Pitt Street

At the Pitt Street mall - lunchtime. Is this the centre of Sydney?

Grocer building

Is this the new trendy hot spot in Sydney or am I behind the curve?

RAR Memorial

On ANZAC Weekend here is a jungle like memorial just off George Street, it always seems damp in this area - or is it just me?

Sacrifice

Today in Australia is ANZAC Day.
Inside the ANZAC memorial in Hyde Park. This sculpture is entitled Sacrifice.

"This is the central motif of the Memorial's design.

'Thousands of women, although not directly engaged in war activities, lost all that was dear them - sons they has borne and reared, husbands, fathers of their children, friends, lovers.

There was no acknowledgement of them in casualty lists of wounded, maimed and killed. They endured all men's sacrifice quietly'.

'In this spirit I have shown them, carrying their load, the sacrifice of their menfolk.'

Sacrifice is a shift away from the rhetoric of honour, glory and manly deeds manifested in earlier memorials - Hoff had seen too much of war to glorify it." From the AWM website.

Happy Easter

I hope the Easter Bunny visited you! Happy Easter, or Christos Anesti!

Martin Place

Morning sun on the Cenotaph - will be crowded at dawn on Monday ANZAC Day.

Crossing 2

The morning office workers going to work - like me.

Book Kitchen

In the back streets of Surry Hills looks like they need some heavy security bars to keep secure the valuables. Read any good books lately?

Sea and sky

Remember ... 'our land is girt by sea'

What lands are not?
Bolivia?

Watery Wednesday

The Deli

"I'm just going to pop down the deli for some devon."
Could anyone try to translate this please.

Ibiza cafe

This is one of the many Coffee Shops in Avalon Beach - it is a bit early and they have not opened yet. Usually busy. This is the primo - oldest one in town - coffee shop, licenced, have a fire in winter and is in the most central position. near the Corner of Avalon Parade on Old Barrenjoey Road.

Watching the surf

Like me I can't stop looking out to sea, checking the surf.

ANZAC Sports Car

These army guys were with their sports car, a handy parking spot. Very central.


A Sydney Story courtesy of Fitz ...
Imagine the scene. While the rest of Sydney sat in gridlocked traffic on Sunday morning, 1500 triathletes were running, riding and swimming from first light. Of course, once one has finished such an event, the general thing is to burst through the finish line before collapsing to the ground as you allow the blessed feeling of achievement to wash over you. Then the form is to stagger back to the "transition zone" to retrieve your bike, but there is a strict protocol involved. It is considered very poor form to get that bike until the last competitor has completed the cycle course. So it was that on Sunday morning, a hundred or so of the first finishers, all of them as lean as greyhounds, wander over to find that although it is more than two hours since they had gone through this section, they still can't get on their bikes and go home, because there are still competitors who haven't gone through yet. So they wait, some more patiently than others. Finally though, a good 10 minutes after the penultimate competitor, the last man arrives. He's hurting, but he's still going. A large bull of a man of oriental appearance, he either dismounts or falls off his carbon-fibre steed - it's hard to tell - and jogs very, very slowly, with his bike towards the transition. Many hundreds of eyes watch on in a curious silence until suddenly, in a beautiful moment, the swollen crowd rises in unison to clap and cheer with genuine warmth, encouragement and appreciation for the efforts of a fellow competitor who is struggling, but still game. The big man remains a study of exhausted, single-minded focus, but now continues with a slight spring in his step. Gotta love this city.

Washington H Soul Pattinson

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited was listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1903. This store is Pitt St stands out from the glitz of the the Westfield development just up the road.

Royal Botanic Garden

City skyline just up that hill.

Beach Trio

Coming back from a surf.

Autumn Beach

Last days of summer, the chill hit Sydney tonight and somehow I think the beach days like this are over.

Fruit

A colourful bowl of fruit for Monday morning, apples are coming into season at Bilpin.

Leaves

Mt Wilson, Blue Mountains. Why are the mountains blue?

Autumn Approach

The chills winds of winter are coming, this Sunday at 2.00pm apparently, and its time to chop some wood and clean the fireplace. I was working near the mountains west of Sydney during the week and was reminded of the misty cool climate up there.
Weekend in Black + White