Leaves are turning but it’s MAY!

  Some San Francisco photos

Pam hanging on the cable car like a tourist!

Randy on the cable car like a resident!

We have fond memories of doing what nobody can do any more: help turn the cable car on the turntable! What fun that was.

Pam and the GoCar we plan on renting in Barcelona (aka Barthalona)

We got to Sydney with minimal jet lag (Randy) and not-so-minimal jet lag (Pam). (Jet lag: Otherwise known as circadian desynchronosis—sounds much better, doesn’t it?) Anyway, we made it but had to wait for our hotel room so decided to go to Greg’s house by train, thus killing the proverbial two birds with one stone. We now know all we need to know to get around Sydney by train. Hope we don’t have to use the buses ‘cause we haven’t mastered those yet!

Ian brought us an Australian phone and after several missteps we have succeeded in 1) activating it, 2) actually making a call, and 3) both sending and receiving a text message. We have yet to succeed, however in making even one call on our international phone.

After all our angst over the train, we had more angst over our rental car and driving in downtown Sydney. Well, Randy drove; I had the angst, we both kept saying, “Drive LEFT!!!” and we made it in one piece to the Blue Mountains, one of the prettiest areas of Australia that we’ve seen. The views of the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters were helped immensely by some of the best weather they’ve had here in a while. Most of the general stores have umbrellas for sale outside on the sidewalk; that should tell us something about the USUAL weather here!

I've never seen a Guinness with a picture in the foam!

One of the goals I set for myself—Goals! Doesn’t that sound lofty?—is to try a new beer in every town. The problem is that it’s awfully hard to take a picture of draft beer. Oh, what a problem! Today it was Coopers Pale Ale that I tried at a neat little bar, the Old City Bank. Randy couldn’t resist a Guinness, not exactly either new or Australian!

Our hotel in Katoomba is the Carrington, an old, old hotel right in the middle of town. It was built in 1880 but extensively remodeled so everything looks old-fashioned but functions as brand new. Even the tiny elevator! Inside, you think you’re in the late 19^th century, but it works like the newest high-rise elevator.

Pam and her ever-present camera on our "deck" at the Carrington (we do have to share with the other rooms)

Champagne on our anniversary eve.

Now, THAT'S a pool table!

The view from the "deck" in the front of the Carrington

We did the real touristy stuff yesterday (11^th) and today: we went to Scenic World and rode the Railway, the “steepest railroad in the world” (Guinness says so!) at a maximum of 52 degrees; the Cableway; the Skyway (they’re really big on “ways”) and walked the—guess!—the Walkway. So beautiful! The eucalypts may be spewing their “blue” vapor (hence, the “Blue” mountains) but the views were spectacular. And on one of our walks we got to see a pair of Australian King parrots! Not that they are uncommon, but it’s fun to be able to get close to such a beautiful bird. Can you guess that I love scarlet?

Male Australian King parrot; the female was similar except for a green head. Her belly was scarlet, as is his.

One of our hikes

I don't know what this bird is, but it's very common and lots of white when it flies

I just couldn't resist this!

Oh, yes, it’s almost autumn here so the trees are turning colors spectacularly. And some have dropped their leaves completely already!

It’s our anniversary today and we’ll have a wonderful dinner here at the Carrington. They’ve even left a bottle of champagne in our room for us. So nice!

Who the heck is Lord Carrington?

As you will see by the sidebar, I am following several other cruising blogs. It’s quite interesting to read what they are going through and how they planned for their cruise. One couple is bringing 11—yes, ELEVEN—suitcases for a 70-some day cruise! And Randy & I are worried about possibly having 4 suitcases. We managed once to fly around the world with just two carry-on bags, but going around the world on a cruise ship is just a teeny bit different. The wife in one couple on an earlier 70-day cruise brought 17 pairs of shoes! SEVENTEEN! Another was noting the poundage of their baggage: over 500 pounds! The mind reels!

I’m definitely getting into the we’re-actually-going-on-this-cruise-so-I’d-better-get-my-act-in-gear mode! I’m making spreadsheets:

• with the names of the CruiseCritic members who have told me their surnames and cabins for the Meet & Greet on the first sea day;

• of all the tours I’ve already signed us up for;

• for the checklists I’m gathering (I’m a pilot’s wife—of course I have checklists; I have checklists of my checklists!);

• of the tours I’m organizing (so far only one, but I’m working on another out of Le Havre if I can only get Randy to tell me what he wants to do!).

This is a sample of my checklist format. I’ll keep it in the kitchen and Randy & I can check off what we’ve acquired and what we still need to get. Some of the stuff we’ll pick up in Sydney so we don’t have to carry it with us on the plane. Am I too compulsive?

Have	Need
Clothing & Accessories
		Clothing & Shoes – formal, casual, gym
		Lightweight rain ponchos
		Sweater &/or jacket
		Umbrella
		Poncho
		Visor/hat
		Snorkels & masks (2)

For our anniversary I have organized a stay at an old hotel that I was told about by the CruiseCritic members, the Carrington in Katoomba (check out the location on googlemaps.com, 15-47 Katoomba St, Katoomba Blue Mountains, Australia). It’s an old, historic, majestic hotel in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney and we’re going to stay in the Lord Carrington Suite for our 50^th anniversary. Now I’ll have to find a nice restaurant for dinner! We’ll stay there the 11^th and 12^th (our actual anniversary) so we’ll have lots of time to wander around the area and see what there is to see. There is lots to see! I’m really looking forward to it! Not as much as the cruise, of course, but our week in Sydney and Katoomba should be a lot of fun, too!

Now, back to those checklists...