Sunday Apr 26, 2009 at 16:08

In Sydney

So, roughly 20 hours after leaving Denver, we made it to Sydney. Flights were bearable and I managed some sleep (especially given the 50 yard dash that Alice made to relocate to an empty row just before push-back out of SFO).

Sydney is a peculiar blend of the English and American city styles, with tall buildings and broad fast moving streets (as opposed to London where pedestrians overtake the traffic) alongside grand 19th-century style architecture.

However, on balance, it’s definitely more reminiscent of England than anything else – see the image above. This was Museum station where we arrived into town (thanks to the D700’s amazing high ISO capabilities). However, you see it more broadly than in retro-styled/preserved underground stations: the materials and styles of construction have far more in common with Europe than the US. For example, modern trains and train stations make liberal use of plastics in stark contrast to the steel of US-built transportation.

With no hotel room to crash straight into, we went for the calories-and-caffeine approach to keep us going, having breakfast at the Rocks, browsing the market and then hopping on the ferry to Watson’s Bay for some lunch at Doyle’s.

It was a windy day yesterday (and is forecast to be again today), but that doesn’t stop Sydney putting on a splendid scenic show, as in the city skyline as seen from a small beach on the north side of Watson’s Bay, above.

More food and photography today.

Stephen · Sunday, April 26, 2009, 16:08 · Permalink

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