am SO geeked, although it really hasn't sunk in just yet that by this time next week I will be a MARRIED woman. So into the whole new name thing.

The most exciting thing for me, beyond marrying my best friend of course, is the gathering of so many people of my past and present. Friends from years back. Family traveling across the country. And everyone nearby. Having them all together to celebrate will truly be fun--one big CELEBRATION!

I thought I'd show you our signature monogram that Jay created months and months and months back. It's gracing several items, napkins and programs not the least of which. I love a theme, a brand, a cohesiveness--repetition in a wedding.

Jay is still really liking his new job--he loves being in the city--and now we're almost ready to 'set up house'. Jay officially moves in tomorrow, and I, of course, next Sunday night. We leave for our honeymoon June 24, woohoooooooo!

I will post some more this week--so keep checking in as the countdown continues ;)

ETA (June 11) Embossing away. Hard to tell in the pic, but the impressions are crisp and clear.

So it's June!

I can't believe it's almost here! Well, actually I can. I am SO READY! I am at that point I hear other brides saying "I just want it to be here." I am so sorry I haven't blogged lately, it just seems that every spare minute is spent packing or doing wedding stuff. My little 6:30-11pm time after work seems to go by so fast these days. And I am one big stress ball!!!

We have been taking care of lots of little details on this end, including:

--Ordered and received non-hideous guestbook. Actually, it's pretty cool. Chocolate silk-covered. Crane paper, sewn and not glued binding.

--Delivered/sent everyone their bridesmaids dresses

--Someone is making the blue sashes for the bridesmaids dresses

--Ordered and received bridesmaids gifts

--Booked honeymoon night stay!

--Had my bridal portrait done, and we got the proofs back Friday. They are fantastic! I was really pleased with how they turned out. Can't wait to share!

--Received paper for program covers! 500 sheets for 25 bucks! Yeah, I’ll have a ton left over, but can you say: scrapbooking paper?! It’s just the perfect shade of espresso I wanted! Had a fantastic experience with that site. Now I just have to concieve the most efficient way to cut and assemble all the programs, mostly with Kinko's help. Finished the wording of the wedding programs--now J will work his graphic design magic and convert to a clean PDF to take to the printers.

--Emailing all our vendors with important reminders, information, and a rough timeline to most of our vendors--still working on that.

--Bought the rest of our napkins for the reception. I was holding out for dark brown napkins (to go with our pretty blue napkins), but I'd have to order them online and time is so much of a crunch that I let it go. That's a major achievement when I let it go. :)

Still sooooooooooo much to do. Lots of packing left for me, which I have to have done by Saturday. That's when Jay and our friend arrive with a moving truck. I am outta my apt for good June 11!

Say some prayers for us, if you would! We are all stressed and could use some peace :)