First Leg Finished: Sydney

The American in me got to the airport two hours early, too early for our gate to be announced. Also early enough to take advantage of the airport's WiFi to post an update. Photos and details to be shared in posts I will write after we come home. Look for them starting around Thanksgiving.

While passing through Hyde Park (yes, Sydney has a Hyde Park, too), we saw a spot where you could stand on a soap box and tell the audience gathered what you think. All opinions are allowed. If I had paused I might have said the following:

One of the reasons we chose to go to Australia at this time was to avoid the election anxiety. Those of you reading this who are Americans who have not yet voted, please do so. The number one question we have been asked by almost everyone we talk to is: Did you vote yet? When we say, yes, they are visibly relieved. American elections impact the rest of the world. 

Off my soapbox now.

Last September I flew to Sydney solo to end my trip Down Under. I truly felt I would never again have the opportunity to return, after all it had been a wish of mine to visit for over thirty years. The day after I returned, Don was laid off. This trip is finishing up what we planned to do in 2023 when his office said he could not take off more time. 

The irony is not lost on us.

My first pleasant surprise came when I noticed the purple jacaranda trees in bloom. I first fell in love with those trees when I saw them at California Adventure in the back corner as we waited to see Aladdin at the Hyperion Theater. I didn't even know their name, but on that May trip, I found them stunning. They were never in bloom during our return trips. Last year I learned its name while standing in front of the 1903 painting Under the Jacaranda Tree. It is nicknamed the "purple panic" because it blooms during exam time. I suspect last year it bloomed early since we saw it in mid-September and exams do not take place until late October. This year they are right on time.

Our fourteen hour flight from LAX to Sydney was eased by the plane not being full, and the flight attendant moving the person sitting next to us to the back row where she could have all three seats to herself, and we could have two seats to ourselves. What a difference that makes! I still only slept in bits, but I was more relaxed.

Our hotel was a quick seven-minute walk from the train station, and most of that was spent exiting Central Station! The front desk held our bags for us, and even moved them up to our room when the room was finally ready four hours later. It felt like we landed in the lap of luxury. I guess I caught a good sale because when I tried to change our next Sydney hotel to that one, the price had more than doubled. 

We spent day one walking, and walking, and walking. As I had already been to Sydney, I played tour guide. I took Don to the place I knew he most wanted to see: the one-year-old World's Largest LEGO Store (beats the 5th Avenue NYC store by 3 square meters/9 square feet). They have the world's largest stamp they use in their passport books. I'm actually surprised we did not return.

In a fit of optimism, we asked if the Sydney Opera House had tickets for the last performance of Sunset Boulevard starring Sarah Brightman. They didn't. I then asked, any chance you have standing room tickets? They did! So after flying for 27 hours, and landing at 7 am, we had tickets to see a Broadway-quality musical at 7:30 PM where we would be standing for two-and-a-half hours. 

We continued our walk through The Rocks and had a hearty meal. Not sure if our stomachs thought it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Chose a breakfast salad that seemed to cover all the bases.

We then walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge to Luna Park where I got an email saying our room was ready two hours early. Reminded me of when Ashley would cry in her stroller during a walk in the park at the furthest point from home. It was a long walk to our room, where we promptly ignored everyone's travel advice and took a nap. Feeling refreshed we had a burger for dinner on the way to the show.   

As we waited for the performance we watched a tiny tugboat pulling an enormous cruise ship out of the Harbor. Yes, it is cruise ship season in Australia. Each day we saw a different cruise ship. Don later said he enjoyed that as much as the show. Sunset Boulevard was wonderful. Standing helped us to stay awake. The sets and costumes were incredible! Seeing the original Christine Daae perform as an aging film singer not ready to give up her career was sublime. 

As they say in Into the Woods, one midnight gone.

Day two was a lot more walking. We started with a tour of Susannah Place in The Rocks. I'll write more about this later. This was the first reservation I made after booking our airfare. Last year I really wanted to visit the museum, but could not score one of the few tour tickets (which are free, along with many other museums in Australia). It was worth the wait, and will be blogged about later.

After the 10 am tour we walked through The Rocks Market -- a mostly craft market that takes place every weekend. Since this weekend coincided with Halloween, the market was smaller than usual. I wanted to see the person who sold me the charms we later turned into dragon earrings to thank her, and to look for new charms. I was getting discouraged about finding her when I noticed she was in a different spot, in the last booth we were passing. I showed her the earrings, and thanked her. I then looked for new charms for new earrings. I settled on typewriters. I was hoping for cameras, but she didn't have any that day. A future trip? I'll send her a picture of the earrings after Don makes them.

I still needed to pick up a ticket from the Opera House for our tour the next day. Oh, the irony since I was there the day before, and a little bit frustrating since they didn't need the ticket and just checked us off a list.

We took a bus to Bondi Beach for the famous Bondi to Cogee walk. When I did it last year I wished Don had been along because I knew he would enjoy it. The day was cool, which helped since we were doing the walk on a Saturday in spring. The most crowded part was when an sculpture art show was happened. Large pieces were along the trail. Models were inside a tent. You could purchase the art. I'm not sure if the prices were form the models or the large pieces, in either case, they would not have fit in our carry-on bags.

The rest of the walk was quiet. Hardly anyone was on the beach. We saw a lot of runners doing the trail. The other highlight (besides the art show that runs through today) was supporting a local fundraiser by buying a "snag" -- a sausage sandwich. Things we do not eat at home, taste better abroad.

We took a long bus ride back to Central Station. Ate dinner at a Thai restaurant near our hotel. Called it an early night.

Two midnights gone.

The third day was an early one. We woke at 5:30 for a 7 am backstage tour of the Opera House. That was amazing! Will write extensively about it later. The tour ended with brekkie in the Green Room. Definitely thought of all of our theater family and friends on this tour. We were allowed to take a lot of pictures, except in the places where we were not allowed to take any pictures either for safety or for copyright reasons.

Breakfast was incredibly filling, so much so we didn't eat again until dinner. On the way back from the tour we saw St. Stephens Uniting Church was having a worship service so we went. It was a nice service. The Uniting Church formed in the 1970s when the Presbyterians, Methodists, and someone else united to create a new church. There are still Presbyterians, but they are a lot more conservative than we are comfortable with these days (along the lines of women are not allowed to be ordained). 

We then walked to our hotel to change. It had been a brisk 60 degrees at the start of the day, but the forecast was calling for 90. Overall we made out well because it was overcast.

With the warm forecast, I planned for a museum day so we could cool off and learn something. The first stop was St. James' Anglican Church. They were the first church built in Sydney about 200 years ago. I saw the list of rectors (I should have taken a picture of it), it only had about two dozen names on it, including one who served for 40 years, and three bishops. Jeff, the sexton on duty, gave us a tour. As he was finishing up showing us their impressive organ, the organist came in for an impromptu rehearsal. Seemed he was showing the organ off for us. 

St. James is across the street from the best museum I have ever visited, or at least the best in terms of presentation: Hyde Park Barracks. That led us to the Art Museum and the Justice and Police Museum, both of which are also very nice. 

I wanted to show Don the building where I stayed last time in the Rushcutters Bay section of Sydney. This involved walked through the Botanical Garden (where we walked around the wishing tree three times forward and three times and three times backward wishing for a Harris presidency. Then across the street to the art museum, and around the back, down stairs, across a bridge, past Woolloomoollo (where another public art show was on display), past the Café on Wheels (that no longer seems to be on wheels), and up 113 stairs. Past the French restaurant that is no longer there. This is where I got lost. To be fair, I often got lost at this point and went several different ways. Using the information on one of the pictures I took on my phone, and Google maps, I was finally able to find the place. 

By this point we were starving. I used the mighty Google again to find the pizza place I enjoyed last year. I don't like American pizza, but I love wood fired oven pizzas. Don and I had a relaxing evening dining outside with a charming French waiter who has lived in Australia for three years, and is planning to return to France in April. 

The options were a 30-minute mass transit trip (with changes) or a 38-minute walk. It was a nice night, so we chose the walk. I showed Don the place where I could have gotten run over last year because I looked in the wrong direction. It wasn't nearly as close as the Aussie next to me thought it was.

I set the alarm for 6 am so we could get to the airport two hours early and wait. The flight is still 45 minutes away.

Our next stop is Uluru, also called Ayers Rock, also called Yulara. It is the big red mound in the middle of the Outback. A three-and-a-half hour flight from Sydney. We'll return to Sydney in a few days for an overnight before taking a train to Canberra. That will be "errand night" when we do some laundry and shopping. We checked out that hotel. Our clue that it is not as nice is that check in is through the bar next door. Any other district and we would be concerned, but this is in a decent part off town just off George Street by the Queen Victoria.

The hope is to disconnect and unwind as election results come in. Wonder where we will learn who won? May we have a country to return home to in two-and-a-half weeks.

Airport Number 3

As we landed in Los Angeles the pilot asked everyone to stay on the plan a few minutes longer so they could handle a medical emergency. Prayers to the passenger and the medical team. What the pilot didn't tell us was once we landed, we still had a 20 minute drive to the gate, which was further delayed by having to inch to the gate, possibly because of the logjam caused by the emergency vehicles.

After we finally got off the plane, we were more than a little nervous about having to race from the domestic gates to the international ones via the underground tunnel. Imagine our surprise when we were told we would be boarding the same plane at the same gate in the domestic terminal. Had I realized that, I would have chosen the same seats, too. Too bad we couldn't keep our stuff on the plane.

We grabbed a salad. Having left our day at 8:45 am, it is now midnight on the East Coast. Don ran to the international terminal to visit the LEGO store, only to find it closed. I'm happy to sit at the gate and stretch out my legs.

By the sounds of the cheers emanating from the bar where we ate dinner, I'm guessing the LA Dodgers just won the World Series.

The East Coast people around me are much more subdued. 

Boarding begins in 40 minutes. We knew this would be a very long day, and it is. Good thing it was a cheap flight.

Let the Trip Begin

The other day I counted the number of flights we will be taken on our 2024 Escape from the Election Adventure. I broke flights into legs because each leg brings its own adventure.

The number is 12.

Seven hours after leaving home we have finished our first leg.

The fault was our own. We arrived at PHL more than three hours early. After waltzing through the airport and hiking to the far back gate in Terminal D, we were still there three hours before our two hour leg to Atlanta.

I took an hour-long stroll from D to F, and back to A. I was reminded just how much I love airports. No, I mean that seriously. On this Wednesday morning, PHL had more people working at the airport than traveling. Airports remind me of the best of Main Street USA. There are bookstores in each terminal, dining ranging from take out to sit down, shopping ranging from tacky souvenir shops selling $20 sweatshirts to Chico and Brooks Brothers. 

There is public art on the walls. A relaxation spa. A cozy spot with rocking chairs to sit and relax. A mini museum dedicated to the history of the airport dating back to when it was called the Benjamin Franklin Airport.

The coolest thing I saw was a place where you can push a button to receive a story. I took a couple so I'd have some extra reading material. I was only able to take one book, but I have others lined up on my phone. When I finish the book, I'll pass it on to someone else.

It could be the middle of the afternoon or the middle of the night, the florescent lightning won't tell you.

As I sit here in ATL waiting for the next leg of the trip I am facing a Spanx, Pandora, and a currency exchange office. There is a food court with options ranging from Nathan's Hot Dogs, McDonald's, and Arby's to TGI Fridays and a sushi and wine bar. In-between is a counter selling healthier, heartier fares and a vending machine selling salads in jars and a standalone Boar's Head sandwich shop a step above a vending machine, yet below a counter. The salad jars were actually in Philadelphia. Now that I'm two hours away I'm longing for it.

Across from us sit two women heading from Alabama to Atlanta to LAX to Sydney. We'll be with them a while. They are taking a cruise from Australia to New Zealand cities. Sounds like there are no stops in Australia. They are going a few days early, so I'm not sure if their cruise leaves from Sydney or someplace else. What is standing out to me is they opted to fly from Alabama to Atlanta (a 36-minute flight) and have a 4-hour layover rather than drive the 2+ hours to Atlanta because they hate driving in Atlanta. 

May we nap on the ATL to LAX leg since we know they won't be feeding us. Since it is 4 pm and we ate hearty homemade sandwiches on the last flight, we are not hungry now.

Almost time to board. 

2024 Thompson Street

Nine years ago we were exposed to the Halloween magic that takes place on Thompson Street in Bordentown, NJ. For years the house near the corner with the fenced in yard facing the street spearheaded the transformation. Through a news report I learned they used to work backstage with professional theaters. The decorations were enormous, extending over the street. Nearly everyone participated. One of the men had a connection to a Mummers organization, hence Mummers paraded up and down this tiny street crammed with tiny houses that used to belong to fishermen. Talking to one of the neighbors this week he said in the heyday they had a band on either end of the street.

We returned in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Then the organizers decided to take a year off for kitchen renovations. In 2020, it was deemed unsafe to gather that many people together, even though the event was held outdoors. 2021 was another off year. It returned in 2022 with an under the sea theme. It was cancelled again in 2023.

Last week one of the neighbors told us the street still wanted to keep the tradition alive, even if the head organizers were not up for it due to health concerns. The street chose a Tim Burton theme. They hope to return fully in 2025. For now, many of the decorations were the same store bought posters of Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. At least one person brought out their Alice in Wonderland decorations, likely from the year they had a Wonderland theme. 

I applaud them for bonding together to do something fun for the greater community. After all, after living here nearly a quarter of a century, I only know a few neighbors, and not that well. 

Here are our pictures:

Escaping Election News

Just over a year ago, Don and I took what I thought would be our only trip to Australia. It was a place I wanted to visit ever since I in high school and I dreamed of being a Rotary Exchange Student in Australia. They sent me to Belgium, which often felt like the next country on the list alphabetically. I had a wonderful experience, and even dated an Aussie for about a month, but three decades passed before a different Aussie wore me down with pictures of their "winter," and I accepted his hospitality.

I quit my job and Don asked for six weeks off from work. His request was denied, but they told him he could have three weeks. Less than a week into the trip his last week was denied and he saw the handwriting on the wall.

Fast forward to the summer. Election news was scary. It was set to be a rematch between Joe Biden (#46) and Donald Trump (#45). By June I knew I did not want to be here on Election Day so when I saw an airfare for under $1,000 round trip to Australia, I booked it.

A month later the match changed to Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump, but the feelings of divisiveness remained, as did my desire to be someplace else on Election Day. Someplace where dogs are used to chase away the seagulls so you can enjoy outdoor dining. Someplace where a deadly stabbing of six people makes international news. Someplace where you can leave your bag unattended and it is still there when you get back.

We voted yesterday. We leave in three days. As I did last time, I will post updates as time permits, likely in airports as I wait for a flight. The complete update will happen after we come home.

Our itinerary:

October 30-November 1: fly to Sydney via Atlanta and Los Angeles
November 1-4: Sydney
November 4-7: Uluru (Ayers Rock)
November 7-8: Sydney
November 8-10: Canberra
November 10: extended layover in Melbourne to go to church and have lunch with a friend
November 10-14: Bali
November 15-18: Brisbane with friends
November 18-20: Sydney
November 20: fly home via Los Angeles and Atlanta

This feels like the second half of the trip we did not take last year because his company would not let him take off for six weeks.

Planning has been less overwhelming than in 2023. I spent a few days in Sydney last time and known how to get around the city, including how to navigate from the airport. We spent a week in Melbourne, so we know how to get to church. When I dropped Don off at the international terminal in Brisbane, I took the shuttle to the domestic terminal, so I know I can do the reverse which will put us within walking distance to our hotel, which is walking distance to our friend's office in Brisbane.

I still have to learn how to navigate Canberra and Bali. For Uluru I booked tours via Viator, just like I did last year. It all worked out magically in the past, and will do so again this year.

Meanwhile, Ashley will be home feeding the cats and taking care of the house.

Time to finalize some plans and PACK!

One Last Archaeology Post

The Wednesday digs at Newlin Grist Mill are coming to a close for the season. This Wednesday will be the last one until Spring (well, unless there is nice weather and Keith decides to dig again). Our stone paths will be covered with layers of sand, tarps, and backfill so it will be easy to open up again. We discovered it is a nice warm, flat space that would be good for school groups to gather. It not, however the right place to build the log cabin on that they acquired. Keith is happy we made as much progress as we did, after all the season started with just him and Ed (a septuagenarian with super human upper body strength) and has expanded to about a half dozen of us on any given Wednesday, with me being the youngest in the group as well as the one who travels the farthest. 

On our last day of digging Paul carefully extracted the most unique find of the season -- an intact bottle circa 1880, similar to this one selling on eBay for $9.99.

Archaeologist Keith looked at the bottle and said the body was made in a mold because you can see the line down the side, but that the top was hand made. He also said it is not a ketchup bottle, but rather would have held Worchester sauce. The bottle was clear so purchasers could see the quality of the contents. I suspect once cleaned up and catalogued it will be added to the collection.

On my last day, Keith taught me how to map out the site. In one case we did this just before removing some rocks to see if anything else was beneath it. In another case, it is to document the formations before it gets covered over. As much fun the digging is, my passion has been the behind-the-scenes work. 

After mapping, I swept the areas clean so Keith could photograph them with his cell phone. I had flashbacks to being in Israel and not being able to get the dirt floor clean enough. Fortunately, Keith is less exacting. Though it was frustrating that after I got it clean, he would see something else he wanted to uncover before photographing it, which made me want to clean it again. 

This autumn has had some magical weather, especially on Wednesdays. Though it is a long drive, I've fallen in love with my Wednesday escapes and look forward to returning again in he Spring.

Voting!

Last year I was so excited when the Board of Elections announced New Jerseyans could vote early in a number of polling places, with my local library on the list. I told everyone who would listen how easy it is to vote this way. 

I found out yesterday just how well word of mouth spread when for the first time in my life as a voter, there was a long line of other voters. As I walked up to the line I asked someone how long she waited. She said she got in the line at 10:17 am. It was 11:43. Nearly 90 minutes to wait to vote!

Long waits to vote is something I have heard about in the news, especially when people are banned from giving voters water as they wait. That is something that might happen in big cities, but not in surburbia. It is something my family in Ohio has faced, but not us in New Jersey.

That's why I was so surprised to see the line wrap around my library, and even start to go down the stairs as it was starting to switchback.

I had groceries in the car, so I left. After all, the polls had only been open a couple of hours. 

Don and I went into Princeton. We heard Dan's band play in Palmer Square, ate some bent spoon ice cream (baked apples and roasted pumpkin), and went to the Princeton Municipal Building to vote. Before entering we asked someone who was leaving how long it too for him to vote. He said 10-15 minutes.

The line went down the hallway, but not outside. Don and I chatted with a Princeton alumnus who wanted to get home quickly to watch the Princeton-Harvard football game on TV. Further up in line I saw a dad with his 6-year-old son dressed as an action hero. The voters ranged in age and ethnicity. All were patient, excited to do our civic duty. They even gave us stickers to celebrate that we voted (another rarity in New Jersey).

The process is more cumbersome than it used to do when we had the hanging-chad kind of machines. First we meet with a poll worker who looks us up and checks our ID by scanning the back of our drivers licenses. He hands out a receipt. Then we wait in a slow line waiting for one of the five caped voting machines to open up. Inside another poll worker feeds the receipt into the machine and like magic our ballot appears. Even though I was voting in Princeton, the ballot for Lawrenceville, including school board candidates, appears. Make choices. Click go to the back of the ballot for school board candidates. Click a button to review. Click another button to cast the vote. 

This is where it gets cumbersome -- the ballot prints and we leave the curtain, with the ballot in hand, to feed it into a machine that eats the ballot. I suppose this is so there is also a paper trail, but the printing of the ballot is what seems to take the longest.

I'll admit to misting up in the booth as I cast my vote for who I hope with all my being wins.

All in all, it took us 30 minutes to vote. Well worth it!

We came home to see a postcard addressed to Ashley asking her to vote. After writing and mailing about 70 postcards, it is nice to see firsthand that they actually do go to real people.