I'm in love...

...with Sydney, Australia.

Sure, Chicago is nice with it's pretty lakefront, but Sydney is on a whole other level of amazingness that I will never be able to do justice on this blog.

Jenny, our Canadian friend Andrea (who we met through our journalism program), and I went sightseeing in beautiful Sydney earlier this week. Besides flying into the airport three weeks ago, it was my first time in the city. However, Andrea had already toured Sydney a number of times before--and fortunately for Jenny and I--acted as our tour guide.

We took the train from North Wollongong Station into Sydney's Central Station and from there into Cirqular Quay Railway Station. As I got off the train at Cirqular Quay, the first thing I saw was the sprawling Sydney Harbour Bridge--it was such a beautiful day and the view was just stunning. The say that Sydney's Harbour is the most beautiful in the world--and I can't say I would disagree.

We did all the typical touristy things, beginning with a stroll through Cirqular Quay with its eccentric crop of diversions including a pair of brightly painted mimes on stilts and aboriginal musicians hoping to make a few bucks selling CDs.

We followed the walkway straight up to the Opera House. To my surprise, the Opera House is not one single monument, but a series of sections that look as if they make up a single, odd-shaped structure. Not surprisingly, the Opera House is pretty damn incredible. It was just really strange to be standing in front of a place that you've seen a million times before but only in pictures and on TV. It's much larger than I imagined, and since it was such a bright day, looking directly at the panels nearly blinded me. We're already planning on seeing an opera there in a few weeks. I can't even imagine what going to a show there will be like!

From there we toured the Royal Botanic Gardens, which was really cool for me not only to experience the sheer beauty of the place but also to see how the regular folks of Sydney appreciated it. We saw a couple--I'm guessing they were between 65 and 75--training for a triathalon by running the steep garden steps. And there was a mother playing with her toddler under a tree. And a young man lying in the grass reading. I can't imagine living in Sydney and being able to spend a regular Monday in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Blows my mind.

After taking a gazillion more pictures there, we hopped on a ferry to nearby Watson's Bay. Andrea recommended we check out Doyle's Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. Apparently they have the best fish and chips in the area. Now of course I haven't tried all the fish and chips in the greater Sydney area, but this stuff was so good that I could probably eat it every single day for the rest of my life and still not tire of it. Sure I'd be dead by 45 of heart disease, but I bet I'd die happy.

After taking the ferry back, we explored downtown Sydney. We visited some markets and boutiques but had to catch the 4:40 train back to Wollongong, so our day was cut short. I'm thinking an architectural tour will be on the agenda for my next trip to the city. Or maybe a visit to China Town. Whatever order it's in, I'll be experiencing everything the city has to offer while I'm here.