Down by the Seaside

I managed to quickly secure a rental bike from a café of all places, which was recommended by a true cycle shop.  Anyway, it’s a cool retro ride and I’ve got three gears so there’s some pep.  Later on in my day some people were snapping images of my machine, so check it out. It's a Chapelli Cycle. I think it’s a bit this.

I had a walk about during the AM thru the CBD where I noticed there really aren’t a lot of dedicated bike lanes, unlike beau Melbourne.  According to the info centre, it’s something they are attempting to rectify…by 2020.  Long term goals such as these have a recognisable tune to The Big Smoke and will likely share the same shortfall.  

Despite the grid based layout the CBD possesses, the rest of Sydney and its neighbourhoods are topographical spaghetti.  This way, that way, uphill, downhill, sideways…kinda reminds me of San Francisco although the inclines are not quite as steep. 

My first ride was through the Domain and Royal Botanical Gardens.  Here again nowhere as pretty or immense as that found down in Melbourne.  I made my over to a path alongside Wolloomooloo Bay to Sydney Harbour, which is home to the international landmark icon in the Opera House.

It is a stunning building close up as it appears from the images we have all seen.  The Barber of Seville is currently playing.  I am not a big opera fan so I initially spurred the idea of going, but I think upon further reflection it would be a prudent choice to attend a performance.  Besides, the aforementioned enactment would be one that I could withstand.

 

From there I made my way to arguably Sydney’s busiest harbour in Circular Quay.  There are numerous ferries here taking you to various other ports in the area including Manley Beach as well as several tour operators offering sightseeing sails. 

Aside from the tourist web of kitsch there are luxurious condominium buildings with smart ground level retail boutiques along with outdoor cafes stretching down from the Opera House and over to Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay Wharf. I suppose given there are so many inlets around the CBD it comes as no surprise of the mish mash infrastructure the city possesses.  It also appears that the city is car centric and the public transit relies on buses more than trams, although there is an elevated monorail in place.

The above noted peninsula is lined with a plethora of restaurants, bars and harbourside shopping center.  There is also a casino and IMAX theatre in the same area.  The setting also has some green space, Aquarium and the Marine Museum, where I snapped this pic below. 

Beyond the harbour/bay lies Chinatown (does every city in the world have a Chinatown?), which also features Sydney’s largest market: Paddington.  I locked the bike and decided to have a peek inside.  It’s like a big flea market with nearly 1,000 stalls hawking tacky wares from t’s to cell phone covers and souvenirs with owners in the aisles looking to engage in art of negotiation or annoyance.  The rear of the market possesses some food stands as well as meat and fish mongers.  Alas cheap groceries in Australia!  The market is open 7d a week, but I wouldn’t dare dream on making my way down there on a weekend.  

After getting to know some of what my latest destination had to offer I returned home for an early evening, got some Thai take away and rested up for Saturday’s big event.