Last Day in Sydney

This was my last full day in Sydney. It was bittersweet. Just as Don felt a week earlier, I was ready to go home. My feet hurt from walking 30,000 steps (15 miles) a day, and climbing dozens of flights of stairs. I was even getting tired of figuring out what and where to eat each night. 

As it was Saturday, I wanted to visit the famous The Rocks Markets. The street market winds through the entire neighborhood. Like stalls seemed to be near each -- such as all the food was at one end, craft items, jewelry, and other arts together. 

Some of the stalls

Wandering through the stalls

And more stalls

This section was four wide, and too crowded to enjoy

Continuing with my trend of trying new foods,
I had dumplings for lunch

Lunch!

Chips on a stick was creative

While eating ice cream,
Don texted so we FaceTimed from
under the Harbour Bridge with views
of the Opera House and Luna Park

Chocolate and ricotta gelato --
the best I had Down Under

A small portion of her charms

I bought these dragon charms
for Don to turn into earrings

I was near Susannah Place, so I thought I would try my luck and talk my way into the last tour of the day. I had a lovely conversation with Jeff the docent. I could tell he wanted to help me, but the 4 pm tour was booked by a group of 8. He even called the group to see if by chance someone was not able to come (that happened with his first tour of the day). The leader of the group stopped in to say they were all coming, and that several of them had special needs, requiring a simpler tour than I would have wanted. I was already asking Jeff detailed questions about when the 1860s row homes got running water. Susannah's Place is made up of four row homes, with only two currently on display while the other two are being shored up. I hesitate to say renovated since the goal is to be as authentic to how people lived in the homes, but also to be safe so no one is hurt while on a tour. During the shut down, they took the opportunity to make some repairs. When the first two are finished, the other two will go through a similar treatment.

This project was started 30 years ago. They are lucky they were able to interview someone who grew up in one of the homes. At some point they became council houses and fell into disrepair. One of the four homeowners fought to have these homes preserved for history rather than be demolished as many other early homes had been. Jeff let me poke my head into the living room and kitchen of the house that shares the gift shop. On the wall are two portraits of the family of the person they interviewed making it all feel more real, as if they could come home any minute. I failed in my mission to get a tour, but made a note to make a reservation before my next visit.

The circa 1950s kitchen was added on

Portraits of the family

The main room

At The Rocks Markets there were many wonderful vendors selling local art, but I was in the market for something small and inexpensive, so I returned to Paddy's Market. I wished I did my shopping in the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, but that was three cities prior. They had a better selection with a less dated and dingy feel.

Mostly I walked and took pictures, imprinting the city in my feet, my head, and my heart. As I walked I could hear loud cheering. Knowing the Australian Football finals were taking place (Brisbane vs. Collingswood). I popped into different bars to catch the score. I passed a bar with the famous Cheers logo on the outside (though looking nothing like it on the inside) just as Collingswood (Melbourne) scored the final goal eking out a last minute win against Brisbane. I felt bad for Andrew so I sent him and Jo a text with my condolences, after all I wouldn't have cared had he not taught me about Aussie rules football the week before. 

Feeling restless I walked across the Harbour Bridge again to Luna Park. It was nice walking around at night. I watched the sunset over the harbor. Unfortunately people were being evacuated from two of the rides due to malfunctions and there were police and emergency vehicles all over the place. I was under the impression everyone was fine, until the fires that closed the park down in the 1970s.

Perhaps my favorite picture of the trip.
Taken as I was crossing the bridge.
Don said he saw a similar picture
in his newsfeed on FaceBook.

Walking near Circular Quay I heard a busker playing Christmas music. Reminded me of our dinner on the tramcar in Christchurch. That was our last city in New Zealand. Poetic justice to hear it on my last city in Australia, too.

All good things must come to an end, if they do so kicking and screaming. I stopped at White Cheddar for fresh made gnocchi with mushroom sauce eaten at the bar with Johnny Cash music playing. It was very good. I was left with $1.50 AUS (less than $1 US). Time to go home when you run out of money. Fortunately mass transit takes credit cards so I didn't have to walk to the airport.

The day was not productive, but still enjoyable. At one point I received a text that my flight was delayed, cutting the time between that flight and my final one in Vancouver, Canada short. There were evangelists standing in front of a church near the Queen Victoria Market. I asked one to pray for my safe travels, and that I would catch my connecting flight. I think he was happy to have someone ask him for a prayer, so he obliged. The jet winds carried me to Vancouver in time for my last flight.

This ends the trip posts. I plan to write a few other ones with stray thoughts.