Apologies for the lack of posts for past few days. I knew that rainy weather was coming, so I wanted to use every last moment of sun, and my mom arrived three days ago.

Last Thursday before she arrived I finally managed to go swimming. I tried out the Andrew Charlton Pool which is next to the Royal Botanic Garden and right on the water! I loved my swim excepting two things: the water was a little cold and it was *so* salty--seriously it was like drinking a salt lick when I would accidentally swallow a little. It was salty enough that I'm going to try out the indoor Cook+Philip pool next instead. It's still lovely, though, getting out of the pool and looking out over the water.

Since I was already there, I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the afternoon. I walked up to "Mrs. Macquerie's Chair" which has some amazing views of the Opera House. I want to go back early some sunny morning for better photos.

It wouldn't be a walk without seeing birds. I saw cockatoos (huge birds) and ibis

rainbow lorikeets eating pollen

and, well, they aren't birds, but they do hang out in trees--hang upside down, that is. Fruit bats. Really, really large furry brown and black bats that are taking over the trees in the center of the gardens. Apparently they are good because they pollenate the flowers but they are killing the trees they roost in. They were really, really noisy and constantly adjusting their wings, and some even flew about a little. It was creepy and very unexpected.

There were strangely bulbous trees.

And pretty greens and views.


Gardens of begonias and roses and even a castle.

On the way home I saw both a random act of knitting

and bronze pig, a gift from Florence, Italy.


Really, another pretty day in Sydney!

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