Arrival and first day in Sydney 20.12.3017

So, my first day. Managed the flights well. From Zurich to Frankfurt during the day. Then night flight from Frankfurt to Shanghai. By the time everything was done (suitcases were automatically transferred from Zurich to Sydney), passport control and another security check with hand luggage, it was almost 3pm. Then at 7pm it continued to Sydney. Time flew by quickly. I love large international airports. I especially love the arrival hall. Sometimes tears fill my eyes when I see the greetings of people.

(for example in Frankfurt: Grandfather came from ????

Kept walking from the luggage carousel to the glass wall, two small grandchildren were standing there and kissing the glass of the wall, repeatedly touching the glass with their hands, so it looked like the grandfather was touching the hands of the grandchildren. I suppose the grandfather was still waiting for his suitcases. But then when he came out.....

That greeting from grandchildren and daughter, a lot of kissing and hugging as if they hadn't seen each other for a very long time. So, like I said, I love greetings at the airport.

Then I arrived in Sydney at 9am. It was terribly hot with high humidity.

Shock, both phones were out of battery. What now?

Thank god I still had a memory of how to get to my apartment.

1. Train to Circular Quay Station and then take the ferry to Rose Bay.

So, the first thing I noticed here in Sydney: friendly, nice, and helpful people.

A young woman at the train even escorted me to the right platform. She got off early and the other passengers told me where I had to get off. Showed me where the elevator was, asked if I knew which ferry I wanted to take. Just amazing.

Arrived at Rose Bay Harbor I actually wanted to take the bus, but since I was so early, I thought I'd walk. Typical me! Felt like 40 degrees in the shade, by now it was noon, humidity felt like 100%, and since I didn't have a phone, I asked an older gentleman if he knew where Captain Pipers Road was. Unfortunately, he didn't know but...

What I haven't seen so far, all Australians have their phone in their hands. Not in their pockets like us, but really most of the time in their hands. But the phone of the older gentleman doesn't work properly. So, I kept walking roughly in the right direction, like I said, with a big suitcase 22.7 kg, a big travel bag 8.2 kg, and a backpack.

At an intersection I asked another young woman who was throwing mail into a mailbox. That's why she didn't have a phone with her.

And now comes the best part...

She didn't know Captain Pipers Road either, but no problem, she lived just two houses down and had a navigation system in her car and would take me there. Said and done. Amazing, right!!!

It wasn't far then. 2.2 km by car but uphill. I think I would have really had circulation problems if I had walked after two days of just flying. So, again, everything went well.

My garden shed is small but nice and it's enough for me. I have a nice new bathroom with a shower and a glass wall, a small kitchenette, and a room with a bed, a chest of drawers with a huge TV, and a beautiful cozy leather armchair.

Michelle, my landlady, is currently not here, but her mother welcomed me very nicely. She even speaks a little German. Her mother came from Frankfurt.

Elana (name of the mother) even drove with me to a store to buy an adapter for the power outlet. I actually have 5 adapters with me, but of course not one for Australia. In the afternoon, I wanted to go shopping a little. But then I didn't pay attention to the weather or the clouds. In short, I got caught in a thunderstorm. I took the first bus, unfortunately it was the wrong bus or the wrong direction. Okay then I got off again. The bus driver then explained exactly which bus I had to take. Important for me to always go home 387

So that was it for today:

Met very nice helpful people and on the first day already a thunderstorm. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Greetings from Sydney, Roswitha