Oz: Sydney the city

Sydney was a surprisingly walkable city although it also had great surface transit on which we depended for most of the four days we spent in town.  Our hotel was strategically located close to Chinatown and that was where we started off our sightseeing.  We were pleasantly surprised by the high standard of Chinese food here.  The proximity to the sea clearly placed it at an advantage for fresh seafood although this had no apparent effect on the steep prices.  But cost of living in general was quite high here, so we were thankful that at least it was money well-spent.  Restaurant meals were overwhelmingly delicious wherever we ate.

Chinatown portal "Four seas - one family"

Humongous abalone in shop window

Delicious fresh abalone and oyster on my plate

Sunday market at The Rocks, the historic area where Sydney began

Fresh fruit at The Rocks market

The famous Paddy's market

The ornate Queen Victoria Building with a shopping mall inside

The Edge of the Trees sculpture in front of the Museum which sat on the site of the first encounter between the original Gadigal people of Sydney and the first British exiles to arrive here

An eclectic mix of architectural styles in downtown Sydney

It was spring and the jacaranda trees were in bloom

St. Mary's Cathedral and the Art Deco fountain in the square beside it commemorating the Australian-French alliance during the Great War

Sydney Harbour Bridge, climbable for the young at heart

Awesome panorama of the Sydney skyline