Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk

With a few public transportation hurdles conquered, we made it to Bondi Beach.  Bondi beach is a long crescent shaped beach that attracts sunbathers and surfers from near and afar.  Our adventure at Bondi Beach began with a quick walk on the beach before lunch at the Bondi pavilion. 

We then set out on what we thought was a leisurly 5k walk to Coogie.  Little did we know the steep inclines we'd be walking up along with the long incline of stairs at various points.  But it was all worth it for the amazing views we got as we passed 6 of the top 30 beaches of Sydney. 

One of the most interesting sites along the way were the Bondi Baths at the Bondi Icebergs clubhouse.  The baths are basically pool structures that are built into the ocean that feel all of the effects of the moving tides and waves.  They are the inspiration for modern day infinity pools which are common at high end resorts.  We watched a few swimmers really get pushed around in these baths. The inner pool is more sheltered than the outer one.  You can see the white caps starting to come in and make swimming quite difficult for the swimmer in a black wetsuit in the outer pool. 

The next stop on our walk was Mackenzies Point which over looked Mackenzies Bay.  The views were absolutely stunning.  

After Mackenzies Point, we rounded the bend and continued on to Tamarama Beach.  The beach was dotted with sun bathers on this semi chilly/warm winter afternoon. 

The next point was Bronte beach. The waves and surfing at this beach was incredible.  (There were surfers in the picture to the right - somewhere lost in the crash of the wave).

The point at which the surfers entered the water appeared quite dangerous.  At one point it looked like a father and his two sons were going to be swept away at sea.  There was yet another bath and the family of surfers hung on to the ropes identifying the edge of the pool to try and jump onto rocks in the ocean to begin their paddle out to sea.  When large waves came crashing into the pool edge before the surfers got out past the rocks we lost them in the white caps.  However, they somehow managed to hang on to the ropes and eventually make it out to sea to begin their afternoon of surfing. 
















After the excitement of Bronte we continued towards Waverley and then to Clovelly and finally reaching the end at Coogee.  We approached the final three beaches towards the end of the day and we were basically the only ones in sight so it was quite peaceful and enjoyable.  Coogee was beautiful with the lush green landscape to the left, the city to the right and the fine cool sand.  The beaches of Sydney did not disappoint.

Exploring Downtown Sydney

Our first full day in Sydney was spent exploring The Rocks and Circular Quay section of downtown Sydney as well as the Botanical Gardens.  In order to get to downtown Sydney from our home in Wollstonecraft we must rely on public transportation as it is too far of a walk.  We have yet to find the train station closest to us so we have been taking the city buses.  For a mere $26AUD we can get 10 rides on the bus.

We took in breathtaking views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well as the Opera House once we made it to downtown.  Although it looks like a beautiful warm inviting sunny day, it was actually quite chilly.  I invested in a nice warm scarf since I left all my winter clothes at home because I didn't anticipate the Australian winter to be colder than 55/60 but in reality they are in an abnormal cold spell which brings lots of wind and temperatures in the 40's and 50's.







We then walked around the beautiful botanic gardens all the way to Mrs Macquaries Point, a beautiful look out on the Woolloomooloo Bay.   

The trees in the gardens were so massive and unique.   It was very peaceful in the gardens and it is hard to believe that the central business district of downtown is right next door.  At this point we had been in Sydney for close to 36 hours and had yet to hear a police or fire siren or signal.  In all European cities I have visited as well as US cities, there always seems to be a fairly constant sound of sirens, but not in Sydney which is quite nice!

 

From Summer to Winter in about 30 hours

I left for my new adventure to Sydney Australia on the 4th of July.  I left behind the bennies and the hot summer sun of the Jersey Shore.  My flight from Newark to San Francisco California was an uneventful 6 hour trip.  For the next 4 hours I walked around the international terminal of the San Fran airport to stretch my legs before boarding the long haul 15 hour flight to Sydney.  Luckily the flight to Sydney was quite light and I got a whole row to myself.  After all of this flying and crossing the international date line I landed in Australia on July 6th in the middle of winter.  After clearing customs and quarrantine and meeting my coworker and roommate we were on route to our new home in Wollstonecraft, a northern suburb of Sydney.

We settled in and headed out for the basic staples of life.  First on our list were cell phones and internet so we could be connected to the world as international roaming charges on the BlackBerry were going to be too expensive.  The cell phones were a step back in time - we left the world of smart phones to old fashion Nokia slide phones that can text and call. 

After an afternoon of unpacking and long flights it was an early night to try and adjust to the time zone and new season of winter which I was unprepared for which resulted in winter clothes shopping a few days later....

Heading Down Under

After my first European vacation in November of 2008 , I came back to work and learned that we had a secondment program and was beyond excited.  It is a program in which you can work for one of our overseas affiliates for up to three months.  I immediately applied and hoped to get this amazing opportunity.  With the ups and downs of the economy nothing ever panned out with the program.  But I had my heart set on this so I always periodically followed up with the program coordinator in hopes of getting myself to Europe or Australia to work. Since nothing seemed to be working I occupied myself with various two week vacations to Europe.

In August of 2010, we became affiliated with another overseas firm and their secondment program seemed to be much more active than ours.   I began inquiring of overseas opportunities immediately. In March of 2011, the application came out for the summer 2011 secondment program in Australia.  I applied immediately and landed an interview.  And two days after Easter I found out I was accepted.  I was so incredibly happy and excited.  I had to keep the exciting news quite for a few days until all of the logistics were worked out but I was soon able to share the exciting news with everyone.

In a mere 23 days I will be en route to Sydney Australia for an opportunity of a lifetime.

Times Square 42nd Street, Kings Cross, Les Gobelins, and Madison/Wabash

For the past two weeks I have been given the amazing opportunity to work in NYC and be a regular commuter on mass transit (which I'm loving working and being in the city!).  This past Friday morning I was standing in a car on the Q train en route to Times Square.  As we were being held at a signal stop I realized that I have used four different mass transit subway systems and they all get the job done the same way but there are quite a few differences among them.  The foreign vs. domestic culture of sitting vs. standing among other things is fascinating!

A few simple observations on these underground transportation systems.

NYC is plain and simple - they call it the Subway.  The majority of lines run up and down town - it is not very convenient to get across town.  The lines are a random variety of numbers and letters.  One line is the 1, 2, 3 and 9 which runs up and down on the west side while the A, C, and E line also runs up and down town. There are 423 stations and 209 miles of tracks.   The transit system is not that far underground - 90% of the time, you never have to go down more than one flight of stairs (except for the 7 train on East 42nd street - that is a very very long flight of stairs).  In order to get through the turnstile to the platform customers must swipe their blue and yellow flimsy "MetroCard" at the entrance to the platform. The train cars themselves are relatively clean but the platforms and stair wells are quite icky to say the least.  However, over the past few years they have been cleaned up a bit.  As you are waiting on the platform you have no idea when the next train is coming - it's a big waiting game.  Once the train finally arrives it is a mad rush to get on and off the train, especially during rush hour.  I have noticed that some people sit but most people stand even if there are empty seats. I tend to stand just because I'm traveling at rush hour and it's just easier to maneuver with a laptop bag. 

London has two names for their system.  Some call it The Underground and others call it The Tube.  The reason that the term underground fits so well is because the system is truly underground.  You must take very very long flights of stairs or escalators down to many of the platforms.  The Underground has 270 stations and 250 miles of tracks which makes it the second longest metro system in the world after Shanghai.  The lines are identified by names which have corresponding colors - for instance the Circle line is the yellow line and the Central line is the red line.   The lines go all over the city so it is easy to go up, down, and across.  Unlike the NYC subway system you actually need your light pink "Travelcard" to get both in and out of the underground.  You actually need to swipe the card to get out!  Both the cars and platforms are extremely clean - the two times that I have been to London I have very rarely seen trash, gum, or empty plastic bottles lying around like one commonly sees in NYC.  There is a common security announcement that you hear as you wait for the train to warn passengers to "mind the gap" because there is typically a large gap between the platform and the train.  What is nice about London is that at most stations they have overhead screens which lists how many minutes until the next train.  It is customary to sit if there is an open seat so I follow suit to fit in and not be the tourist that stands out!

Ah, Paris - my favorite city in the whole world which I've been to twice.  It's subway system is called The Metro.  It has 133 miles of tracks and 300 stations.  The underground level of the metro system is very comparative to the NYC system.  The lines range from #1-14 and each have their own unique color. The Metro in Paris is the only system I have been on so far where each ticket is for one time use.  There is no fancy name for the ticket it is simply called "ticket" and it is small and white - a small rectangle probably the size of your thumb.  The cars and platforms are spotless.  The Parisian metro system is very timely and like London it has the overhead screens which tells you when the next train is coming.  It is an absolute must to sit when there is an empty seat.  I remember last September when I was on the 7 train going from Pont Marie to Chatelet to transfer to the #1 which is only a two minute ride I decided to just stand and this woman glared at me and motioned to me to sit down.  So when in Paris - " Assez-vous!"

I was only in Chicago for a brief time, but enough time to try out their underground and sometimes above ground transit system which is called the L.  It has 106 miles of tracks and 144 stops.  The lines are all identified by colors.  You can gain access to the tracks by swiping your light blue "ChicagoCard".  The platforms and cars are very clean as is the entire city of Chicago.  I can't quiet remember if their are signs indicating when the next train is coming but I guess that just means I need to take another trip back to Chicago! And as far as sitting vs. standing - I was there on a hot summer weekend during some big music festival so every L car was crowded and I could never even find a seat to sit down. 

Grand Cayman Adventures

Nothing is more inviting than sun and 85 degrees on a cool November morning in NJ so I was ecstatic to be heading off to the Cayman Islands to visit Nathan and Jenn.  Upon my arrival we headed straight to the opening festivities of Pirate Week 2010.  The pirates came in via boat to start the parade off which was full of fun floats, music and pirates!

After a great parade we met up with two of their friends for an evening of dinner and donut making which proved for a great evening of fun and laughter!

On Sunday I spent the entire day at their pool enjoying the picturesque views of the Caribbean sea.  Who wouldn't want this to be the view they see every morning when they wake up?!  I would take this for my backyard any day!

 Sunday night we had a fabulous dinner at the Cracked Conch.  The ambiance at the Cracked Conch was delightful.  We practically had the entire restaurant to ourselves and sat right on the water.  The food was absolutely exquisite and the company was just as enjoyable.

 Monday was a holiday in the Cayman Islands in honor of Remembrance Day a British Holiday since the Caymans are affiliated with Great Britain. (Two years ago I was in London for Remembrance Day touring Westminster Abbey - History of Westminster Abbey vs. Boat Day in the Caymans - it's a toss up on which day I will remember more in the future - probably the warmer one!!!)  So one of Jenn's coworkers organized a boat day.  There were about two dozen accountants and friends assembled at the yacht club to begin an afternoon of sun, swimming, sting rays, and starfish!

Our first stop on the boat tour was to dive for conch shells.  Imagine twenty something accountants diving off a boat emerging from the water with beautiful white and pink conch shells and then having the boat captain extract the fish from inside and then seeing everyone eat the raw fish!  Priceless!!!!

We then made our way to Stingray City to swim with the stingrays.  I may have been screaming the whole time but it was the neatest experience ever.  The stingrays were so smooth and silky.

After Stingray City we made our way to rum point. The boat docked in the middle of the sea and we swam/walked through the sea to shore.  Rum point was a beautiful pristine beach and we relaxed there for a bit before heading to Starfish point.

I have never seen such beautiful starfish.  The intricate details of the starfish were beautiful.

After Starfish Point we headed to Kaibo for a nice dinner at dusk/in the dark on the beach.  Traditional Caribbean Island food was enjoyed by all.  On our way back to the yacht club on the dark seas we enjoyed seeing some fireworks in honor of Remembrance Day. 

On Tuesday Nate and Jenn had to go back to work so I kept myself occupied at the Ritz Carlton Resort and Spa all day.  I started my day off with a nice spa treatment then enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the veranda.  The Ritz is located right on Seven Mile Beach - the main tourist attraction beach on Grand Cayman.  I basked in the Cayman sun all afternoon with occasional dips into the Caribbean and some lingering walks up and down Seven Mile Beach.

I woke up early on Wednesday morning to make sure I got some more sun time before heading home.  I laid out by the pool taking in the beautiful views for a few hours before boarding my flight back to the states.

This was a short trip by my standards but it was perfect.  The weather, the views, the catching up with old friends, and meeting new friends made for a perfect first trip to the Cayman Islands and my last major vacation until May 2011.

Betraying France

Bright and early tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for the Cayman Islands to visit an ex quad member and his wife.  My heart is with France but we will see if that holds true after five days in the warm Caribbean sun in the middle of November before the onset of tax season.  Bon Voyage!