It's all about me!

Although it is Emily’s birthday month, Tuesday has been all about me :)

It started off with this card

Emily wanted to mark my retirement, so although she had to work today, she told me to get my glad rags on, grab my ID and be ready to leave at 6.  I had no idea where we were going, but kitted out and ready I was at 6….  All I knew was that we were not going to the Sydney Opera House because I had tried to get us tickets a while back, and everything was fully booked.

We took the train down to Circular Quay - you should be used to that by now - the station with the perfect viewpoint of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and we walked around the harbour, remembering where we ate lasagne in 2023 when we actually did go to the SOH and headed around the point talking about the Botanical Gardens, so I began to think that perhaps there was an installation or something that we were going to see……

We stopped for a photo op so we could compare with the pics from 3 years ago….

but then Em turned and headed up the steps outside the Opera House itself…. She had only booked us tickets to see the Australian National Ballet perform Romeo and Juliet!  It was wonderful.  We had excellent seats with a great view, and in the interval we drank very posh Prosecco on the outside terrace - magical!  Thanks Em, what a wonderful treat!

The SOH is actually a stunning building - it is so much more than orange segments stuck together.

Of course, after the performance we maintained our ‘classy bird’ image and got a supper from Burger King - we cannot let our standards rise too high now can we!

Lets clear something up - the reason I needed my ID is because she booked me a Senior Citizen Discounted ticket…. That’s my girl!

Wednesday: Emily had a full day meeting in the office today, and Georgie, her housemate also had a full day, so I was free as a bird to do whatever I wanted.  I decided to head out to a place recommended on TikTok as one of the prettiest, photogenic streets in Sydney, a place called Collins Lane in Rose Bay.  I dragged my ‘proper’ camera 34 stops on two busses to get there - a 73 minute journey, which cost me 53p!!!!

At this point I feel qualified to comment on the standard of bus driving (having been a bus driver for 9 years myself, I am qualified!) - it is pretty awful.  They drive too fast and brake to hard.  They drive right up to an obstacle and then slam the brakes on as if they thought it would just magically disappear before they reached it, being somewhat surprised that their way was still blocked.  There is a reason that people press the buzzer to stop the bus and then stay seated until the bus is fully stopped….far less dangerous that way.

I got to see a little more of Sydney than I would have normally, and my journey took me past where Em and I stayed last time we were here , which was fairly near the Australian Museum - I am so glad I have come back as I am left with a completely different impression of Sydney this time.

Rose Bay is cute - the beach is lovely and is about half way between Sydney and Manly (what3words boil.taking.chew) and I had a new view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

I also found the ‘photo worthy ‘street - Collins Lane - I have to say I laughed out loud - it is less than 50 metres long!  It is pretty though.

I stopped at the Collins Lane Cafe (what3words relate.flown.covers) for my brunch - and that made it all worth it….

If this is what retirement is, I will take it, although I did have a flashback to work as I waited to change busses and I saw this sign.... :)