The buses are on a "holiday timetable" at the moment (and until 27 January..!) and appear precisely once in a blue moon. So when we miss ours this morning, we decide to make the most of the time, and walk down to Coogee Beach for coffee and banana cake.

Having eventually found a bus travelling in the right direction, we head to Central Station to meet our Sydney greeters, Paula and her husband Charles. We were so impressed with our Brisbane Greeters experience that we've not only signed up for one here in Sydney, but also booked one for our first day in Adelaide.

Paula and Charles are very friendly and easy to talk to. Paula was one of the founding members of Sydney Greeters, which only began in April last year (2015), and this is the first time Charles has come along too. As we've expressed an interest in street art, they take us on the train to Newtown.

Paula explains that Newtown's council have taken a positive attitude to graffiti / street art. Apparently, they are offering training to youngsters who merely graffiti their "tag" (signature), so that they can better develop their artistic talents... The council is also funding a program called 'Perfect Match' which matches artists with homeowners who have a blank outside wall that is often graffitied.

After admiring various pieces of graffiti art, we stop for coffee in Parliament (see other blog). In need of different refreshment, we then move on to a local brewery, which is busy on this Sunday afternoon. Paula asks if she can take a picture of us - to prove to her boss that she did a Greet today!

We leave the brewery and stroll along King Street, the central thoroughfare in Newtown. There are lots of charming, principally independent shops, and we wonder in to a few to have a look around. Charles tells us about his job as a bus driver. He's extremely enthusiastic, but it's easy enough to see why - bus drivers in Sydney have a very strong Union apparently. This means that their depot has a lounge with TV and games, a gym, various other nice things, they get a lot of holiday, and their pension is incredible.

After a late lunch at Thai restaurant (this is a very long Greet!) we get the bus back to Woolies to source our picnic for cricket tomorrow. Back at Amelia's Airbnb we change into our evening wear (jeans) and off to Sydney Opera House for Beatles! The area between Circular Quay station and the Opera House is buzzing. In the Opera House, we go to the bar for drinks.

"Could we get a bottle of prosecco and two glasses?"
"Oh, we can't give you the bottle."
"Right. Well, could you keep it behind the bar for us?"
"No, I don't think so. (Checks with a supervisor.) We could pour it into two pint glasses for you...?" (He gives us a sheepish look).
"No. Thanks."

Ridiculous. When we just get two glasses, our drinks are served in plastic... It would seem that glass is banned throughout the Opera House! This feels more like a basement gig than the opera house. They will let us take them in to the concert hall with us, but still. Aside from the environmental concerns, where's the trust?! We bag a spot on the portion of the balcony reserved for concertgoers, and the view towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge is beautiful.

The Beatles show wasn't a tribute band as I had thought, but covers arranged for an orchestral accompaniment. The Beatles are super :)

AB