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.

Sydney: Day 1

We arrived in Sydney Thursday night, but since it was late our first day really didn't start until Friday. Our day started off with a walk to the harbour. The harbour was busy with ferries coming in and out, a cruise ship docked, aboriginal street performers and tourists wandering the streets. It was here that we took our first sights of the Opera House. After sitting and enjoying the view we wandered over to the area known as the Rocks. This area was named after the cliffs that the area was built on. It housed some of the first buildings and streets that were constructed in Sydney. Today it is filled with restaurants and shops catering to tourists. On Friday and Saturday it houses a small outdoor market as well. When we passed through they were just setting up and we made a mental note that a lot of the food looked good. We wandered on through the winding narrow streets heading toward Observatory Hill where some nice views of the city and Harbour Bridge were provided. Since it was approaching lunch by now we decided to make our way back down to the market to find something to eat.

As we approached the market the smells of food wafted toward us and as we got closer we could hear the sizzling of food cooking. The vendors had wood burning fires and gigantic skillets to cook their food. I decided on the paella that had been calling my name earlier and Matt opted for the grilled spinach and feta on Turkish bread. We were not disappointed. Once we were fed we decided that we would head to the famous Bondi Beach for the afternoon. So we headed back to our hotel to grab our swimsuits and towels.

A train and a bus ride later and we were at Bondi. Surrounded by cliffs we opted for the clifftop walk before we hit the beach. The walk wound its way along the coast and offered some beautiful ocean views and amazing natural rock features. There are also a number of saltwater pools along the way. Once we had returned to Bondi, Matt jumped into the waves for some body surfing while I took a rest on the sand. Later as the sun was getting lower in the sky and the air was getting cooler, we started packing up to go. Fortunately, the pub across from the beach still had 15 minutes left of happy hour and plenty of outdoor seating. We ordered ourselves a jug of Coopers and some salt and pepper calamari and enjoyed the the rest of the afternoon.

Increasing Speed

Well, it finally stopped raining here in CQ (central queensland).  We have had 3 weeks of straight rain, which has meant that I have had only one training session on the track in that time.  That one lasted a 25 lap warm up before the sky let loose.  Monday the rains stopped and we were able to practice.  Our sessions are geared for towards the junior national championships in the middle of March, I will not be competeing, just missed the age cutoff (19).  But Alex will be and as it is only her and I who show up this late in the season, we do work outs designed to help her medal.

The highlight of monday was a 2 lap motor paced sprint where by the 3rd repeat I was able to hold 55.8 km/hr and I reached a sustained speed of 60 km/hr on the last 1/2 lap.  Tuesdays excitement was for the flying 200 meter sprint, I broke my previous best time by 8 tenths of a second to 13.08.  My leg speed is finally getting there.  By the end of March I may be able to call myself a trackie.