The Printed Page

Sydney, Day 1 – Well unfortunately the excellent adventure didn’t quite start the way we planned. I have a bad right knee that was messed up years ago in a skiing accident. Occasionally it acts up and lands me on my butt went squatting down to get items off the bottom shelf in the grocery store. Usually I know when its going to happen and can at least prepare myself for the pain and embarrassment. Not so this time. While letting my seatmate, not my hubby, into his seat when boarding the plane I stepped the wrong direction and something inside popped big time. One 14 hour plane ride and sore knee later we landed in Sydney!

After clearing customs and immigration (guess we didn’t appear too suspicious) we hopped a train into downtown, checked our bags at the hotel, bought a knee brace (first Aussie purchase) and headed out into the greater Sydney area. Not wanting jet lag to set in we started doing the touristy things – the Opera House, The Rocks restaurant district, Hyde park, the Sydney bridge and the very impressive botanical gardens. Sore feet and many hours later we found our way back to the hotel.

Day 2 – We’re off to the Sydney aquarium. I love animals so I was looking forward to this excursion. It was worth every penny we paid. The exhibits are outstanding. Now its off to grab a quick lunch before heading out for our afternoon activity.

We’re off to take a leisurely 5 mile walk from The Spit (a park) to the city of Manly. According to my spouse and some well meaning poster on Trip Advisor this walk is no problem – everyone from 4 year olds to those in their seventies and women in spike heels won’t have any trouble. Great! It shouldn’t be any problem for this gimpy family member. Well someone was lying big time! Parts of this walk are exactly as described and very leisurely. Then come the parts that are the equivalent of the steepest stair master setting you can find. And those stairs seem to be never ending. Just when you think you’re through the worst the trail has to offer bam another calf busting, knee breaking set of stairs. So by all rights I should have been able to wimp out and whine. Hello my loving spouse are you crazy?! Yes he was and so was I. Being the trooper that I’m not usually known to be I gritted my teeth, toughed it out and completed all 5 miles with nary a whine and only a half hour outside the 3-½ hours it was supposed to take. My reward – blistered feet. Ah the joys of taking a vacation that doesn’t have beautiful white sand beaches and lounge chairs.

Day 3 – Please lord grant me aching body one day off from this torture test. If I wanted to get this kind of work out I’d have joined a gym. I’m a book loving, blogging addict, recliner potatoe and a very happy one at that. So today is a day of rest. Really I get a day off? I can sit around and read my poor neglected Kindle? Just joshing with ya. Its another day of sightseeing by foot power but we’ll take it easy promises my tour guide spouse. Yep I only had to walk across town, through the incredibly breathtaking St. Mary’s cathedral, a slight detour through the New South Wales Art museum, down to the waterfront for lunch at the meat pie trailer, then back through the botanical gardens. OK I can do this, really, I can. With band aids on 4 toes, calfs screaming with every step and knee brace in place off we go. This man owes me a big time trooper award and I know just what I‘m angling for.

The botanical gardens have become my saving grace. I got to sit and enjoy the scenery. Jim ventured off for some excitement and left me to wallow in my very own private pity party. It was lovely. Finally growling stomachs set us off in search of dinner. But before we could get out of the gardens we encountered the Grey Flying Foxes. Not those kind of foxes. Not the cute, cuddly four-legged kind. Oh no these have wings, sharp teeth, hang upside from tree branches and, by legend, suck blood. BATS! Lots and lots and lots of bats. We honestly thought it was birds chattering until we looked up. They were everywhere you looked. And we were looking far and wide. There was no way out except to walk the path lined with bats. So not my thing. Another point in my not wimping out column. I’m racking up the good spouse points this trip.

Day 4 – Up early for a train ride into the Blue Mountains for some sightseeing. Not too much walking planned so this should be a good day. Well today is the day the weather decided not to cooperate. By the time the train pulled into our station a very heavy, foggy mist was all we could see. One new rain jacket later for me and we’re off. Yes you guessed it, we’re walking up hills and down! I’ve decided that my spouse gages degree of difficulty by what he can do and forgets about me. So I’m gamely trekking along in the wet weather on sore toes and wrecked knee. No breaks here. Several hours after reaching our destination the fog clears some. Jim starts walking into the canyon and my butt is firmly planted on a park bench. It wasn’t going to budge until we headed back to the train. Finally Jim deemed it time to go and I was more than happy to head back to Sydney. This wasn’t my favorite day.

So are we having a good time – YES we are. The city is fun and lively. The sightseeing outstanding. And best of all I’m not at work!

I’m having a lot of issues trying to load pictures this morning so only one for now. More to come later.