Today was a day to get a few things done whilst I'm still here in Sydney. I Skyped Gaz for the last time before I see him next Tues as he's off to Italy.

I started my day in the city by walking from Bridge St to Mrs Macquaries Chair through the Botanical Gardens. My intended walk along the waters edge was scuppered by the team installing the set for Sydney Operas outdoor production of Madama Butterfly. I was seriously impressed by the layout and would love to see the final result. The view from the chair was good and I got a few piccies when the sun shone between the clouds.

Next stop was the opera house for an hour long tour by a lovely chap called Curly. We saw the studio, the main hall and the Joan Sutherland auditorium. The main hall was spectacular but I was equally impressed by the building itself, including the glass windows that have gold leaf within their laminates to give a warm colour. The tiles are designed to be self cleansing and all the plans started in the 1950's, amazing. He told a funny story about a party for Pavarotti who refused to attend because there was a purple carpet (which he believed brought bad luck), so they had to relocate the party so he would attend! I loved the purple carpet, it was an incredible colour! We were also told a story about an on stage chicken that fell into the orchestra pit and got stuck in a tuba. The tuba player managed to extricate the said bird and threw it back onto stage. It landed on the back if the baritone, who had a temporary soprano moment and refused to sing anymore as the bird had got its foot caught in his wig and removed it! The performance was stopped and the audience refunded. There is now a net over the orchestra pit! It was an excellent tour.

Now a bit peckish I had a superfood salad and green smoothie for lunch in Westfield and sat overlooking Hyde Park. Having purchased some Henry Ford replacements (hopefully Gaz will approve!) I went for a stroll in the park to St. Mary's Cathedral. This is the most impressive churchy type building I've seen since I've been travelling.

I did a few bits of shopping and looked at some beautiful old buildings before I went to Sydney Bodywork for a seriously needed sports massage. Hopefully my plane journey tomorrow will be a bit more comfortable now!

Sydney is a cool city. I still prefer London but I think that's just familiarity. I think there are lots of similarities with the two cities. Lots of hustle and bustle, a wide variety of buildings and cultures and buses that move incredibly slowly in rush hour. Having spent these few days here I feel very privileged to have had a chance to visit here but it has just reinforced that I am a country lass at heart!