Today, we actually had a plan. Get up really early, take a ferry to Watsons Bay, have breakfast. Bus to Bondi, and walk the coastal path to Coogee Beach, then return to Sydney and take in a museum or a new neighborhood.

Best laid plans and all. Turns out the first ferry to Watsons Bay is at 10:10 a.m. So, having gotten ourselves to Circular Quay before 8:00, we improvised Plan B, bought some muffins, and took a bus to the famous Bondi Beach. Compared to the "epic" Manly Scenic Walkway, this was a relatively short and easy walk. It's paved the whole way, except for a couple of shortcuts walking across beaches, and only about 5 km (we even skipped the first kilometer or so). Whereas the MSW follows the coastline along Sydney Harbour, today's path is all along the actual Pacific Ocean, lined with craggy sandstone cliffs and beautiful coves with sandy crescent beaches. We have been so fortunate, with unseasonably warm and sunny weather, and our luck continued today. Since we didn't bring towels, we didn't have our swimsuits with us today (it's winter, so we didn't expect to be able to swim outdoors!). That was a shame, because the water looked incredibly inviting. Many of the beaches here have swimming pools right on or next to the beach, which are filled with sea water. That way, if the surf is too strong or there are riptides, people have a sheltered place to swim. We thought it looked brilliant. The most famous of these pools is part of the Bondi Icebergs, which is a private club (you can pay to use their pool), but most of them are free and open to the public.

So we strolled our way along the coast, going from one amazing view to the next. Each little beach town had a slightly different character, but I'm sure they're all fairly expensive real estate. Frankly, for every stunning house, there were about twenty that were humdrum to ugly, but with views like that, I'm sure the exterior of your house is not that big a concern! We had lunch at Tamarama Beach (aka Glamarama Beach; during the summer it has a reputation as a hangout for the beautiful people). I will say the other little kids there were nattily attired, so it's probably true. However, it also has a terrific little cafe, with sandwiches and such that are a notch or two above typical beach cafe fare, and not really more expensive than the usual meat pie and chips. Ian hardly touched his sandwich; he was too busy playing with the pile of cars and toys they have for kids to play with.

The walk goes through Waverley Cemetery, as well. It's on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, and filled with old-fashioned statuary and mausoleums. A glance at the headstones shows lots of "residents" who were born in far-flung places, and who ended their days in Sydney. For example, there was a priest born in St. Malo, France; ordained in Dundalk, Ireland; and died in Sydney.

By the time we reached Coogee, we were all a bit tired and thirsty--and not quite sure how to get back to Sydney! Black clouds were gathering overhead at this point, so we decided not to try to get to Watsons Bay for the ferry. I will say that the transport system in Sydney has been really easy to figure out, even the buses. We had no problem finding a bus back to Circular Quay. The trip took us past the Sydney Cricket Ground and Aussie Stadium--the first very old-fashioned looking, and the second very modern. Our visit to Sydney has been a bit odd, as we've spent no time at all in most of the city's neighborhoods. At least today, we had a tour of some of the Eastern suburbs and neighborhoods on the bus, so we have some idea of the Sydney landscape away from high rises and tourist meccas.

And tomorrow we pick up a car, and head for the Blue Mountains, where it should definitely be wintry. We'll be staying in Katoomba, in the Rough Guide-recommended La Maison Boutique Hotel. With only about 1-1/2 days there, we won't get a chance to see everything, but we're hoping to take in a railway, a nature walk or two, and possible some caves!

Ian's Favorite Thing of the Day: Playing at the beaches!