Later on Friday - 021107

The weather let up enough for me to go out this afternoon. I have now covered the second section in the guidebook: 'The City Centre and Darling Harbour'. Various pictures above.

I have been astounded by the amount of royal heritage there is intact. Queen Victoria seems to be everywhere keeping an eye on her people: outside her building, on the post office, on the custom house, on the fire station. Quite incredible.

There is also a huge diversity of places of worship. As I photographed The Great Synagogue a rather fresh faced young(ish) gentleman of Australian extraction came up to me and asked if I wanted my picture taking in front of the synagogue. I declined his offer. He then asked if I was Jewish. I responded negatively. He then asked what I was doing. Photographing the synagogue replied I. We got into a short chat about my trip and my interest in places of worship. Where else had I been to see them asked he? Paris and Rome I said. He tried to prolong the conversation but as were in spitting distance of the scientology headquarters and he was smartly dressed and accompanied by a similar (although bespectacled and not as young) gentleman, I forewent a prolongation of the conversation. In short, I bid him goodbye.

Colin and I are now in the internet cafe. We shall be hitting the strip later - an Australian term for street with pubs on, I think.

And the best news is that I shall be going to Melbourne after all: a week on Monday through to a week on Wednesday. Hurrah! I understand the architecture in Bourne of Mel is even better than in Sydney so I shall be clicking my way through the town!

We get back into Sydney Wednesday lunchtime, have the theatre that night and then the cinema first thing Thursday - the opening day of 'The Golden Age'.

The trip to Melbourne also means that everything I want to do in Sydney I have to get done next week.

Strewth!