Well, sleeping and functioning in the little hobbit-house is ok. The late evening air last night brought cooler temperatures and drier air, but we still needed the ceiling fan in order to sleep well. All in all, it was fairly comfortable. As things quieted in the house we were reminded that we are in the city, which means city noise!! Not accustomed to cars and trucks driving close-by at night, it was a little disturbing but we were so tired that we managed to over-look those sounds. Then, an hour or two later, the antique ceiling fan began to tick. Ok, we were good sports and managed to deal with that too, but when it, as older ceiling fans notoriously do, graduated to "boom-chaka-laka, boom-chaka-laka-ding-ding", that was enough! No good sleeping anymore. We bought ear plugs for tonight.

Sydney is awesome! It is so much like New York City. It is very crowded and busy, but yet it has many parks and wonderful buildings and homes. It seems the citizens have done their best to preserve the old while embracing new. It has evidence of a big population; it is not as clean and pristine as I was lead to believe before arriving here, but that is not to say that it is dirty. It just has a lot of people and traffic which tends to smudge things a bit. Sydney is blessed with a beautiful waterfront. It has been well-tended with, again, a mixture of wonderfully preserved streets and architecture enhanced by new glamorous buildings and modern access-ways.

We walked from Surrey Hills to The Rocks - a major point of interest in Sydney. Our path followed Elizabeth Street through the central business district, through the absolutely lovely Hyde Park where hundreds of people where out and enjoying the day, through Martin Place which like a European Plaza, and finally to the collection of little streets making up The Rocks along the waterfront. The Rocks is a collection of chic shops and restaurants along-side simple markets and street bistros - it is a destination for travelers and city-types taking a break from their work day. Years ago, ferries crossed the bay in this place. To board the ferry, carriages were driven down rock-lined lanes to the ferry - thus the name, The Rocks.

You know I simply love markets! The one being conducted today in The Rocks was a foodie market! It simply called my name! We bought a Cozleme which is a Turkish flatbread spread with thin layers of cheese, spinach and spiced beef, then grilled and folded. Juice of a lemon wedge is squeezed over it. Nice!

Afterwards, we walked the Circular Quay to view the Opera House and the Sydney Bridge, and walked out on a point, the Hickson Road Reserve, where several weddings were taking place at the foot of the bridge. It was a striking backdrop for a wedding! Then, we hopped a ferry from Circular Quay to Darlington Harbor. We could see rain falling in the distance . . . it found us finally but not for long. We simply sat under the roofed ferry dock at King's Wharf and planned our way home. We caught a bus - and met the nicest bus driver who wanted to know about our day and told us about another market we should visit tomorrow.

Again, we have had a full day. We love this life.