Today we planned to do some shopping. First at the “Strand” arcade and then down to the Paddington Market.
The Strand is located in the heart of the CBD (central business district). It is really not a place you would stumble across as it is a bit hidden amongst shops in the Pitt Street mall area.
Three stories high, this was the premier shopping center in Sydney when it opened in 1892.
The arcade was full of high end shops and had a few restaurants where folks were having breakfast at tables on the first floor. It was 9 am and shops were just beginning to open. We did a lot of browsing and decided we would come back another day when all of the shops were open. The Paddington Market happens on Saturday only and it opened at 10 am. The market was about 3 miles from the arcade.
It was already 89 degrees and a high of 97 was predicted. It was a very nice walk and the Paddington area was full of nice shops. The market is a weekly fund raising event of Paddington Uniting Church.
We spent about an hour here and started the hike back. Many high end clothing stores drew Terri in on the way back. Two store employees in one shop gave us many “insider” things to do in Sydney. Emily commented that all of the restaurants that Trip Advisor recommends for Sydney are “awful”. We happily took their suggestions and started our way back.
The buildings in the area are much older than I imagined they would be.
It was very warm and we decided to go back to the apartment, grab some food and reading material and head into Hyde Park to relax and do some reading. I finished “Night” by Elie Wiesel which led me to start The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. I am also in the middle of How Not to Diet by Michael Greger. I finished How Not to Die by the same author.
Hyde Park reminds me a bit of Central Park in Manhattan. A convenient escape from the noise of the city on a much smaller scale. The shade provided a cool place to relax.…