Continued from My Journey to Down Under - Part 4
OCTOBER 23 Sunday, Sydney Australia
With Nobu's departure from Sydney, I got the inevitable post-concert blues. The party was over. The sky turned grey. But I still had two full days in Sydney. I could have planned the trip such that I would be on my way home right after the last concert, but at the time I thought it would be a good idea to spend a Sunday here to explore the renowned Blue Mountains.
Unfortunately, a trip to there required three different modes of public transit, including a 2-hour train ride each way, described by some on the web as boring. In view of my upcoming long flights home, the idea now seemed unappealing. Just then, the scenic beauty of mountain ranges was not high on my priorities. Or perhaps I was simply not in the mood for it. The Sydney Fish Market was also on my to-do list, but on the web people warned against going there on weekend (too crowded) and I have already been to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market and gotten an idea of what these markets are like. I had yet to explore the interior of the Royal Botanic Garden (although I walked on its edge on the first day in Sydney) but in the end I decided against it, and instead chose to take it easy and do some shopping in the neighborhood and to visit a museum.
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PHOTO The Museum of Sydney. Image source: wikipedia
On my first day in the city, I passed by the Museum of Sydney on my bus ride to Circular Quay, and saw a banner announcing an exhibition of botanical illustrations, which interests me. So this morning, after a cereal breakfast and morning exercise, I took the bus again and was inside the museum by 10AM. I truly admire people who painstakingly make exquisitely detailed illustrations of plants. In this exhibition, the plants in the illustrations are those with historical significance to the Royal Botanic Garden. Studying a plant in these illustrations in a quiet museum is sometimes more informative than seeing the real thing.
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Image source: http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/
Mixed in with the illustrations are some excellent videos of historical gardens in Sydney. I think if I were a resident of the city, I would be a regular visitor of the museum.
After the museum, I strolled to the Queen Victoria Building to take in its architecture and displays, but found it somehow less impressive than seen in photos. At the nearby Westfield Shopping Mall, shoppers were out in droves, especially at the food court. I went into a department store and looked at the clothes perfunctorily; my heart was not really in it and nothing looked particularly enticing.
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The Queen Victoria Building. Image source: https://www.makemytrip.com/
Coming out of the department store empty-handed, I happened upon the Sydney Tower and turned in for a look. An elevator ride later, I found myself in yet another crowded food court. On the far side, there was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets for the observation deck and sky walk. A classic tourist trap. I decided I would pass.
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PHOTO The Sydney Tower that I passed up on. Image source: wikipedia
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Back on the streets, I spotted the St. James Railroad Station at a distance. It turns out to be part of Hyde Park, an extension of the very same park that I looked down on from the balcony of my hotel room.
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PHOTO St. James Station Sydney in the foreground; St. Mary's Cathedral is in the background. Image source: https://c1.staticflickr.com/
It was early afternoon. The sun had come out, although the air remained cool. People and families were gathered in the plaza around a fountain. In the distance was an impressive cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral.
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PHOTO Hyde Park Fountain and St. Mary's Cathedral. Image source: http://static.panoramio.com/
On this day, there was a food fair of sort happening in the park. I hurried away from the smoke and smell of barbeque to the quieter parts of Hyde Park. This turned out to be an interesting place, and I have this blog post (by an American student who studied in Australia) to thank for alerting me to the many points of interest of this historic park, which I might have overlooked even though it was a stone's throw from my hotel. The photos below are linked from that excellent post
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PHOTO Hyde Park tree-lined central walk. Image source: http://turtlemeetskangaroo.blogspot.com/
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PHOTO Hyde Park War Memorial. Image source: http://turtlemeetskangaroo.blogspot.com/
It had been a low-key day. But back in my hotel room, there was a pleasant surprise awaiting me. Nobu's concerts had won praises from the audiences, but nothing had been heard from professional critics. Now, a glowing review had unexpectedly come up on the Internet, a posting by the Sydney Sunday Morning Herald: "Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii with Sydney Symphony Orchestra: sublime"! This is definitely a review that Nobu can be proud of. I am not particularly keen on critic's reviews in general, but I was happy for Nobu. This was the icing on the cake to cap his fabulously successful Australia debut.
I packed and went to bed early and happy.
OCTOBER 24 Monday, Sydney Australia
My Hawaiian Airlines flight was scheduled to take off today after 9PM (I had no choice: it's the only flight each day), and check-out time for my hotel was 10AM. I asked for a late check out and got a generous extension of ... ONE hour! So, I have a whole day more in Sydney, and 10 hours on the plane after that. The plan was for me to check out after breakfast and exercise, leave my luggage with the hotel and do some more exploring before heading for the airport in late afternoon . What to do??? The Sydney Fish Market came to mind, but getting there on public transit was not straight-forward, and the idea of walking around in a bustling and possibly odorous market seemed unwise considering the long stretch ahead without being able to take a shower. I ruled out the botanic garden for a similar reason. In the end, I settled on a ferry ride to Manly Beach, which seemed a leisurely and safe bet to pass the time without much exertion.
At 10AM, I was back at Circular Quay. I had an ulterior motive in choosing to come here again. It turned out that I made the same mistake as fellow Nobu fan NS when I purchased that Opera House tee-shirt: the small size was indeed small as she told me, and I needed to exchange it to a larger size, just as she did -- and she's smaller than I. (Later, when I emailed NS about this, she had a good laugh.)
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PHOTO Manly Ferry Wharf Image source Wikipedia
The ferry ride from Circular Quay was scenic, and arrived at the Manly Wharf in 30 minutes.
Manly Beach is "Sydney’s premier beach resort." It resembles many upscale beach towns in California. Right off the wharf is a promenade known as the Corso. Shops and restaurants were everywhere.
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PHOTO The Corso, Manly Beach, Image source: http://nomadsworld.com/
It was sunny and breezy on this early spring day, and on this Monday noon the place was not crowded. A quick stroll down the Corso brought me to the other side of the peninsula, where the blue water of the Pacific came in view. I had been keeping an eye on the restaurants that I passed by, and none seemed especially inviting. On the beach front, I spotted the Manly Grill, took a quick look at the menu on display, and turned in.
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The Manly Grill -- the Pacific Ocean is to the left of this photo.
Image source: https://ahungrycouple.files.wordpress.com/
It is a funny thing, but I can't recall what I ordered at this place. I remember well the surfer-girl waitresses, and I remember catching sight of the huge hamburger being devoured by a man seated at the next table. But for the life of me I can't remember what I ate here, even after looking at the restaurant's menu online. Possibly it was a caesar salad with prawns, and I probably chose that over other dishes offered on that extensive menu (which includes oysters, kangaroo steaks, Tasmanian salmon) because I didn't want to take a chance on a day when I would be traveling on a plane for 10 hours. Whatever it was, the dish must not have been memorable.
After lunch, I took a walk along the beach. There were people sunning themselves on the sand in the hazy sun, and out in the ocean some surfers could be seen in action, just like in California.
Back on the Corso, I came upon an incongruous sight on this touristy island: a church. Although unimposing on the outside, the interior of the St. Matthews Anglican Church was surprisingly impressive, with stained glass memorial windows everywhere, a pipe organ, and -- in the baptistry -- replicas of flags in memorial of World War II servicemen from Great Britain, New Zealand and U.S.
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St. Matthews Anglican Church, Manly exterior. Image source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/
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St. Matthews Anglican Church, Manly interior. Image source: http://www.bja.net.au/wp-content/
Down on the Corso, I did some shopping to bide my time, and to use up some of the Australian dollars that I still have in my wallet.
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Shops on the Manly Corso. Image source: http://2013australie.0.2.f.unblog.fr/f
I had not gone into a surf shop for ages, but on a whim I turned into a Billabong, which occupied two stories and was staffed with youthful people who (I am sounding like a broken record) fit the surfer image.
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Manly Beach Billabong Image source: yelp
Against all odds, I found a vest and a tank top that I could actually wear, and at very reasonable prices. I was happy to find something to bring home that I can truly claim to be Australian, and to make use of my surplus AUD as well. Next, I picked up some souvenirs in the myriad of little shops on the Corso on my way to the wharf. I was ready for my journey home.
Footnote: My pleasure with the Billabong purchases ended on a sour note. It wasn't until I unpacked, back home, that I noticed that the surfer clerk at the shop had done me the favor of leaving a security tag attached to one of the garments (see photo below). I was furious with myself for not noticing that stupid tag. I had to send the garment to Billabong America, which removed the tag for me.
Let that be a lesson for anyone who purchases clothes while overseas.
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Thanks for reading. CONTINUED at Part 6.
OCTOBER 23 Sunday, Sydney Australia
With Nobu's departure from Sydney, I got the inevitable post-concert blues. The party was over. The sky turned grey. But I still had two full days in Sydney. I could have planned the trip such that I would be on my way home right after the last concert, but at the time I thought it would be a good idea to spend a Sunday here to explore the renowned Blue Mountains.
Unfortunately, a trip to there required three different modes of public transit, including a 2-hour train ride each way, described by some on the web as boring. In view of my upcoming long flights home, the idea now seemed unappealing. Just then, the scenic beauty of mountain ranges was not high on my priorities. Or perhaps I was simply not in the mood for it. The Sydney Fish Market was also on my to-do list, but on the web people warned against going there on weekend (too crowded) and I have already been to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market and gotten an idea of what these markets are like. I had yet to explore the interior of the Royal Botanic Garden (although I walked on its edge on the first day in Sydney) but in the end I decided against it, and instead chose to take it easy and do some shopping in the neighborhood and to visit a museum.
PHOTO The Museum of Sydney. Image source: wikipedia
On my first day in the city, I passed by the Museum of Sydney on my bus ride to Circular Quay, and saw a banner announcing an exhibition of botanical illustrations, which interests me. So this morning, after a cereal breakfast and morning exercise, I took the bus again and was inside the museum by 10AM. I truly admire people who painstakingly make exquisitely detailed illustrations of plants. In this exhibition, the plants in the illustrations are those with historical significance to the Royal Botanic Garden. Studying a plant in these illustrations in a quiet museum is sometimes more informative than seeing the real thing.
Image source: http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/
Mixed in with the illustrations are some excellent videos of historical gardens in Sydney. I think if I were a resident of the city, I would be a regular visitor of the museum.
After the museum, I strolled to the Queen Victoria Building to take in its architecture and displays, but found it somehow less impressive than seen in photos. At the nearby Westfield Shopping Mall, shoppers were out in droves, especially at the food court. I went into a department store and looked at the clothes perfunctorily; my heart was not really in it and nothing looked particularly enticing.
The Queen Victoria Building. Image source: https://www.makemytrip.com/
Coming out of the department store empty-handed, I happened upon the Sydney Tower and turned in for a look. An elevator ride later, I found myself in yet another crowded food court. On the far side, there was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets for the observation deck and sky walk. A classic tourist trap. I decided I would pass.
PHOTO The Sydney Tower that I passed up on. Image source: wikipedia
Back on the streets, I spotted the St. James Railroad Station at a distance. It turns out to be part of Hyde Park, an extension of the very same park that I looked down on from the balcony of my hotel room.
PHOTO St. James Station Sydney in the foreground; St. Mary's Cathedral is in the background. Image source: https://c1.staticflickr.com/
It was early afternoon. The sun had come out, although the air remained cool. People and families were gathered in the plaza around a fountain. In the distance was an impressive cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral.
PHOTO Hyde Park Fountain and St. Mary's Cathedral. Image source: http://static.panoramio.com/
On this day, there was a food fair of sort happening in the park. I hurried away from the smoke and smell of barbeque to the quieter parts of Hyde Park. This turned out to be an interesting place, and I have this blog post (by an American student who studied in Australia) to thank for alerting me to the many points of interest of this historic park, which I might have overlooked even though it was a stone's throw from my hotel. The photos below are linked from that excellent post
PHOTO Hyde Park tree-lined central walk. Image source: http://turtlemeetskangaroo.blogspot.com/
PHOTO Hyde Park War Memorial. Image source: http://turtlemeetskangaroo.blogspot.com/
It had been a low-key day. But back in my hotel room, there was a pleasant surprise awaiting me. Nobu's concerts had won praises from the audiences, but nothing had been heard from professional critics. Now, a glowing review had unexpectedly come up on the Internet, a posting by the Sydney Sunday Morning Herald: "Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii with Sydney Symphony Orchestra: sublime"! This is definitely a review that Nobu can be proud of. I am not particularly keen on critic's reviews in general, but I was happy for Nobu. This was the icing on the cake to cap his fabulously successful Australia debut.
I packed and went to bed early and happy.
OCTOBER 24 Monday, Sydney Australia
My Hawaiian Airlines flight was scheduled to take off today after 9PM (I had no choice: it's the only flight each day), and check-out time for my hotel was 10AM. I asked for a late check out and got a generous extension of ... ONE hour! So, I have a whole day more in Sydney, and 10 hours on the plane after that. The plan was for me to check out after breakfast and exercise, leave my luggage with the hotel and do some more exploring before heading for the airport in late afternoon . What to do??? The Sydney Fish Market came to mind, but getting there on public transit was not straight-forward, and the idea of walking around in a bustling and possibly odorous market seemed unwise considering the long stretch ahead without being able to take a shower. I ruled out the botanic garden for a similar reason. In the end, I settled on a ferry ride to Manly Beach, which seemed a leisurely and safe bet to pass the time without much exertion.
At 10AM, I was back at Circular Quay. I had an ulterior motive in choosing to come here again. It turned out that I made the same mistake as fellow Nobu fan NS when I purchased that Opera House tee-shirt: the small size was indeed small as she told me, and I needed to exchange it to a larger size, just as she did -- and she's smaller than I. (Later, when I emailed NS about this, she had a good laugh.)
PHOTO Manly Ferry Wharf Image source Wikipedia
The ferry ride from Circular Quay was scenic, and arrived at the Manly Wharf in 30 minutes.
Manly Beach is "Sydney’s premier beach resort." It resembles many upscale beach towns in California. Right off the wharf is a promenade known as the Corso. Shops and restaurants were everywhere.
PHOTO The Corso, Manly Beach, Image source: http://nomadsworld.com/
It was sunny and breezy on this early spring day, and on this Monday noon the place was not crowded. A quick stroll down the Corso brought me to the other side of the peninsula, where the blue water of the Pacific came in view. I had been keeping an eye on the restaurants that I passed by, and none seemed especially inviting. On the beach front, I spotted the Manly Grill, took a quick look at the menu on display, and turned in.
The Manly Grill -- the Pacific Ocean is to the left of this photo.
Image source: https://ahungrycouple.files.wordpress.com/
It is a funny thing, but I can't recall what I ordered at this place. I remember well the surfer-girl waitresses, and I remember catching sight of the huge hamburger being devoured by a man seated at the next table. But for the life of me I can't remember what I ate here, even after looking at the restaurant's menu online. Possibly it was a caesar salad with prawns, and I probably chose that over other dishes offered on that extensive menu (which includes oysters, kangaroo steaks, Tasmanian salmon) because I didn't want to take a chance on a day when I would be traveling on a plane for 10 hours. Whatever it was, the dish must not have been memorable.
After lunch, I took a walk along the beach. There were people sunning themselves on the sand in the hazy sun, and out in the ocean some surfers could be seen in action, just like in California.
Back on the Corso, I came upon an incongruous sight on this touristy island: a church. Although unimposing on the outside, the interior of the St. Matthews Anglican Church was surprisingly impressive, with stained glass memorial windows everywhere, a pipe organ, and -- in the baptistry -- replicas of flags in memorial of World War II servicemen from Great Britain, New Zealand and U.S.
St. Matthews Anglican Church, Manly exterior. Image source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/
St. Matthews Anglican Church, Manly interior. Image source: http://www.bja.net.au/wp-content/
Down on the Corso, I did some shopping to bide my time, and to use up some of the Australian dollars that I still have in my wallet.
Shops on the Manly Corso. Image source: http://2013australie.0.2.f.unblog.fr/f
I had not gone into a surf shop for ages, but on a whim I turned into a Billabong, which occupied two stories and was staffed with youthful people who (I am sounding like a broken record) fit the surfer image.
Manly Beach Billabong Image source: yelp
Against all odds, I found a vest and a tank top that I could actually wear, and at very reasonable prices. I was happy to find something to bring home that I can truly claim to be Australian, and to make use of my surplus AUD as well. Next, I picked up some souvenirs in the myriad of little shops on the Corso on my way to the wharf. I was ready for my journey home.
Footnote: My pleasure with the Billabong purchases ended on a sour note. It wasn't until I unpacked, back home, that I noticed that the surfer clerk at the shop had done me the favor of leaving a security tag attached to one of the garments (see photo below). I was furious with myself for not noticing that stupid tag. I had to send the garment to Billabong America, which removed the tag for me.
Let that be a lesson for anyone who purchases clothes while overseas.
Thanks for reading. CONTINUED at Part 6.