A Sydney story

He looked in my direction as we both stopped at the pedestrian lights.

I looked at him and raised my eyebrow.

His look of desperation increased.

I got an inkling of what was to come and smiled a little.

"Would you be my best friend for 5 seconds and let me use that?" he said, gesturing towards the foot pump I was carrying.

"Sure!"

He wheeled his bike over while I unravelled the hose, and he hooked up and pumped away. He was finished in time for me to cross with the change of lights.

Another guy crossed with me. "Did you just happen to be carrying that just as he needed it?"

I nodded.

"What are the chances?"

"Well, there is a bike shop just around the corner."

He laughed. "Less than slim, then."

Sydney

I have a week or so before I have to go back to work seriously. A combination of that and not having shaken off that old travelling feeling means I'm looking at my city like a traveller again.

Last night, I walked over to visit some friends who live on the next point east from me. Walking back, coming down a hill, I caught sight of the city skyline and thought: "That's right, I'm home!"

I may not get jetlag, but it can take a little while for all parts of the brain to catch on to the sudden spatial shift of a trans-Pacific flight.

This afternoon, I was down at Circular Quay. (In the first view of the mirror, I could see a distorted reflection of the Opera House, but I'm not sure it will come through the layers of technology.)

Gotta love this city.

And now for something completely different!

Well, maybe not completely...

In January this year, I planned to go on a three day hike with a couple of friends in the Koscziusko Alpine Park. For various reasons, it fell through, and I just took an urban hike with one friend, S. We walked from Manly to The Spit. It was a gorgeous day, not too hot, and we finished up around lunchtime - and then caught a bus down to Dee Why for fish and chips and some spectacular gelato.

I took my camera so I could do the tourist thing.

Since I was doing the tourist thing, I found it necessary to take a photo of the Bridge from a ferry:



Once we started walking, you would hardly believe that we were actually in the city:





We even saw wildlife:




And my favourite, flannel flowers: