Spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon walking through this very historic and eclectic area of the city. Although I have been to Circular Quay many times, my adventures never seemed to take me to the other end, under the bridge, to the cobble stone pathways. 

We decided to take an Uber, from our apartment, as we never know where we may end up or where exactly we should park. Our driver was the sweetest man, he and his wife are originally from England, and they have lived here, on and off, for many years. He talked with us the entire ride, sharing stories of his son, who is a chef in Melbourne. He and his wife own a home in Spain, this they rent out on Air BNB... 

We arrived at the Opera house and started the fairly short walk around the water, to an area that seemed tucked away under the bridge. I couldn't believe that I had not made it over the this side... I've obviously seen the area while being out on the water, but never fully understanding what this beautiful  hidden gem held in store for us. Now when I say "hidden," It really only pertains to me... I guess its one of the highest visited areas of the city by tourist! Well, it is a treasure and I was fortunate enough to have my son join along. 

THE ROCKS

The streets were packed with independent vendors, similar to Paddington Market, only much bigger. There were a ton of art galleries, small independent artist displaying their photography, digital artwork or handmade jewelry. The market area was jammed with people - not what I expected for a Sunday afternoon in November. The markets are all decorated for the holidays, Sydney does not disappoint when it comes to beautiful holiday art installations, lights flickering over every awning and even authentic gas street lamps. 

In contrast to the simplicity and authenticity this quaint little area offers, there was still room for an petite sized high-end shopping center. Louis Vuitton, Channel, Burberry, Cartier and more... it seemed out of place, yet still inherently right. This area is a tourist attraction and there seems to be a lot of money to spent here! 

People always say, "time flies..." It's the truth. Since last August, when I made the journey to Sydney, Australia, my life has been filled with amazing experiences. 
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​On August 8, 2018, I arrived in Sydney, Australia, not much after 6 am. After a very long flight, sitting next to two complete strangers, I departed the plane and became immediately overwhelmed  by the massive terminal, noise, and number of travelers awaiting their international flights. My mind and body had no understanding of time, and I felt like a zombie who just needed to read the signs and follow the heard of people through customs. 

Sydney tries, a little, to mirror the ways of their North American friends, but their Halloween attempts are failed. In tribute to our fun, quirky and typically cold, wet tradition, we made our own upside down fun. Halloween night was spent with friends, eating fun hallo-treats and dressing up for the camera. The night after, my son and I decided to reinvent our annual trip to Fright Fest, via Luna Park.

Luna Park at night was spectacular. Creepy music, set on the water... it was dark and eerie. The rides seemed old (most likely they were) and I felt like I was in an old school Halloween “B” movie, straight out of circa 1982.

The afternoon was hot, reaching tempatures of over 100 degrees. By the time we were heading to the event, we were tired and sweaty... but the breeze came through and the sun set at just the right time. It started to drizzle and I felt some relief as we walked through the park. As the time passed, the rain grew strong and lightning broke over the harbour. Beautiful to watch, but a sign for us to end the evening.

All in all, it was a fun experience. I missed the tradition of home, but there is something to be said about this adventure, it could never be replicated:-)

Adding on to the very stylish bike purchase, we now are the proud owners of the Audi Q3. It's not my BMW, but I've always wanted to tryout the Audi, why not in Sydney! 

I loved the presentation... felt like I was in one of those x-mas commercials:-) 
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We're continuing to do our best to assimilate to life in the new country, it hasn't been easy, but a few small items make it feel more like home. 
We decided to get an inexpensive bike at a local K-Mart (yes, they still have them here!). After picking out the best fit, I was set to take the bike home and get it put together... then I realized, every tool I own, which is a lot, is back in Brookfield, WI. Ugh. 

The nice young lady working at the counter said that I could pay $10.00 to have the bike put together at the store, I would come back in a week and it would be ready to go. Sounded like a no-brainier, knowing that it would cost me more to buy the needed tools. 

A week or so later we go back to the store for pickup. All seemed good, but when we got home it was realized that the breaks were not put together properly and the chain was making noises. So, next day, we get the bike packed in the back of our rental car and I bring it into work.... We have some great tools there, should have thought of doing that in the first place!

At last, the new ride is ready to hit the streets, and I am so happy that he is loving the new city living life.