Sightseeing in Sydney

We have spent the last few days relaxing in Sydney. One day we went to Centennial Park while Jaime and Lex were at play group. The

park is really several parks together. We spent an hour and a half walking around and barely saw anything. There are ponds with ibis, geese, ducks, coots and swans. There are wetland or swamp areas, wooded areas, and large formal gardens. Around the perimeter are bridle paths, and yes, we saw several people out riding their horses. In one section, there was a 'Taste of Sydney' going on, but time was not on our side, so we didn't have an opportunity to sample any of the food or wines available. The park is an oasis of green in the middle of Sydney. Once you've entered the park, you can't hear any of the traffic on the main streets all around it. We plan to go back one more time, and spend more time walking around and exploring.

Yesterday we went down to The Rocks area, near the Harbour Bridge. We went to the Justice and Police Museum first. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, but still very interesting. Housed in the old Water Police building, and two other attached buildings, the museum has a very good history of policing in Sydney and New South Wales. We could walk into the old cells - solid brick affairs with two wooden cots and an enamel bucket in the corner for bodily functions. While there may have

been two wooden cots, the cells often held up to 12 prisoners at a time. Hmmm. Very smelly after a while, I would think.

The old police station and court house are also open. We took turns sitting first in the prisoner's dock, and then in the judge's chair to get a feel of what the court would have been like.

The other museum we went to was the Discovery Museum. Specifically about the excavation of The Rocks area of Sydney. A good portion of the area was destroyed over time from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, until conservation kicked in. The picture above is in the back of the museum. You can see two fireplaces, one above the other. There would have been a floor between them originally, so you have some idea of what the area would have been like. The picture below, also from the back of the museum, looks through several doorways. Everything is very close together, and the area would have been crowded in its heyday.

In between museums, we walked up Pitt Street to have lunch at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant.

Definitely worth the walk and the 20 minute wait to get it.

After the museums and walking around, it was time for the mid-afternoon coffee. We treated ourselves to a lemon tart and lemon macaroon at a bakery on George Street before heading back to Jaime's and Jon's. The lemon tart was good, but not as good as Jes'. The macaroon was delicious. I'll be exercising like crazy once I get back home to burn off all the good food I've been eating.