Going to Sydney, Australia

On Sunday evening, Erin and I departed for Sydney.  The flight was scheduled to take 8 hours, which is about the same flight time as Chicago to London, but only about 1/3 as long as Chicago to Sydney!  We arrived at 5:30 AM, and Rich had been kind enough to book a hotel room for Sunday night, so we didn't have to wait until 3 PM to get into our hotel.  He had booked a room with a king sized bed, but Erin refused to sleep in the same bed as me, because she says that I snore, so we changed it to 2 singles.  I think we lost a lot of room space in the switch.  We dumped our luggage in the room, and rested for a few more hours.  Unfortunately, our room had remote controlled room darkening shades, with the control next to Erin's bed, so we could sleep late into the morning.  I like to be awakened by the sun, and get my day started right away.  That is not Erin's style.

We finally started our sightseeing at around 11 AM.  I was in the mood for an Aussie burger, because Australia is the biggest beef producer in this part of the world.  We stopped at an information booth near our hotel, and the attendant told us that the only place that came to mind for burgers was McDonald's, because, "Burgers are a bit boring, aren't they?"  Luckily, Erin's nose led us to a restaurant that had $10 entrees all day on Monday.  The first item on the list was the "boring" Aussie Burger.  It did have beet root on it, but did not have the traditional fried egg, thank goodness!

After lunch, we wandered down to Circular Quay, to book a Coffee/Tea Cruise on Captain Cook's Cruises.  That was how Rich and I had started our trip in 1998, and it's a good way to see some of the important sights, get some historical information, and plan your visit.  As a bonus, you start and end in the area of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the 2 most recognizable sights in Sydney!

The boat was huge, and there were many people on board.  We opted on going to the top deck, and sitting outside, as it was a beautiful day.  The high in Sydney that day was supposed to be about 75 degrees, so it was about 15-20 degrees cooler than Singapore, and quite lovely.  Apparently, there had been a huge rain storm on Sunday, but on Monday it was mostly sunny.

We stayed outside until the boat got to the ocean, and started to turn back to the Sydney Harbor.  We decided to go downstairs to enjoy some coffee, as we hadn't had our caffeine fix yet that day.  As luck would have it, they were just about to make the announcement that coffee was served, so we beat the rush!  We had unlimited coffee, tea, and water (which we needed badly after our flight), and each person got a box of treats.  The best thing was a little chocolate cake covered in coconut, called a "Lambikin", I believe.  There were also little packaged cookies called "Tim Tams", that were slightly similar to "Kit Kats".  There were also a couple of other items.  The guide book included 20% off coupons for Captain Cook Cruises, which I forgot to use, because I heard the clerk say something to another customer about "Buy One, Get One Free".  It totally forced the coupon out of my mind.  After our wonderful cruise, we didn't even mind that we could have saved about $15, though.

We trudged up the hill to return to our hotel, taking in the sights along the way.  Erin was surprised that Sydney had such a city atmosphere.  There are lots of big office buildings, and the British influence is evident everywhere.  The people speak with British/Australian accents.  They drive on the other side of the road.  They have huge tributes to Queen Victoria.  Their buildings and streets have British sounding names.  But, one difference that I noticed was that I thought the Australians were more similar to Americans in build.  Erin disagreed, and said that you could always spot an American.  I pointed out some people, and told her that you wouldn't know if that person was an American or an Australian until they started speaking.

When we got back to the hotel, Erin started looking through the guide books to see what she wanted to do during our stay.  We made a list of our top priorities.  However, after our flight, our cruise, our walk, and our planning session, Erin didn't have the stamina to go out for dinner.  We had passed a Subway near our hotel, so I went out and got us some sandwiches for dinner.  All I could think about as we were eating, though, was how disappointed Ben, our Singaporean foodie, would be in us!

A view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House...

...and another one.

 

Statue of Queen Victoria next to Queen Victoria Building.

My burger with beet root on the top.

Erin and the Sydney Opera House...

...and with the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Getting ready to go under the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Inside "The Sails" of the Sydney Opera House.

A heli-pad in the harbor.

A group of sailboats appeared next to our boat as we were drinking coffee.

"Shark Island"

2 lighthouses; 1 in the foreground, and 1 on top of the hill in the left background.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge in the distance.

In the late 1800's, this is where they would quarantine boats if there was any illness on board.

Deb and Erin with Sydney in the background.

Our boat, the "Sydney 2000", the year of the Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Statues and water features that pay tribute to Sydney's maritime history across from Circular Quay.

This sculpture reminded us of the Picasso sculpture in Chicago..

The Shops at the Marina Bay Sands

Erin arrived for a visit on Wednesday.  After her long flight and the 13 hour time difference, we decided to lay low on her first day in Singapore.  Her flight landed at 5:30 AM, and Rich and I met her at the airport.  We ate breakfast at the Burger King in the airport.  That was probably a mistake, as Erin was now refueled and recaffeinated, so she did not come back to our apartment and fall asleep as we had anticipated.

Just as we arrived home, a HUGE thunder storm pounded Singapore.  Trees were uprooted, there was massive flooding, and the storm wreaked havoc on the morning rush hour.  Erin explained that "Hurricane Erin has arrived!"  She said it, not me.

Wednesday morning is the time that they spray the complex for bug control, and clean the pool.  Due to the storm, those tasks were delayed for a while.  But, by the time they were done, the sun was beginning to come out.  Erin and I went and relaxed at the pool after an early lunch.  Kjersten and her dad, Jim, came out to the pool, too.  Jim was heading back to Houston, via India, on Thursday, so he was making the most of his last full day in Singapore.  Erin and I had a nice visit with them, but we stayed at poolside too long, and Erin's clear skin got burnt!

After the pool, we had a snack of cheese and crackers.  Erin's internal clock was totally whacked out.  After harassing Rich about what time he would come home, she fell fast asleep at 5:30 PM.  At around 7 PM, I tried to wake her, and started to prepare steak and baked potatoes for dinner.  Rich returned at 7:45 PM, and he, too, tried to rouse her.  She told him to leave her alone, and went back to sleep.  We put the steaks and potatoes back into the refrigerator, and had leftovers for dinner.  Erin slept through the night, and didn't awaken until 7:30 the next morning!

On Thursday, we were planning to visit Rich at his office, and go to the Hawker Stalls with him for a late lunch.  Then we were going to look into riding the giant ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer.  However, I got a text from Michelle saying that her sister had a room at the Marina Bay Sands, and would Erin and I like to go there for lunch and sightseeing.  The day had started out with clear blue skies, but in typical Singapore fashion, it had gotten hazier as the day went on, so Erin and I welcomed the opportunity to go up to the observation deck on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands for free, rather than paying for a trip on the Singapore Flyer in less than optimal viewing conditions.  Rich did not mind our change in plans, as he had a very busy day planned.

We met Ben, Michelle, and Ollie in the driveway of our complex.  They had just come from their Parent - Teacher Conference with Ollie's preschool teacher, where Ollie had gotten a glowing report.  He is such a cutie, but he was very shy around Erin at first.

When we first arrived at Marina Bay Sands, Erin saw Hermes, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ferrari, etc., and thought she was at the Mecca.  We looked for somewhere to eat lunch, and Michelle recommended a famous Chinese restaurant.  Then she got a phone call about a real estate deal on which she was working, and Ben suggested some other options.  We decided upon a restaurant called "High Society", that is the eating side of "That CD Shop".  As soon as we were seated, I wondered if it was a good restaurant for a 3 year old.  Ollie is really a good boy, but this restaurant would require him to be on his best behavior, and that's tough when you're 3!  Ben and I both got the laksa, which was good, but not as good as the original laksa stall in the Peranakan area.  Erin had crab salad, which was very tasty and refreshing, and Michelle and Ollie had the fish and chips.  There were so many chips that we were all enjoying them at the end of out meals.  As we were waiting for our check, I realized that I had taken my wallet out of my purse, to show Erin my Singapore identification card.  So not only had I subjected Ollie to the very fancy restaurant, but now I was unable to contribute to the bill.  As Erin would say, "Big Fail!"  But, as usual, Ben and Michelle not only came to my rescue by lending me cash for our outing, they also did not treat me like a giant parasite!!!

After lunch, we headed up to the 57th Floor, to the pool and the Observation Deck.  Michelle took Erin and me around, and pointed out the sights to Erin.  She showed us where Singapore Disneyland is starting to be built.  I didn't hear that when I went up with her several weeks ago!  You'll notice from the pictures how hot, hazy, and humid it got.  Ben and Ollie walked around, and took some adorable pictures.  But as we prepared to leave the deck, Ollie told us that it was a very hot day!

We met Michelle's sister, Denise, and her friend, Kelly, on the ground floor at a restaurant.  Denise had a room on Wednesday night, and that was the reason that we could go to the pool deck for free.  She has been so kind, sharing her perks with us!

After some refreshments, and chicken tenders for Ollie, (which he enjoyed way more than the fish), we did some more exploring of the stores.  There were so many high-end stores (with high-end prices), in an elegant setting.  It was just fun to window shop, and see the displays.  Ben went to the Manchester United Shop, and found some great clothes on closeout.  He had bought some really nice ManU shorts, and Michelle told me to check it out.  I told her that Joe is a BIG Arsenal fan, and that would put Rich into another type of clothing that Joe despises - besides his ever present Wisconsin wear.  (I realized as I was typing this, that I should have gone to look for something for my brother-in-law, Aidan, who is a HUGE ManU fan.  Duh!)

There was one shop that sold essential oils, wax tarts, wax warmers, etc.  It had these cute little bird in a nest diffusers.  I love birds, and Erin hates birds.  I wanted to see how the diffuser worked, and Erin kept telling me to, "Just walk away."  I ignored her, and picked up the bird, only to discover that there was a wick attached to it, and I dripped oil all over the floor.  Oh well, I'm still going to ignore Erin when she tells me not to do something that I want to do!!

We started to see runners with bib numbers for the "J. P. Morgan Challenge", and Michelle said that we should probably leave the area, as many streets would be closed for the race.  Also, Max needed to get to soccer.  We passed Rich's office, and Ben offered to drop us off there to visit Rich, but we declined.  I think that Erin was still suffering from jet lag just a bit.  It was a good thing that we didn't stop, because Rich was super busy.  He ended up coming home for dinner at 7:45 PM, and returning to work at 8:30 PM, for an interview and a demo.  If we had realized how busy he was, we could have stayed down at the Marina Bay Sands, and gone on the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel, and seen the light show. Instead, we were stuck drinking champagne by the pool, and using the hot tub.  All in all, it was a very fun day, and I am eternally grateful to Michelle and Ben for all of their kindness - again!!!

The "Throne" Chair at "High Society.

Michelle and Ollie...

...and Erin and Ben.

Ollie, smushing his face into the plexiglas of the Lego Exhibition display...

...and Erin trying to look all cute!

Looking down at the enclosed domes of the Gardens by the Bay.

The ships in the Singapore Harbor.

Erin, on the edge of the glass walled pool.

The floating stage.

The domes in the background are The Esplanade Theatre.

Erin and the Singapore Flyer.

The future home of Singapore Disneyland.

Our benefactor, Denise, along with Michelle and Ollie.

The interesting wire sculpture around the skylight.

A Female Quartet playing in the lobby.  Their instruments were very unusual!

Ollie, waiting patiently.

The Golden Eagle.

Cute bag and shoes.

Cute Burberry bags...

...and this is my favorite.

The water feature.  Don't know if you can see the drips coming down from the top sphere.

A fish mobile in a fish restaurant...

...and their interesting stainless steel furniture.

Erin playing with Ollie.

This peacock was carved from a huge tree root.

Check out these shoes...

...and this jacket with bears for sleeves...

...and these shoes...

...and these shoes...

...and the winged shoes...

...and Erin's favorite shoes!

Our Bed is Back!

I didn't have much planned for Wednesday.  It turned out that that was a good thing, as our salesperson from Frangipani started texting me at about 9:45 AM, asking if they could deliver our bed later that afternoon, or should they wait 'til Saturday morning.  I was sick of sleeping on the mattress on the floor, so I told her that I could be there that afternoon, and I immediately began trying to configure my day so I could get my errands done, and get to the pool for water aerobics.  As I was revising my plans, she texted me again, to ask if they could come between 11 AM and 1 PM, as they had another delivery in this area.   I agreed, and did another revision.

The delivery men showed up at about 12:30.  They brought in the parts that had to re-milled.  I made sure to turn on the air conditioning for them.  I apologized for not turning it on the last time, and they just smiled, but I still felt terrible! They started building the bed, and asked me to be sure of the placement.  I told them where to put it, but after seeing how big it is, I wish I had asked them to set it back from our loft window a bit, as we can't figure out a place to put our bedside tables that we got from the Salvation Army Thrift Store.  Our bed is a California King, so I think the space would be tight no matter which way we placed the bed.  It would be nice to have tables, so we would have a place for glasses and phones, etc.,  when we retire for the evening.  I also made some King and Queen brass rubbings when we were in London on my last birthday, so I would like to get those up on the wall.  It would make me feel thismuch closer to being settled!

As the men left, I think they told me that if it needed to be moved, I would have to schedule another installation.  They said we would have to pay for it, but it would be worth the money.  Between that comment and the fast turn around for the millwork, it makes me believe that they just did some rigging to set the bed up.  I wished that they had told me at the beginning of the installation!  In the nights since the bed frame has been in our apartment, every time I hear a squeak from the bed, I start cringing, and expect the worst.  So far, so good, though.

Our bed in our room.

The bed, nightstand and queen brass rubbing.

The bed, nightstand, and king brass rubbing.