Harbour Tour? Ferries are Cheaper!

My last full day before heading back to The States.  Nothing actually scheduled (except eating at Harry's Pies).  Several potential outings, all of which would be awesome.  I chose to focus on the Harbour, yet again, but this time from the water.  So, off the Circular Quay I went again, this time by way of Kings Cross.  This apparently used to be a happening spot, and we all know that nightlife hotspots aren't always so pretty during the day.  While there are some shops and cafes, most of the venues were late night bars and strip clubs, remaining from the lock-out laws of 2014.  There are signs limiting alcohol consumption in the area, and I understand that the upcoming repeal of those laws applies to all impacted areas except Kings Cross.  It is said that people go to the Finger Wharf to find a wealthy mate and to Kings Cross to find a cheap date.  Because of the likelihood of getting apparent prostitutes in my shots, with many women and men on the streets obviously plying their wares, even that early in the morning, I limited my photography to Fitzroy Gardens and the El Alamein fountain.  I did raise my camera at one point to take a picture of the sidewalk and establishment fronts, with the alcohol prohibition sign in the forefront, and a lady stared me down.  I didn't feel intimidated or afraid in any way.  Her stare was in no way threatening.  It was more sad, and it made me feel as if taking pictures would be an intrusion into her private life, like taking a picture of someone on the toilet.  If she felt that way, others in her situation probably also do, so I respected the privacy they have and put the camera away until I got to Circular Quay.

Then, it was off to Circular Quay for a day of ferry hopping!  From Circular Quay, you can get almost everywhere.  All roads may lead to Rome, but all ferries and trains lead to Circular Quay!  It was a beautiful day, and the ferries would take me all over the harbour (except, of course, to Woolloomoolo, where they want you to give a F)!  So I took a variety of ferries to a variety of locations and rode around the harbor!  When I got to Circular Quay, today's performance art was a human statue.  Much better than the guy that was climbing in and out of tennis racket frames!  And for the first time, I noticed that there were markers in the sidewalk that celebrated various celebrated writers who call/called Sydney home.

By the time I had exhausted Sydney Harbour, there was still plenty of time until dinner, so I decided to walk home, this time going around the Royal Botanical Gardens from the other side.  So I climbed to the top of the hill (no small feat), took a nice long rest on a bench, and started snapping pictures of beautiful things from this part of the Gardens!

When I finally got back to Woolloomooloo, it was starting to get close to dusk, and I was getting hungry for the world famous Harry's Pies.  Harry's started as a little push cart selling meat pies.  As his following grew, the "cart" grew larger, and customers started coming to Harry's instead of Harry coming to them.  There are pictures all over the "cart" of celebrities and politicians eating Harry's Pies. Then I sat between the Finger Warf and the Naval Base to eat my pie and chips.  It was absolutely delicious!  I don't know how the Brits do their meat pies, so can't comment on whether the Australians improved it (like the friend I met at the opera house last night), but it's an awfully hard taste to beat with a hearty beef and gravy filling in a flaky crust topped with mashed potatoes (with glorious lumps), mushy peas, and more gravy.  My Airbnb hostess said the Harry's was good when Harry was making the pies from scratch.  She thinks they've gone far downhill since they started mass producing them.  She may be right, but I thought it was absolutely scrumptious!

With a full belly, I walked the last block home, got packed and ready to leave in the morning, and finished my Tim Tam cookies.

The morning taxi ride to the airport was uneventful and cheaper than the ride into town.  I did find kangaroo jerky in the airport and started to get some.  Fortunately, the guy at the counter asked where I was going and warned me that they would confiscate it when I changed planes in Fiji, as kangaroo meat and honey are banned from importing there.  So, no kangaroo was eaten by me or brought home for sharing with others on this trip.  The flight back to Seattle was equally uneventful and as pleasant as can be expected.  None of these flights were full, and I had an empty seat beside me on every leg of the trip back.  Days after getting home, my Achilles' tendon became inflamed again, and I'm now back in physical therapy, so it could be a while before the next trip.