Jim_Iain - B2B Sydney - Honolulu - Vancouver

[Jim_Iain]

Some more rambling. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

We had another mile back to Millers Point so decided to grab a Cappuccino and Pecan Tart

 

Just what I needed

 

 

home at last by 5pm

 

[hcat]

Weather channel on line had video of flooding and rescues in Sydney.. Has the bad weather passed?

[MicCanberra]

25 minutes ago, hcat said:

Weather channel on line had video of flooding and rescues in Sydney.. Has the bad weather passed?

Mainly.

[Jim_Iain]

Weather has been beautiful in CBD for past 2 days and no flooding that I've seen.  Suppose

 

Friday's torrential rain prompted evacuations and emergency warnings across Sydney's Northern Beaches, Sydney's south west and Illawarra areas as rivers flooded and Warragamba Dam spilled

 

Tuesday is suppose to be colder 55-68F and thunderstorms --- 1/3 inches mostly between 11-4pm

[Jim_Iain]

Iain has really confused me.   For some reason when we were setting up a Luncheon with friends he convinced me we were sailing on Wednesday.   Although we both know the date we had in our heads that the 9th was a Wednesday.

 

@abbydancer2003 messaged me today and -  Bam - When I looked at where Solstice was today -- I said to Iain --- The 9th is Tuesday ... He said no it's Wednesday... Then looked at his calendar... we both broke up laughing.

 

All will work out well... We will drop our luggage at the port and then have lunch at Matt Moran's Crafted Restaurant and then will check in and board around 3 or 3:30 --   

 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

12 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 CBD 

Funny , when I see CBD , I automatically think of oil now 🤣

[FeebeeH]

10 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Weather has been beautiful in CBD for past 2 days and no flooding that I've seen. 

 

Friday's torrential rain prompted evacuations and emergency warnings across Sydney's Northern Beaches, Sydney's south west and Illawarra areas as rivers flooded and Warragamba Dam spilled

 

 

You'll be fine, in Sydney the main tourist areas around the CBD don't tend to flood as it's tidal.  The areas that get flooding are those close to river systems; in the West it's Warragamba dam spilling into the Nepean & Hawkesbury river, Northern Beaches - Narrabeen lagoon has been overflowing, the Illawarra area copped the most drenching.

[Lena11033]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Iain has really confused me.   For some reason when we were setting up a Luncheon with friends he convinced me we were sailing on Wednesday.   Although we both know the date we had in our heads that the 9th was a Wednesday.

 

@abbydancer2003 messaged me today and -  Bam - When I looked at where Solstice was today -- I said to Iain --- The 9th is Tuesday ... He said no it's Wednesday... Then looked at his calendar... we both broke up laughing.

 

All will work out well... We will drop our luggage at the port and then have lunch at Matt Moran's Crafted Restaurant and then will check in and board around 3 or 3:30 --   

 

 

 

Lol good thing you checked before Tuesday or Wednesday

 

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Funny , when I see CBD , I automatically think of oil now 🤣

 

Same here 🙃

[txtechmk]

Loving all the pictures!  Thanks!  Looking forward to more......

[Travelexpert35]

Love all of your photos and it helps when the weather is cooperating. We loved visiting Sydney and seeing all of the sites. We really enjoyed taking the ferry to Manly and walking along the beach promenade there. Lots to see and do. Enjoy the rest of your stay there.

[gordylad]

Jim, I might have missed it but where did you meet the Ayrshire man....?

[chemmo]

Jim, just a brief message to say thank you for sharing your adventures. Loving every menu, picture and word…

[rinshin]

16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

I had the Scallops -- Incredible.     A touch of Caviar really gave a nice salty hit.

 

 

I chuckled when Iain's Sardines arrived.   I said... I think I could have done that.    I looked at the sardines and did fine they were top end and a whimsical

 presentation

 

Actually the price is very, very reasonable compared to our area.  And 10-15% tip seems so reasonable much like what the tip rate here 20 years ago.  

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, gordylad said:

Jim, I might have missed it but where did you meet the Ayrshire man....?

 

Now we have to go way back in time to 1988 about 7 years before they first released Microsoft Windows and Netscape Browser.

 

Computers were relatively new an they had something (non-graphichal) called BBS.   Bulletin Board System.   Think of them like an electronic Bulletin Board at the supermarket. 

 

We met on a BBS and chatted about 6 months before we finally decided to meet and have a cup of coffee.   We planned on just being friends but things blossomed.  I was VERY anti relationship.   My first Lover had died of AIDS and my second committed suicide.  

 

I let him know I wasn't up for a relationship for at Least 6 months of dating.    He moved to Santa Clara, CA from San Francisco and signed a 6 month lease. 

 

We didn't last the 6 months due to an act of God.    The October 17, 1989 Loma Prierta Earthquake hit.   Iain just got on the train when it hit.  In those days there was no cell phones and communications was nil.    I had his car as mine was in the shop and I ended up waiting at the Train Station until 3 AM -   By that time I was hearing radio reports about the highway collapsing  and walls falling near the rail station killing people.  I was panicked until I finally saw the train - slowed to 15-20 miles an hour checking the rails, bridges and tunnels.  

 

The rest is history.   We count October 17, 1989 as our Anniversary - hard to forget the date.

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

Jim, just a brief message to say thank you for sharing your adventures. Loving every menu, picture and word…

 

Thanks much.   I think of you often.   We've gone back a long time on CC.

[gordylad]

Jim a sad story but in the end I am a great believer in fate and it sounds like Iain was destined to be in your life

 

all the best

[Jim_Iain]

Last night we went to Ventuno at Walsh Bay arts district.  
 

The Barramundi was the best I’ve ever had. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, rinshin said:

Actually the price is very, very reasonable compared to our area.  And 10-15% tip seems so reasonable much like what the tip rate here 20 years ago.  

 

I almost always cringe when I see a menu here  until I translate the prices to U.S. Dollar.   Actually Australia is really a bargain for Americans

[Peterson78]

19 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I must say Sydney has the worst sites to try to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B using the Metro.    Even Google, which is  usually good was hopeless..

A little late now Jim but for others who may find it useful…

Download the OPAL App to your phone, register your OPAL card (don’t need to link a payment card if not necessary).  This not only keeps a track of your card usage and remaining credit but provides excellent travel information, both metro and bus, even alerts at your ‘stop’.  On a land trip, pre covid’ I found it really useful.  Following your posts is bringing back many memories of that trip, fortunately with better weather (except day 1 !!).

 

I’m editing to add that Citymapper is also worth looking at (about 400 cities)…

Edited April 7 by Peterson78

[Jim_Iain]

13 minutes ago, gordylad said:

Jim a sad story but in the end I am a great believer in fate and it sounds like Iain was destined to be in your life

 

all the best

 

He really was -- don't tell him but he was a SAINT to accept me and the unbelievable task of suddenly having 3 young kids.   Iain not only married me but also accepted my 3 kids -  youngest being 6.   My daughter had to have a Bone Marrow Transplant and he was there to help take care of two of them while I lived in Double Door Isolation with her for over a month.

[StopTheWorld]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

He really was -- don't tell him but he was a SAINT to accept me and the unbelievable task of suddenly having 3 young kids.   Iain not only married me but also accepted my 3 kids -  youngest being 6.   My daughter had to have a Bone Marrow Transplant and he was there to help take care of two of them while I lived in Double Door Isolation with her for over a month.

He’s a keeper 🥰

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, Peterson78 said:

A little late now Jim but for others who may find it useful…

Download the OPAL App to your phone, register your OPAL card (don’t need to link a payment card if not necessary).  This not only keeps a track of your card usage and remaining credit but provides excellent travel information, both metro and bus, even alerts at your ‘stop’.  On a land trip, pre covid’ I found it really useful.  Following your posts is bringing back many memories of that trip, fortunately with better weather (except day 1 !!).

 

Thanks --- I've seen that -- Big Signs at the Train Station. 

 

I'm so use to Apple Pay that it is second hand to me.   Iain had a learning curve as he is the opposite to me and not a techie at all.    He is getting to like it and even used it to buy a couple bottles of wine yesterday.

[MicCanberra]

11 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I almost always cringe when I see a menu here  until I translate the prices to U.S. Dollar.   Actually Australia is really a bargain for Americans

Yes, not so great for us when we travel to the US.

Btw, Tipping here in Australia is appreciated but certainly not mandatory. 10-15% is nice but again not a formulated amount that has to be paid.

[Jim_Iain]

Well - now that we know what day it is and what day the cruise leaves we will have to pack up this evening   The only thing on the agenda today is to go to Hermes on King Street.  Iain loves one of the Men's Cologne.

 

Kings Street near Hyde Street Barracks is an amazing area.    Rodeo Drive of Sydney and all the top stores...