Sydney: Day 2

Saturday we awoke to a bright, sunny day. The weekends in Sydney are filled with local markets. The most famous, Paddington Market, was first on our list for the day. So, after a quick breakfast in our room, we hit the streets. Paddington, also a neighborhood in Sydney, was just a short bus ride from our hotel. This neighborhood is well known for its shops and restaurants and also the Victorian architecture that is marked by the wrought iron "lace" verandas. Its market is known for the unique variety of items you might find on any given weekend, as well as wares from numerous up and coming designers trying to make it. And just because they are up and coming does not mean cheap!

So once we arrived in Paddington, we spent some time wandering through the market checking out all of the goods. After we hit the sidewalks in search of a mid-morning snack. We were definitely in the right place and had no trouble finding a cafe for some pastries and coffee. After being re-fueled we wandered along the back streets a bit to catch some of the architecture. We also managed to find an aboriginal art gallery and great bookstore were we spent some time browsing. Our wandering took us over to the King's Cross neighborhood where we arrived at the local market just in time for lunch. Luckily for us, this market specialized in food, so some dumplings, egg rolls, fresh fruit and a muffin for dessert and we were fed.

King's Cross architecture was originally Victorian style with the luxury buildings having a view of the harbour. This made for a nice walking tour of the neighborhood. The highlights here were the Elizabeth Bay House and Del Rio. Elizabeth Bay was constructed in the 1830s in the Greek Revival style. Its highlight is really the manicured grounds, complete with coy pond, which overlook the harbour. There were a number of people just basking in the sun enjoying the view while we were there. Just down the street Del Rio stands and is constructed in Spanish Mission style. Now an apartment building that could use a few repairs, you could imagine what it would be like when it was built in the early 1900s.

After a long day of walking we headed back to our hotel to get some rest before our big night. We were headed to the Opera House to see Nigel Kennedy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Back at the hotel, things were just getting started for the famous Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. The parade is held on Oxford Street, just behind our hotel. Turns out this world famous event draws approximately one million visitors! No wonder we had trouble finding a place to stay.

So after we had rested and gotten ourselves ready for the concert, we headed out to get some dinner. However, the parade route started at the end of our block so we had to go a bit out of our way to get to the restaurant. No worries, it gave us an opportunity to take in some of the amazing and sometimes shocking costumes that were wandering up and down the streets. Too bad we didn't bring the camera.