Day 2 in Sydney

High rise construction in Sydney's Central Business District.

After a good night's sleep, we began our first full day in Sydney walking through the Central  Business District, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and to the iconic Sydney Opera House. 

Gerry first noticed a flutter in the trees in the gardens....then we realized we were looking at hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of bats hanging from trees.

Aerial photos show the Opera House as white, but up close it's made of a light beige tiles that sweep skyward. Half a dozen different shows -- this week including the opera Carmen -- are presented every day of the week.

Chocolate -- lots of it -- is sold (and I presumed consumed) in the city. Here some Guiylan Belgian chocolate delicacies are featured at "The Chocolate Cafe" -- one of four all-chocolate places we saw today.

After a half ferry hour ride to Manly, we spent a restful afternoon catching local color --- lots of scantily clad bodies sunning or swimming at the beach.

Lunch was a meal of traditional Australian meat pies at Hamlet's Pies at Manly. The shop features more than a dozen types of pie including Thai vegetarian (Larry's choice) and Steak and Potato (Gerry's choice). Yum!