Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
When I took my center seat on the plane today, a woman was already in the window seat. She looked at me and said, "I cannot believe it's you. I saw you waiting for your taxi this morning. I thought you looked beautiful and even pointed you out to my friend. Now I can't believe you are sitting next to me!" As Kelly and I got to know each other, I learned even more coincidentally that her group and Stan and I all stayed in the same Clifton Beach villa complex. She is from Los Angeles, and we had experienced many of the same activities while in Cairns (same snorke cruise; same trip up the sky rail), and unbelievably, her daughter is about the same age as Shea and is a flight attendant for Southwest!!! We had so much in common and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company flying to Sydney. Be reminded, this is a small, small world indeed.
Meanwhile, as Kelly and I chatted, Stan busied himself making friends with the Virgin Australia flight crew—all of whom love visiting America and flying SWA when in America. Stan is such a great ice-breaker and entertainer—he made their day. They gave him free wine and snacks - and they smiled a whole lot!
Then we arrived in Sydney. When you book online, it's like Forrest's mamma said, it's "like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." Of all the places, we have stayed on this trip, a total of 10 so far, I think, this little place in the Surrey Hills area of Sydney is the most unique. It is in a very, very cool section of town - just a few minutes' walk from the Central Station from which you can go anywhere. Yes, that's nice and very convenient. But this apartment is the tiniest place I have ever seen! It is like some fairy-tale character's house. It has a tiny living room, a tinier kitchen and bath and then steep stairs to the sleeping room upstairs. It's like a dollhouse. It is terribly cute but terribly miniscule. No a/c either. I am praying, praying for cool nights! Please let there be cool nights!! The advertised WIFI is a prepaid data card for the computer - just one computer at a time. If you have the data stick in your computer, it works well. If you don't have it, no go, no nothing. Between us, Stan and I regularly use 4 data devices - sharing that data stick is going to be an adventure to say the least.
All in all, I think this may be the most fun place yet. I am truly excited about playing house in this tiny hobbit home. Already we have found the grocer, picked up the basics, found the wine store and made some friends there. We have scoped out the local restaurants; there are many, and have honed in on one for tonight.
Stay tuned.
- comments