(This is a delayed post from Thursday evening)
It is 6pm and I am in my room have a glass of Shiraz, crackers and cheese. I need a break before dinner.
Today I had a good long walk and got some impressions of the parts od Sydney outside the city center.
Starting at my hotel I headed to the east and "The Domain" which is a huge park on the south side of the Botanic Gardens. I ony passed through the west side of The Domaine then headed down to Hyde Park. At the point when I got to Hyde Park, the clouds broke and the sun started shining (finally!). I stopped for a photo opportunity at the Archibald Fountain which commemorates the alliance of Australia and France in WW1.
After photographing the fountain I walked up the path under the awning of trees to the Anzac War Memorial which commemorates the lives of Australians who died for their country.
From the Anzac Memorial I headed diagonally out of the park and to Oxford Street. Oxford Street in Darlinghurst is no great tourist attraction. Oxford is a gritty side of the city which includes shops, cafes, fast food joints and bars. It kind of funny how you pass from the glittering towers of central Sydney to the gritty streets of Darlinghurst.
Once I hit Taylor Square, I veered north along Forbes Street to check out "Dov" a potential cafe for lunch. After wandering around Darlinghurst I ended up back at Dov for lunch.
After a very filling lunch I walked to Darlinghurst Road and realized that there was another side to this area. Darlinghurst Road in the area of Liverpool Street is actually quite different and a bit more interesting than Oxford Street. Once again on this part of Darlinghurst Road you will find a number of cafes and restaurants which are more casual and less expensive than those in downtown Sydney.
Continuing along Darlinghurst Road, heading north, you approach the Kings Cross area and this is where the walk goes downhill again. If you like sex shops and prostitutes, this is you place. I perferred to keep moving through this seedy part of town.
So far this walk has gone from glittering to historic to gritty to casual to seedy and if you continue further along Darlinghurst Road to the point where it become Macleay Street you will actuall see this path become upscale.
Where Darlinghurst Road become Macleay Street and runs into Potts Point, the scene begins to resemble an area which strongly resembles Kensington in London.
Once reaching the end of the road in Potts Point another road reverses direction and heads south into Woolloomooloo. I didn't think there was anything of specific interest here except for the large "W" hotel which sits on the wharf. From Woolloomooloo I climbed about 100 steps and went from urban to botanic gardens.
I am not really one to linger over plant species but the Botanic Gardens are very well signed and beautifully manicured. I passed through the gardend and exited at the Queen Elizabeth gate which is right at the Opera House.
This is the first time I have been up close to the Opera and I found it to be bigger than life. I t was a good time to be there because the sun was setting and I got a lot of good pictures of the sails with the golden glow of the sunset illuminating them.
After my tour around the Opera, I headed back to my hotel for a well needed rest.
Thursdays pedeometer reading...
Distance - 10.53 miles
Steps - 23,829
Calories Burned - 960
Only 960 calories burned? That seems like a gyp.
To end the evening on Thursday I fell asleep in the big chair in my room and never had dinner, unless you consider the yoghurt and cookies I ate at 10pm when I woke up.
Blogging from Australia with Blackberry and Cingular Wireless.
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