The Rocks and Manly

Carol ZZ has read about the market at The Rocks.  We all like a market, so off we go.  There are a number of stalls under umbrellas along one side of the street.  Carol and I spend some time at a jewelry stand where I make a purchase, Wes spends some time at an art stand where he makes a purchase – a charming print of kookaburras – Brian wanders and takes photos.  It is cloudy and chilly.  On the other side of the street are many restaurants, and we choose the Belgian Chocolate Café for coffee.  But then realize it is almost noon so have lunch instead.  Carol checks out the cookies going to other tables, so we finish with Nutella cookies.  Restaurant tabs have a Public Holiday Surcharge added on holidays and weekends.  This one is 15%.  It is an even more pricey lunch when a 6 and 9 are reversed on the visa and is not noticed.  

After lunch we walk to the top of this street and find other market stalls on the adjoining street.  It begins to rain, lightly at first, and then quite heavily.  I have a jacket but have not brought the umbrella.  Carol was smarter and they huddle under their umbrella; Brian just gets wet.  We turn another corner to take the following photos.

 

And then discover there is another part of the market all under a long awning.  Of particular interest to us is the artist kiosk with watercolour prints of various landmarks of Sydney – and also other areas of Australia - although Sydney is the one of interest to us.  

 This man has Himalayan singing bowls.  Brian chats with him a bit.  We have one we bought in a Hill Country market in Thailand.  Occasionally Brian makes it sing too.  

There is food in this part of the market.  Wes suggests we buy paella at this stall to have for our dinner.   We are all in agreement as he offers to carry it.  

We continue to wander around Circular Quay watching ferries, admiring the buildings, reading the information panels and taking photos.   

There is a Regency cruise shop docked, and we speculate that this is the spot we will find ours in three days’ time.

We have a good view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. 

A good example of the old and the new side-by-side.

And just the new. 

This sculpture by British sculptor Thomas J Price is on the grounds of the Museum of Contemporary Art.  It weighs 1.5 tonnes.   

There are three people on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Which one of us was chicken?  (Someone has to stay on the ground and take the photo!)  

The rain has stopped, although it is still cloudy.  We are at the ferry terminal so decide to take the ferry to Manly.  We have many views of the Opera House as the ferry leaves the dock. And Brian takes many photos.  I will share this one, but if you are interested in any of the other dozen or so . . . I think you can tell from the colour of the roof that there is no sun, but I think the tiles are shown to good advantage.  

This is a view you only have from the water. 

We get off the ferry at Manly.  This building is across the harbour from the ferry terminal.  It is Manly Pavilion built by the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company in 1933.  Between the wars it was a dressing room and amenities for a popular seaside resort and the Manly Cove ocean pool.  In 1999 Manly Pavilion was acknowledged as one of the last remaining harbour structures of this style in Sydney. I think it is now a restaurant.  There are posts in the water so perhaps there was once a pier there.  

There isn’t too much to see around the terminal but there is a gelato stand in the waiting shed.  It is not good, mostly tasting stale and of cardboard.  We should have noted that there was no queue as there always is at Anita’s in Brisbane. 

Back on the ferry and back to our hotel.  The paella is our dinner and is tasty. 

Brian likes gadgets so he took this photo in the hotel lobby.