Coogee Beach... So long, Australia

@ Coogee Beach this morning...

It's so hard to say goodbye, but I'm heading home...

The Blue Mountains

Today Yves and I took a 2hr 20min train ride to Katoomba to see the Blue Mountains. On the ride out, the scenery looked a lot like Pittsburgh in the summer -- green trees, hillsides, and neighborhoods. Once we got to The Three Sisters Echo Point, it was breathtaking.

It was a beautiful, warm day that was perfect for being outside and walking nature trails. One of the walkways led to narrow, uneven stone and metal steps that inspired an overwhelming child-like curiosity in me, so I had to explore. These steps take a hiker to the bottom of The Three Sisters. Fortunately, I saw a sign stating that it takes two hours to walk all the way down and back up -- heck no. I'm curious, but not that curious.

When Yves and I got back to the CBD, we walked to a bar called Sweeney's and had a beer. Then we headed through town and over to St. Mary's Cathedral for Mass. Then we took the train back to Yves' apartment, ordered pizza, and I began packing...

I realized that my friend, John Tierney, who played Irish football in Pittsburgh a few years ago (one of the best players I've ever seen), is living in Sydney too! We tried to connect, but with only a day left in my trip and me without a phone, it didn't happen tonight. That would have been cool. I also got a Facebook message from Jared saying he was at the beach if I was around... I think it would be easy to get used to life out here.

I feel blessed to have had such a beautiful day!

Taronga Zoo and Koalas

I started the day in the best way -- Skyping with my family just before they sat down for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was so great to see you all! I love you!

Today Yves and I went to the Taronga Zoo. We took the train to Sydney Harbour, and on our way to the ferry, I ran into Jared! Of all the people in Sydney, I ran into the other friend I have here! I was so happy to see him again. He's such a special person and it reminds me of all the wonderful friendships and experiences I had at Westminster. Good 'ol Westminnie.

Koalas

• At the zoo, the first exhibit I saw was the Koala Walkabout, where you can see a few koalas in the trees. I put a short video on YouTube if you'd like to see that cutie in the middle climb a tree.
• Later I got to "encounter" a koala, which means I was in an enclosed area with a few koalas and they were only an arms length, or less, away. I got to stand next to a sleeping mommy and her joey. So sweet! People are not allowed to touch or hold koalas in New South Wales because it's stressful for the animal. Darn, because I wanted to hug these little guys!

A mommy, her joey, and me.

Other cute marsupials
I pet a kangaroo! That exhibit, and many others, was totally open, and by that I mean that the animals were not actually behind glass or in a cage -- they were in the same area as people. The kangaroos just hop all around wherever they want, and as long as you stay on the path, you might get to befriend one. At least I think so... there were no zookeepers to tell me otherwise.

 
Other notables

• I saw a platypus! I saw my first one at the aquarium the other day, and I was lucky to see another one today because they are mainly nocturnal and hard to see and/or don't come out while people are there.
• The Harbour was visible from the pathways throughout much of the zoo, which made the walk extra beautiful.
• The zoo is so large that it took us five hours to see everything, and I'm glad we did.

Cronulla Beach and Happy Thanksgiving

 
Today Yves and I took two trains to Cronulla Beach. We had lunch and walked along the beach looking at all the different marine life, many alive between the rocks, living between the tides, and many dead, washed up on the shore. We saw a lot of those blue bottle jellies, technically zooids, some octopi, and other odd creatures.

 

Pollution becomes a habitat

Blue ringed octopi swim here, no known antidote (no worries, didn't see any)

Later in the afternoon I relaxed and read -- and helped prepare Thanksgiving dinner... although Yves did all the real work. We had lamb chops and potatoes and Leffe Blonde. It was yummy. Yves almost burned the apartment down while preparing dinner, but the little, sudden blaze only damaged the "sucking machine" (a.k.a. vent).

The mustache mystery was solved: All theses young Aussie men are doing it as part of Movember. Whew! They're growing mustaches to raise cancer awareness for men (just like at home). I'm happy they're doing that, which, then I had my "ah-ha!" moment, thinking so that's why Dan Bylsma was growing a mustache (at first I wondered if it was last man standing, or what?). I'm also glad it's not some new trend that will make its way to the States.

I finished my little hat project. I was a Kennedy to the fullest -- I was totally obsessed and goal-focused until it was achieved. I wanted to change the ribbon on the hat to something more my style, and I randomly brought to Sydney a bandanna I bought a few years ago (I tied it to my suitcase). So, I decided that I wanted to cover the original ribbon on the hat with this funky bandanna pattern. I tried krazy glue and then epoxy glue, but those didn't work. I thought I would wait until I got home so mom could sew it, but then I googled how to sew and took a few late night and early morning hours to sew a new band on the fedora. I'm really happy with the hat now! You can see it in the photo above.

After dinner we walked up to an Irish bar called Kelly's on King Street in Newtown. I had a Kilkenny. It's the first time I've tried that beer, and I can say, Mmm...

Happy Thanksgiving and lots of love! Slainte!

Sydney Aquarium: The Icing on My Vacation Cake

 I <3 the aquarium! Man, it was awesome. I was smiling and exclaiming ooos and ahhhs the entire time. I was practically skipping around the ramps to the underwater tunnels where visitors can view the tanks from below. There was a dugong (like the manatee) tank, a Sydney shark tank with native species, and the world's largest Great Barrier Reef tank. Plus a lot of other stuff. OMQ!, as Alanna would say.

Smart dugong! He brought up his feeding tray to the staff person.

First of all, I love marine life, especially sharks, and there were so many of them. Second, I saw a dugong bring up his feeding tray from the tank floor and give it to the aquarium staff. Whoa! Third, I saw so many incredible species and learned a lot about marine life in Australia.

Buzzing Around Town

It was another rainy day in Sydney, but nothing can get me down! I started the day by taking the train into the CBD and going to the Australian Museum of Natural History. Yes, minerals might not do it for me, but exhibits on Indigenous People and Aboriginals and the artwork and scientific discoveries of the Scott sisters did. On the way I actually  helped an Australian find his way through town to an appointment. Yes, I am getting around pretty well. After the museum I crossed the street and went to daily Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral. It was a very nice message for what will probably be my last Mass for this liturgical year: Share the Good News, stand up for the truth, and spread God's love. It felt great to be there -- I am so grateful for all my blessings and for how God is present to me through everything in my life.

I walked through town looking for a coffee shop where I could just hang out, stay dry, and read for a little, and I found a place called Vivo where I ordered a vanilla latte and brownie. Then I walked down to Darling Harbour and through Tumbalong Park, admiring the water features and green space. My friend Jared mentioned there was a little garden that direction, so I found the Chinese Garden of Friendship. On the way, I saw a sign for Paddy's Market, which of course I was curious about, but from a distance it looked like shops with produce and other goods, which has been confirmed by searching online. Was hoping it was something Irish!

 This little guy wiggles his tail around and hops about in such a cute, squiggly way.

It was nearly 4pm -- time to go to the aquarium! (I bought the ticket online for half price, the requirement being that you enter at a specific time.) The aquarium gets its own post on this blog because it was soooo awesome.

Now this is a beer menu!

After the aquarium, I walked to meet Yves in a part of town called The Rocks. We went to The Belgian Beer Cafe as a small gift of my appreciation for him inviting me to stay at his apartment during this vacation. I got real Belgian food, the Flemish Beef Stew Cooked in Beer, and my favorite beer, Leffe Blonde. Yves had his favorite, the mussels.

I am so happy to be here and loving every minute of it. I'm not thinking about anything else, besides, at times, my amazing family and friends and how much you would enjoy it too. No work, projects, activities, other stuff -- nothing. It's just the good life, and I walk around with a smile on my face all the time. I'm also very happy to be here on my own and taking that time for myself. I think God gave me the opportunity for this trip at a time in my life where I truly live in the moment and don't think too much about what's next or worry or anything. It's taken awhile to get to that point of freedom, trust, and existing in the present, but it's such a joy-filled place, and to have this trip at this time in my life is a gift. ... So thankful!

Sloshing Through Sydney

After my run in Sydney Park, I got ready for the day and took a train to Circular Quay (Sydney Harbour) and then a ferry to Manly. I walked the beach for a few hours and loved every second of it. The water was rough and people were not allowed to swim, but there were several surfers taking advantage of the bigger waves.

I chatted with two locals during my walk, and they looked like what the boys would envision about Australian outdoorsmen. Both were catching bait - sandworms - by dragging a net with dead fish back and forth over the wet sand. The worms smell the dead fish and come up to investigate. I was told they're very long worms that are hard to catch, and they make great bait.

The second man who was catching bait happened to be standing nearby when I discovered a clear gel with some bright blue color and what looked like threads of fabric. There were a few of them scattered in the sand at Bondi Beach too, which is why I was curious to find out exactly what they were. So I asked the man and he said it was a blue bottle jellyfish, which is actually three animals that exist together as one.

Eventually I walked off the beach and went to rinse the sand off of my feet. Why is this something to write home about, you wonder? Well, I put my foot under what looked like a spout, and I pressed the button. And, whooossshhh! I hear the water rush out of the shower head - above me. So, my legs and pant bottoms were wet because of the beach walk, and now my full front side was wet because I just stood in a rinse with all of my clothes on. I'm sure I gave some laughs to the people standing around, and I laughed too. No worries! I'm in Australia, loving life.

I took the bus back to Circular Quay (pronounced Key) and walked through the CBD to Darling Harbour. I love maps and finding my way around based on instinct and recognition! I was bustling through this city of nearly 5 million people like I was from Sydney. I really enjoy that.

On the Pyrmont Bridge. The ship is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum.

I ate a late lunch at Darling Harbour and then walked up to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (New South Wales is the Australian state that I'm in, which is also abbreviated NSW). I saw Australian art by the aboriginals, as well as by other artists, many of whom were born in England or Scotland and then moved to Australia.

I caught a train back to Erskineville, Yves' stop, and was craving a beer. I was soaking wet and had been wet all afternoon due to the mishap at the beach rinse and then the pouring rain in Sydney, so instead of popping into a bar for a quick drink, I bought a six pack of Matilda Bay BeezNeez, a honey wheat brewed in Australia. Sooo good.

Yves got home for work and made a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, and mango sauce, and then I worked on a little hat project, where I'm changing the ribbon... It's going to look awesome (in theory).

You know, I'm not sure if it's because of my Irish heritage or because I'm American, but I really don't care at all about the personal statues in the city, and I like history! Out of habit I read them, but then it's like Sir So-And-So, Captain Blah Blah Blah. All these British. However, I am very interested in the war memorials and feel reverence for the soldiers, especially of WWI and WWII, which are throughout the city.

Today I will find other adventures! I asked Yves if the Australian Museum was worth visiting, and he said, "It depends on what you find interesting. Do you like minerals?" ...Eh, we'll see. I do have a ticket for the aquarium this afternoon, and I'm totally pumped for that!

Love to all!

Running in Sydney Park

This morning I went on a 4 mile run in Sydney Park. It's currently 68 degrees here, and I'm feeling good!

Yves' apartment is the white building on the left just below the trees. CBD is in the background.

Sydney, a Kindred Spirit

 I stayed up past 9pm, so Yves and I went to a local bar called The Hive Bar. I got a 4 Pines Heffeweizen, which is brewed in Manly.

Pittsburgh is awesome because it's where I'm from; it's home. Sydney is awesome because it's like a kindred spirit.

Sydney pics!

"Spotties" -even a nickname for a "Spotted" cookie

And yes, that nickname is longer than the regular name.

Chilling with a caramel latte at Sydney Harbour

Today I was out and about and really enjoying walking around on my own with nowhere to go (except a lunch date), no time to be anyplace, and no phone (that is turning out to be fantastic). It was great. I:

• Walked to King Street in Newtown to see the different shops
• Took the train to the CBD and a ferry to Darling Harbour to meet my friend Jared (Westminster) for lunch
• Walked to the Queen Victoria Building (sorry), which is a five-story, upscale mall
• Caught a train at St. James Station and went back to Circular Quay (the stop at Sydney Harbour)
• Chilled at the Harbour with a caramel latte and cookie and was just grateful for an awesome life full of countless, abundant, and amazing blessings
• Took the train back to the apartment but explored by walking in a new direction and went back to King Street... I bought a hat. It's ugly and I don't like it, but also I like it and I want it. It will grow on me. 

That's a cool thing about Sydney, everyone just wears whatever they want, which is very "me." There are so many different styles and feels here. As far as I can tell, there is no predominant style (except for "Tom" shoes, everyone has them) -- you can just be yourself and it's cool. People have intentional, trendy (I guess) mullets, people have partway shaved heads, young people are growing mustaches, some people don't wear shoes...

This place is very diverse and full of tourists, and it's common to hear other languages more often than English, and I take notice when I hear an Australian accent because it's not that usual as I travel around. ...Unless the Aussies are quieter than the tourists... Except in Manly where there are Australian supermodels who are bartenders and servers. I mentioned this to Jared, Manly is where he lives, and he agreed, laughing that they must bring in outside talent. At the Bavarian Bier Cafe on Saturday I even laughed to myself wishing Emmi was there to see the unreal hotness of the servers there. Super. Freakin'. Models.

The other thing I've noticed is that there aren't many people around, or any people around, who enforce safety. I think there are just fewer rules about that kind of stuff? At Shelly Beach people were out sitting on these rocks above the water and it was perfectly ok. Along the Coastal Walk people climbed outside the fence and stood on the rock cliffs, and no one was there to keep people from doing that; I actually think it is permitted. Very different from how things are in the US.

Finally, and importantly, ice cream is available everywhere. Ice cream is to Sydney what dive bars and pizza joints are to Dormont.

Well, I'll put up another beach picture so we're ending on a high note, and I can keep your interest to come back and visit ... I promise I'll talk about more exciting things than hats next time ;)

Love you!

Obama thinks Vegemite is "horrible," and I do too

Australians love this paste called Vegemite; they smear it on their bread, and it is one of the grossest things I've ever tasted. It tastes terrible. Look at it -- it's disgusting!

President Obama visited Australia last week, tried Vegemite, and declared it "horrible." HAHA You can read about it here.

Coastal Walk

AMAZING!

I saw some of the most incredible beaches and landscapes, and the beauty just kept on coming with each turn around the cliffs and up and down the pathway. We took a bus to Coogee Beach and began the trail there. Nearly 4 miles, several beaches, and probably 2 or so hours later, we hit the last beach, which is apparently world-famous, Bondi Beach. So beautiful! Oh my gosh, this place is amazing! The sand is soft (except at Shelly Beach, guess why), and the water is that pretty clearish blue-green color. WOW.

In the top right corner you can see the white picket fence that lines the trail.

There were a lot of people on the walkway yesterday because there was an outdoor art show called Culture by the Sea. There were sculptures along the path, which was pretty cool. I didn't stop to look at any -- I was too interested on the natural art everywhere else! I saw some of the exhibits while walking by, and they were cool. It started raining during the last mile, but it felt good.

Yves and I got to Bondi Beach and went down through the sand to the water. The only people out were surfers.

I have a lot of pictures, and for some I'm trying to channel my inner Maureen. Just wanted to share a few here!

This one was Maur-inspired.

My First Cockroach

I won't say much here except that it was a few inches from my head. No need to freak out about the details!

Cockatoo Island

Yesterday, Yves and I took the train to the CBD, walked through Hyde Park, and went to Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral. They were already using the new translation, one week early, so that was a first! The church was really beautiful but they didn't allow people to take pictures. It has a similar feel as St. Bernard and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Shadyside.

From the Cathedral we walked through the CBD down to the harbour, and we caught a ferry to Cockatoo Island. Back in the 1800s it used to be a prison, then it became a school (makes you wonder about the classroom and campus aesthetics), then a prison again, and then a shipyard. The prisoners made a shipyard on the island and also provided a lot of the sand stone for building up the city of Sydney, and they did the labor in their shackles. We walked the Convict's Trail, and I was thinking about the Irish who walked the same pathways years ago as I was walking now. An Australian Government National Heritage web site says this about Cockatoo Island: "Cockatoo Island is significant as a site that includes the only remaining dry dock in Australia built using convict labour, as well as buildings and fabric related to the administration, incarceration and working conditions of convicts."

The Island had an art show going during this month and December, so we got to see a lot of street, contemporary, and modern art, I guess you would say. It was neat how they used the space, but I wasn't into the art. Also, there was a skateboarding event for kids, so it was really interesting to see all the different ways Cockatoo Island was drawing visitors: History - Convict's Trail and Maritime Trail (WWII), Arts - art show, Outdoors activities - camping, barbecuing, skateboarding, kayaking, picnicking, and more.

We spent about an hour walking around and then took the ferry back to the harbour. It was another gorgeous afternoon!

Click here if you want to read more about Cockatoo Island.

A Day at Shelly Beach

Today I got a weekly "MyMulti" pass, which allows me to take any bus, ferry, and train in Sydney. And already I've put it to good use! It was really hot here, maybe around 85-90 degrees, so Yves and I took the train to the CBD and then a bus to Manly, where we kicked of a day at the beach with a beer at Bavarian Bier Cafe. I got a Hofbrau Weizen Dunkel. Then we walked through a shopping area with restaurants and stores, to the ocean side of Manly Beach. It got really foggy, and no one was allowed to swim for awhile (wasn't planning on it anyway), so we walked the pathway to a little beach called Shelly Beach, and the fog lifted and we had a blue sky with a blazing sun. The picture above is Shelly Beach. The rectangular tables with people standing around them at the forefront of the photo are public barbeque areas.Then we took a ferry back to the harbour and a train back to Yves' stop. Now we're getting ready for dinner somewhere in his neighborhood and planning for tomorrow. And it looks like we'll be going to see a few other beaches. Ahhh, my favorite kind of day!

It is so incredibly beautiful here. It's all my favorite things -- a city, beaches, and outdoorsy, sporty stuff! It's awesome!

CBD

Yesterday, while Yves was working, I went on a run/walk through Sydney Park, which I think will be one of my favorite parks! There are wetlands in it and a lot of animals... mostly birds, don't worry. It was really hot, so we went to his apartment's pool during his "tea time" break. For real, he has two tea breaks a day. Later, Yves and I took the train to the Central Business District (CBD). We walked around the harbour and Opera House, and then went to a part of town called The Rocks and checked out a street festival. We made our way to a German bar called Lowenbrau, very much like Hofbrauhaus -- they even sell the pig knuckle, but we just stuck with a beer and pretzels. Yum! After, we left the city and went back to his apartment, and I was happily in bed by 9:30pm. It was so nice and sunny when I woke up, and I was excited to start the day, but then I saw that it was only 6:15am. I went back to bed for two hours... I'm so happy that I didn't have jet lag!

My First Spidey

It was not so scary because it was not so big. Yves and I were coming back from the pool yesterday, and when he was opening the door to his apartment, I noticed something crawling on his head. Yep, it was a spider! Ew! It took about eight tries, but I finally flicked it off and it landed on the ground. Hopefully, that's my first and only encounter with the insects that run this country.

24 Hours of Travel

Hello, wonderful family! Thanks so much for all your love and support with everything I do. I had so much fun on Sunday when we did Breakfast Thanksgiving and the pre-Hoopla Hoopla!

So, Mom took me to the airport, and I began my journey with a 3hr 45min flight to Denver. I got in on time, but the plane drove around the airport for what felt like forever until we got to the right gate. Just in time -- I had less than 15 minutes before boarding began for my second flight, a 2hr 45min flight to San Francisco. I stood in line and munched on a sandwich for the few minutes I had. The plane was a lot nicer than the first one I was on, and they even played tv shows, including 30 Rock and The Middle. Winners!

I got to San Fran and had 2 hours before boarding for Sydney. I picked up a newspaper and headed to a bar. Side note: San Francisco's airport is like a fancy palace compared to Oakland. I had to text Devin to laugh about that one. While sitting at the bar, I met a few people and had some nice conversations. There was a professor at University of San Diego who was on her way to a presentation in Toronto -- where she was presenting papers on urban revitalization and social entrepreneurship, which happens to be the exact type of organization I work for! So we had an interesting talk. There was a guy from New Zealand who has had months off of work because he's a materials engineer for an oil company and gets sent to really remote places around the world, and as an incentive to take those jobs, he gets months off at a time. There was a girl from Portland who was going to visit her boyfriend, who lives in Australia. And there was Marcos from Seattle who was heading to Mexico City to go home for a family wedding. Oh, and another guy from New Jersey who has a girl friend who went to Allegheny College.

The plane for Sydney was really nice, just like the one I took to Europe, only each seat didn't have its own TV with movie options, but there were TVs throughout playing the same shows and movies. The flight was really smooth and actually went quickly, now that it's all over. At the time I remember thinking that 10, 9, 8, 7... hours was going to take forever. I had six solid hours of sleep near the beginning and rested for the duration of the flight. They kept the cabin dark until feeding us breakfast an hour before landing, so I think my body was tricked into thinking it was one long night. I sat next to a middle-aged couple who went to Grove City College but now live in Philly. This was their 10th trip to Oz, where they go camping in tents and look for wildlife. They were reading about the most deadly Australian animals and first aid. No, thanks. Interestingly, the wife told me that just before koalas change trees, they make the scariest noises. Same with these little penguins that growl. They'll growl and it's really scary, and then you see what the noise is and it's a little furry penguin about six inches tall. HAHA! Another interesting fact is that New Zealand does not have any venomous snakes... You would think that a country so close to Australia would have similar animals because they were forced to evolve with the same conditions. Apparently, that's not so. And this ends the educational portion of the post.

I made my way through Sydney's airport and waited for a long while in customs. I got there just in time though because other flights landed right after mine and soon the line was backed up all the way into the airport with a huge crowd and no organization to the group (should be a line), which would have stressed me out. I got my luggage and then waited in another line where some people were sent through a quarantine with their stuff because they had some food with them (lucky me in my tired daze, I actually watched the video on the plane that stated that you could not bring any food, so I ate my bag of pretzels). I got sent through without a problem,and there was Yves, sitting on a bench.

Getting outside was nice, and so was walking after a 14.5 hour plane ride. The air smells so amazing and fresh here! We caught a taxi at the airport and took a 10 minute ride to his apartment. It is in a really nice part of town that has a lot of gay couples, and his apartment is really cool! He has a pool and the street is cute -- it looks trendy, upscale, modern, and homey all at once.

Yves is working, I took a long shower, and now I'm typing and listening to all the different bird sounds. We're going to walk to lunch soon. It's 74 degrees, which Yves is complaining is a "bit cold for this time of year." I think I'll come back and read this afternoon, and then tonight we're going to downtown Sydney, or as they say, Central Business District. So far so good on jet lag. Maybe I won't have any problems this time. That would be awesome!

I love you, and I'll talk to you soon!