in-all-places: Urban trips: Sydney, easy and green and blue

Sydney Australia, easy and green and blue

We spent seven days in Sydney and while you might say we didn't do too much, we actually just went with the flow, adjusting to that a bit of a lay-back attitude we felt around in this beautiful, easy, green and blue city.

So the first few days we were just jet-lag recovering, strolling around, exploring and light shopping (forgot to pack pyjamas), trying to get the drift of this splendid city.

Besides, the two famous Sydney landmarks - Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, are stunning enough that you might actually need to be in their presence for at least two days.

Well, we stayed at InterContinental and we were literarily in their presence more or less all the time: wandering the narrow streets of The Rocks, lingering around the Circular Quay and relaxing with a book in the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens.

We dinned around and tried some local wine too; and while the places we’ve been in - the food was not something to write home about (I’m not a big fun of fish and chips and the “catch of the day” was always, and everywhere, Baramundi) the wine was without exception very, very good!

We spent one day in Manly - lazy on the sunny, cosy and friendly ocean beach Shelly; we ate at the Fish Market in Pyrmont and of course we took a wine tasting tour to Hunter Valley.

We booked it with a big and nice shop in The Rocks - they give us some extra info and we end up with a boutique tour: small van, no more then 10 people and only three vineyards. We visited the Iron Gate Estate, Savannah Estate and the Ernest Hill Winery. We start with the Iron Gates - very good wine, nice presentation of all the wine-making process and even the owner saying hello. Next was Savannah - loved one of their rose, unfortunately the hostess was, although friendly, somehow busy and kept running some errands.

I mean really, we were busy with this serious task of wine tasting, all of us happy and already charmingly tipsy after our first tasting session and she was never in the site to promptly pour more of that delicious wine in our glasses. Mmmm, that will earn her a bad review if you don't mind. Kidding!

Ernest Hill was the most welcoming and, it can be because was the last and by then loads of tasting had happened but their wine was simply gorgeous.

This was end April and the weather was still good although, with the fall approaching the city, it was occasionally rainy and even a bit chilly. I had to buy a light cardigan for my self to protect against the sporadical gusts of wind.

Of course there is much more to do and to see in Sydney; but we just did it our way (or shall I say “local way” ?) while saving some energy for our next destination - Cairns.