Sydney Harbour Awash with Royalty!

Not my heading but that used on early morning TV as the two ships entered the Heads at 6.30am, the smaller Queen Elizabeth docking in Sydney Harbour and Queen Mary 2 in the dock alongside. These ships are just incredibly large and dwarf any of the other ocean liners I've seen here!

They have created quite a stir and I can truly say they really were beautiful as I saw them for the first time from the 9.15 ferry from Manly. I waited till the commuters had departed and managed to time things so that it was absolutely deluging down as we came into the harbour. I was soaked through to the skin on four occasions today. It is different when it is not freezing!

I went up onto the observation deck at the international terminal in the harbour just to view the  Queen Elizabeth from closer quarters. It is an incredible length, a real floating city! I managed to see into one of the bedrooms as the curtains hadn't been pulled closed and there were window cleaners doing their stuff. There was a real excitement listening to the folks who were waiting to board for the next leg of the journey!

I then took myself into "The Rocks" area of Sydney, the original start of the city -  a different style of architecture to that which dominates the skyline -  but much of which is now inhabited with upmarket shops and galleries.

I came across one photographer I am sure you will enjoy Jim, a Colin Prior type of guy whose use of light is really exciting. On entering the gallery I was introduced by the young chap to his colleague, Freya from Kippen who knew an old colleague of ours Ann, Jim Fleming from Balfon High!......it's a small world!  Freya has now been in Sydney for ten years.

You can see his work here Jim -  Ken Duncan,

www.kenduncan.com

Somebody needs to clean the windows even in the rain- ready for the next clutch of passengers!

There were loads of wonderful quirky shop layouts including a "Button Shop",  I can't imagine how it survives in such an obviously upmarket area selling only buttons even if   artistically  displayed! Next door was another  a  gallery  which I just loved - mostly black and white photographs of very beautiful people as well as  local scenes, both types from unique  perspectives.

Mike I think you would like this one! Celebrity Studios and Seductive Art Gallery. "Imagination is a vanishing glimpse of memory. A Photograph captures it." Avi Ohana

www.celebrity.com.au

By then I was dripping wet and a little cold (t shirt attire) when I spotted  home-made minestrone soup inside a little italian cafe. Needless to say I literally was only seated for 3 mins when I noticed and heard the shocking news.

I became quite emotional watching this and came back to the flat.  Blair made dinner(great chilli) this evening and I walked out to his place along the coastal walk to join himself, Allie, Christina and Eve.

Thanks girls, I enjoyed the chat before getting a taxi back. It should be noted that Taxi drivers are not like at home. They haven't a clue where they are going!

Still watching awful  scenes and don't yet know if they have found the lady on the phone. Feeling  so sad and a real feeling of helplessness.