Friday 29/12
By Ludivine:
Today we woke up early to go to the opera house for a guided tour. The tour was super well explained and we got to go into both opera rooms. After that, Dad, Florence and I went back to the hostel to grab our swimsuits and towel because we were going to Felix and Madeleine’s house to eat lunch on the beach. We had fun there and after that we walked a 5km walk all the way from Coogee to Bondi beach and we passed 5 different beaches. After the long and tiring walk the parents and Jules got a pizza while Florence, Madeleine, et moi sommes parties prendre des photos avec du graffiti. Après on est rentré et les enfants ont mangé à l’hostel et les parents au restaurant.
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By me:
We start the day with a guided tour of the Opera House, at 9am. This great detailed tour, with an entertaining and informed guide, takes us underneath the world-famous sails. It’s great to have the opportunity to step inside such an iconic landmark. We explore both theatres and the foyers and we can even take a seat in the elegant custom-made white birch timber chairs and marvel at the vaulted ceilings.
After the visit, Isabelle goes with Jules to buy Birkenstock shoes for them. I go with the girls to Coogee where Alexis and Bénédicte live. They invited us for a picnic on the beach. They have a very nice and modern house, 200m from the Coogee Beach. Cool! The beach is rather crowded. We swim in the big waves, some of them being quite impressive. The lifeguards ask us to swim between the flags. We eat nice salads on the beach.
After a good ice cream (6 $ per scoop!), we walk the Coogee – Bondi cliffwalk with Alexis and Madeleine. The sky is cloudy but the walk is nice. It’s also great to have the opportunity to catch up with Alexis after such a long time.
We arrive in Bondi around 6:30pm. The sweeping white-sand crescent of Bondi is one of Australia’s most iconic beaches. Reliable waves draw surfers while, nearby, locals swim in the Icebergs ocean pool. We quickly have a beer (with a pizza) before taking the bus back to The Rocks.
I prepare pasta for the kids at the hostel.
Isabelle and I take a Uber to go to Cho Cho San restaurant, which I booked. It is located in the “hot” (red light) King Cross district. The restaurant is nice and trendy. It’s full when we arrive (9:30pm) but empty when we leave. The food is great (modern Japanese cuisine).
We take a taxi to come back.
There’s a Shangri-la is right beside our hostel. Strangely enough, I don’t feel “frustrated” not too stay there. I think we are getting used to living with lower standards. And also we can see that we don’t spend much time in our room when we visit cities. Moreover I think that our hostel suits better our needs, with the kitchen at our disposal and the common area that is nice for the kids to check internet and to chill out.
