Feb 17. Sydney, Australia

We set our alarm early this morning to view the entry into Sydney Harbor from our ships upper deck. It was a pretty special event! The iconic Opera House and Bridge did not disappoint!

This is an absolutely beautiful town! Full of history, amazing old & new architecture, and youthful energy! Celebrated for its magnificent natural Harbor, the world's largest, Sydney was founded as a penal colony in 1788. Since then, it has grown into the major cultural center of Australia, beloved for its all embracing, free spirited nature. Sydney is very progressive, offering free health checks to sex workers and free needle exchange safe centers that offer addiction counseling and nursing care for the drug addicted.

After breakfast, we toured Sydney and the surrounding areas. Our tour included a visit to Bondi Beach, which is just about perfect! Today was the first day of Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, an annual event in Sydney, and attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas. The night ended with a spectacular show of fireworks from the Sydney Opera House! Walked 9 miles!

Fun info:
▪︎A common acroynm: MAMILS "Middle Age Men in Lycra Shorts" Translation: There are a lot of older men in the city who ride bikes!
▪︎Chuck-a-Youie = make a u turn
▪︎Taylor Swift..Tyla Sweeft
▪︎Canippers =kidnappersRead more