154.-162. Day 16.02. - 24.02. Barbara and Sydney / Julia and Blue Mountains

Saturday 16.02.
It was an early start as I got on the train straight after brushing my teeth and headed from Gordon to Sydney International Airport. 

Wearing lederhosen and a shirt to pick up my friend Barbara. Since I was early, I treated myself to a nice cappuccino at the airport. So I waited and waited, saw that the plane landed safely, and received a message from Babse that it might take a while at the security check. So I waited and waited until a Whatsapp message arrived saying, 'Arrivals B?' 'I'm at A. Didn't even know there is a B!'
And so I had my sweetheart in my arms again, and it was such a beautiful feeling.
After lots and lots of hugs and kisses, we both took the subway to the city to go to the boutique hotel we booked. When we arrived, there was a nasty surprise. No hotel room was booked for us. It took about half an hour until the mistake was discovered. We were at the wrong hotel in Sydney, our hotel was in a different part of town. We left our luggage in the room and got rid of the right hotel, and after a walk in Darling Harbour, we enjoyed a beer in the bright sunshine. 

We visited the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and the neighborhood 'The Rocks' before returning to the hotel. 

Just as we arrived in the room, the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the hotel. Phew, so much happening in just one day. In the evening, we went to Chinatown and had a typical Chinese meal, filling our stomachs.

Sunday 17.02.
Barbara was still a bit jet-lagged, so we only went to Bondi Beach and made a stop at Dover Heights for a unique view. In the afternoon, Babse took a nap and I was convinced to groom my beard. 

In the evening, we went to O-Bar-and-Diner, a rotating luxury restaurant on the 47th floor. There, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of Sydney while sipping on a delicious cocktail. 

Since I was still hungry but the restaurants had already closed at 11 PM, I enjoyed a meal at Hungry Jacks, the Australian Burger King.

Monday 18.02.
We spent the morning in Hyde Park after having breakfast and relaxed on a lawn in the shade. Afterwards, we checked out of the hotel and drove back to Gordon, where I introduced Barbara to my travel partner María. I showed Babse my quasi-living room, the Bilgola Lookout, and we continued to Palm Beach. There, we took a walk on the beach and climbed the small mountain to the lighthouse. 

The view was incredibly beautiful and wonderful together. We took a shower in a beach house and then got in the car to sleep.

Tuesday 19.02.
In the morning, we jumped into the sea and splashed around a bit. It was Babse's first time in the big ocean, and the weather was very nice. In the afternoon, we took the train back to Circular Quay and met up with Amanda Jane Heaven. 

What a joy it was to meet an old acquaintance. Amanda is such an open and lovable woman, and I was really happy to see her again after it didn't work out on New Year's Eve. We had a very good lunch, a nice beer at the pier, and coffee with typical English 'scones'. It was a super nice afternoon, and Babse and I then made our way to María. We picked up the rest of my stuff that I had stored at Jude's, repaired a roof plate, and said goodbye to Jude. I also thanked him for the work and for trusting me to work with him.

Wednesday 20.02.
Since the weather was rather gloomy, we had a shopping day. We went to Manly, and I showed Babse the construction site where I worked. 

In Manly, we had some Ben & Jerry's ice cream and I bought a wetsuit. The salesperson said 'No Worries' in a cool tone, and that stuck with us. Babse also bought a wetsuit, and we went surfing or bodyboarding in Palm Beach. Despite the rain, it was so much fun playing in the water together.

Thursday 21.02
Since it was still raining a lot, we just rearranged María's place, went swimming at Bilgola Rockpool, and treated ourselves to two pizzas and garlic bread.

Friday 22.02.
In Palm Beach, Babse and I went for a run for the first time, and despite the clouds, we got a slight sunburn. To cool down, we jumped into the sea and did some surfing or bodyboarding. For lunch, we had pasta, and we prepared the rest as pasta salad because in the evening, we picked up Julia Maier from the airport. Julia had been an au pair in Brisbane for two months and spent the weekend with us. We drove to the Blue Mountains, and after several breaks, we arrived at a beautiful camping spot. Julia had a stomachache, but she took it very calmly, and we dealt with it well.

Saturday 23.02.
Brrr, 13°C in the morning. Freezing cold. In the morning, we went for a walk and had a wonderful view. 

In the afternoon, we went to another campsite and then set off to hike in Katoomba. Seeing the Three Sisters and having a view of the hinterland was fantastic. 

Compared to my first visit to the Blue Mountains, it was breathtakingly beautiful. 

We hiked the 8km and climbed the Giant Stairway, and we were all glad we didn't have to climb any more stairs. 

In the evening, we made a super delicious curry and enjoyed the evening together.

Sunday 24.02.

In the morning, the three of us returned to Sydney and went on a small sightseeing tour with Julia. We visited the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and took many postcards and photos. Unfortunately, the weekend together was already over. In the evening, Julia went back to the airport, where we dropped her off. Her flight was canceled, but she was able to fly to Brisbane on the same day with another plane. Babse and I headed to Wolongong to a campsite and started our road trip together.