Holy Crap! I Love Sydney!

We set out yesterday from our hotel to do a bit of exploring. Okay, we set out to find a pub. But on the way to finding one, we saw a couple of other things.

I asked a couple of people for directions for Lord Nelson

(the pub we were in search of), and in our pursuant conversation they asked where we were from. I told them we were from Texas; they replied with "Where everything is bigger, right?"

I said, "Well, y'all have some big things here, too."

You can tell it's cloudy here, with showers predicted, but it's warm and feels great! We walked up to the Circular Quay (pronounced Key) and then over to the "Rocks," one of the oldest sections of the city. It's part of the traditional home of the Aboriginal Cadigal people. It's also where First Fleet mariners stepped ashore and established a British settlement on January 26, 1788. Unfortunately, we'll miss the annual Australia Day Celebration coming up...it looks to be a ripper (good bash).

So on to the Lord Nelson. It's a restaurant, a small hotel, but most importantly, a brew house.

Great beer, great food, great fun. (Ryan if you're reading this...here I am tossing a few pints down to the pub. Bonzer!)

Of course, Brett and Joe had their share of beers. I think they had their shares, one of my shares, probably on of Jon's share...or maybe they're just not the big dogs we thought they were. Brett has an excuse (he's just come off of a 20-some-odd hour flight), but Joe...? well, those of you who know Joe...he's heading headlong toward that last hurdle of sobriety, and it's only mid-afternoon. Turns out, Charles is the biggest dog in the bunch - he put the rest of us puppies on the porch...but I don't have a picture of that.

Okay! Moving on. We shopped a bit and then found another pub where we spent an hour or so before trekking over to Sydney's version of the Barvarian Grill, the Lowenbrau. It probably would have been much better, if we were not already so tired, so drunk and so addle-minded from our long, strange journey, but we managed to down a few more beers and some schnitzel...hey, we had to!

I promise I'll get you proof that the water flows down the drain counterclockwise down under, but now it's time for coffee and a shower. Today, we have a lunchtime harbor cruise planned and a tour of the Opera House. Should have some great pics from that! See ya, Mates!