...And boy are my arms tired.

All this over a scant two and a half weeks.

Just missed Steve Miller who went on grandpa duty.

I've been home a week and half, but I was teaching a class, so I've been a bit occupied.

Let's see...

Smoking is prohibited on the beach in Huntington Beach.

Several restaurants in HB have exceptionally poor service and are unnecessarily loud.

If you can find a restaurant call LSXO in HB, eat there. Make reservations. They have four tables and four seats at the bar.

I love the Long Beach airport. It's tiny, but still has a couple decent places to grab a bite.

Why does Avis always want to "upgrade" me to an SUV?

I did not make it to an El Pollo Loco on this trip. Sad!

I'm not sure they can make airplane lavs any smaller... but I'm sure someone is trying.


Back home just long enough to empty my suitcase into the washing machine, then put everything back in the suitcase. Oh, and saw The Who concert which was outstanding... except for the opening act. A band called Oasis. Lead singer is wretched. But apparently they were the biggest Britpop band in the 90s? But The Who (or Roger and Pete plus Zak Starkey and Pete's brother) were great. And ended with an awesome violin solo at the end of Baba O'Riley. (The same solo, but in Boston: https://youtu.be/jHj-8cDC7yQ)


Public transit in Sydney is good. It's AUD 3.60 to get from the CBD to Mascot, the stop right before the airport. It's AUD $19.00 to get on or off at the airport. I suppose if you are really stingy, you could figure out how to walk the mile or so from the terminal to the Mascot station.

(I liked the public transit in Melbourne better, except for the new trams that wallow from side-to-side.)

There is no museum at the subway station called Museum. It looks like there might have been at one time.

Oktoberfest doesn't make sense in the southern hemisphere, but they did it, anyway.

Saw an odd performance at the Art Gallery of NSW... a person standing inside a grand piano leaning over the keyboard and playing. There was a hole cut through the plate and soundboard and an octave or so in the middle was missing. And more, he walks/rolls the piano around while playing. It was pretty cool.

The gift shop at the Botanic Gardens doesn't have any post cards of the Botanic Gardens. Just standard touristy views of Sydney.

Nando's! The closest one to home is in Vancouver B.C. I love Nando's. Not sure which I love more: Nando's or El Pollo Loco.

The Powerhouse Museum (aka Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) is huge and full of interesting tidbits, but not laid out in any way that makes any sense whatsoever. And frequently you can see an exhibit featuring something interesting, but it takes you 20 minutes to figure out how to get there. Also, no post cards in the gift shop.

Tim Tam. Enough said.

In the Sydney CBD there is an UGG store on every block... like Starbucks in Seattle. You can buy the same boots in the duty free store at the airport for 20 to 50 percent more. I did bring home some UGG slippers for Mrs pj to keep her tootsies warm this winter.

How many movies can you watch on a 13-hour flight?

I got home to the rain and grey skies, but with a bit of a sunburn.

Great trip report!

Great report.
Feel as though I was there. sort of

excellent! (I had to look up Tim tam)

Liked the travelogue.

It was interesting to read a current view of Sydney since some things must have changed since I lived there from 1980 to 1983.

Big Al