We arrived in Sydney in different moods. Alan had not slept, whilst I had taken a sleeping tablet given to me by Sam. (This tablet not only gave me a great night sleep, it allowed me to wake up for dinner before dropping straight back off. Certainly the strangest meal I have ever had, no idea what it was.)
This all meant that after Sam's help I arrived in Sydney full of energy. Christine was eagerly waiting for us, having arrived early for our flight. We jumped on the very busy train, much to commuters dismay with our bags. There were large numbers of people unable to board the train at various stations. It wasn't till well outside the City did numbers diminish.
When we arrived at Christine's car, we saw why we had not traveled by car as the roads were still grid locked.
The open spaces & large homes were in direct contrast to HK, thankfully the good weather had travelled with us.
Christine's splendid home is located in a quiet cul-de-sac & I was delighted to find that Alan & I both had our own rooms.
We unpacked & showered before setting off for a drive through the scenic countryside with views of the Blue Mountains in search of a quiet pint.
Our destination was St Albans that was a delightful little village which we accessed via a small car ferry attached by wires so it didn't sail anywhere it wasn't supposed to.
The traditional pub was located in a haven of tranquility, & with the sun beating down we more than enjoyed a couple of beers, as we planned the days ahead.
On the way back we stopped at woolworths to pick up some groceries for a the evening's curry. As soon as I returned home my onesie gained its first airing of the trip. After dinner I settled down in a home away from home with a few glasses my favourite Oyster Bay wine.
The relaxed nature of today was certainly needed after the limited time put us on a busy schedule in HK. An early night for all was taken advantage of, with a busy day in central Sydney on the cards tomorrow.