Our last port - Sydney

After arriving in Sydney yesterday afternoon and checking into the Four Seasons Hotel, we had a leisurely evening walking around "The Rocks", an area where Sydney was originally founded.  There is a mix of new with old and a great night life.  The temperature was in the 70s and it was pleasant to walk around.  We went to a pub, Hero of Waterloo with another couple, Hettie and Elmer from Tennessee and had fish and chips with a beer.

Today is Remembrance Day in Australia which is the 100th anniversary of Armistice that ended WWI.  It is truly celebrated here.  The streets were crowded.  We took a four hour tour by bus of all of Sydney which turned out to be surprisingly fun and very interesting.  Jo, our tour director was full of information and history.  We stopped along the way at many beautiful spots.  One of which was the South Head (The Gap at Watson's Bay) which is the start of Sydney Harbor.  Apparently, it has been a favorite spot for leaping to your death over the years and an Australian Hero named Don Richie (who lived close by) spent 50 years asking people the simple questions, "Are you okay?" and "Do you want to talk?"  He saved close to 400 lives in those 50 years and was named, "the angel of the gap", before he passed away a few years ago.  There is a grove named after him there with the quote from Don Richie, "Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear and a kind word."  He often invited those people who needed a helping hand to breakfast or tea in his home.  I would have liked to meet this man.

We also stopped at Bondi (pronounced Bond I) Beach, the Waikiki of Australia.  We plan on returning there tomorrow and taking the 3 mile cliff walk that runs between 7 beaches and a number of hamlets.  We drove through the high end shopping district which we hope to visit over the next few days as well.

Many of us decided to go on a tour of the Opera House this afternoon and an evening dinner cruise through Sydney Harbour and Jo arranged it for us on the Majestic Dinner Cruise.  Inside the Sydney Opera House was just as stunning as the outside.

Sunset on the dinner cruise in Sydney Harbour

We left King's Wharf at 7:00 for a wonderful, romantic dinner cruise at sunset.  The scenery was incredible and the food was great.  We couldn't help but know how incredibly lucky and blessed we are to be able to be here.

The sails of the Sydney Opera House were lit with Poppies in honor of Remembrance Day, the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.