Thursday - 011107

Am knackered - have been walking round Sydney for almost seven hours in temperatures hitting the mid-20s, if not higher, with the Sun bearing down on me all the day long. Even with my factor 30 on my skin has been stinging. Lovely!

I have lots of pictures to upload but there will be a delay on them as I am having a night off from blogging. As most of the pictures are of buildings that might be no loss for as Mummy says they are just buildings.

That said, here are a few details of the day.

First thing, I attended to some domestic, well, let's just call them tasks. I also sat on the lounge balcony working my way through my Eyewitness Guide to Australia making a list of the things I want to do whilst I am here. The Zoo, the Bridge, the Skywalk, the Aquarium, Bondi, Manly, Parramatta, the Jewish Museum, Darlinghurst, Paddington, King's Cross (so London!), the shop with the massive collection of soundtracks, etc, etc...

I had arranged to meet a girl called Melanie for lunch. I used to work with her in London and she has only recently returned home to Oz. For anyone reading this from my place of employ, she was the one who was in the Chief Executive's office - but she wasn't the Grade B!

As I made my way to our rendezvous point, I was a little snapping person - too much lovely architecture!

A statue of Queen Victoria sits outside QVB - Queen Victoria Building. It is a huge shopping centre and is the most incredibly beautiful building. It runs along George Street (so Hull!) which is currently lined with huge pictures of Diana on either side of the street - all of them advertising the exhibition that is on here about her. It was most amusing to see Diana's smiling face flapping in the wind right next to an immobile Queen Victoria at her most imperial.

I eventually arrived at Circular Quay and sat outside the Museum of Contemporary Art awaiting Melanie's joining me. After a lovely lunch - I had Turkish bread (yes, me with my Greek blood) - we parted and I started my exploration of the Rocks and Circular Quay. This was one of the four sections of Sydney in the Eyewitness Guide - individual days will be devoted to each of the other sections.

What amazing places Circular Quay and the Rocks boast. I was reminded of Trastevere in Rome in that parts of the Rocks are like villages in the city - all the photographic evidence is to come. What joy!

Right, am off now to get some swimming in. Hope all is good with you.