SYDNEY

Al was here: 2 days by the end of November 2005 and 5 by the end of February 2012.
Number of days needed: at least 2.
My score: 5/5.

I was not thinking of writing about Australia at this time in my life, but for my birthday I usually give myself a post from somewhere that makes me particularly excited, and this is the first one that came to mind. And it is because my thing with Sydney is true love and therefore, it can not be explained, as it happens with Tokyo or Singapore, cities that many consider little more than acceptable, but for some reason they amaze me, and I think that reason is that I like the city, but I love the atmosphere. It is one of those places where I could live:

After all, what would you think of a city where panels in the Botanical Garden say “please walk on the grass”, “hug this tree” or “this is a good place for you to picnic”? Well, not only there are many types of plants, skyscraper views, free guided tours or a colony of giant bats; It is also next to the sea, something very rare. I would only remove the white cockatoos, which in my opinion are the most scandalous animals on the planet.
And next to the sea and the Garden is Sydney Opera House, the symbol of the city and one of the most famous of the 20th century, a building whose shape imitates the sails of a ship, a World Heritage Site since 2007.
And next to the Opera and over the sea is the enormous Bay Bridge, so high that transatlantic passes go underneath and whose summit can be climbed. The Botanical Garden + Opera House + The Bridge form a brutal picture. It is one of the most attractive skylines that the hand of man has made, and everything can be covered on foot.
As for its neighborhoods, the Downtown although pleasant, is not very different from those in other modern cities such as Auckland or Vancouver. Still, a formerly seedy neighborhood that has now become vintage and fashionable is a must, King’s Cross. Packed with retro restaurants and alternative venues, it mixes modern aspects with other scruffy ones. I have been to several in different cities and I have to admit that the “wildlife” seen in King’s Cross is first class.
And speaking of wildlife, its Zoo is one of my favorites, somehow because of the fact that there are many animals, considered harmless (monkeys, wallabies…) free, although there are those who doubt if a 1.80 meters tall emu could not give us a severe bite.
The beaches: Bondi and Manly. Those of Sydney here are too chauvinists, they are two fine beaches, but that’s all, they are not even close to the best ones in the country, but they are pleasant themselves and their surroundings; the pedestrian coastal walks close to both are a luxury for those who like to walk or play sports.
And who does not like to play sports here? I admit that about this the Sydney people also exaggerate a bit: it seems that the whole city is a training camp for an Ironman; in each green area we will find people running, doing crunches, push-ups, squats, cycling; in each flight of stairs there will be a crowd going up and down, going up and down… It’s the only city where I’ve seen dozens of people in the middle of Downtown dressed in sports with a towel around their neck, and that’s because they’re office workers who take advantage of their time to eat to do a few kilometers on the Bridge or the Botanical, return to the office, have a shower, and keep working.

Nobody goes there looking for the incomparable classic beauty of Venice or Kyoto, you can not have everything… and there they have one of the best skylines, good weather, all kinds of comforts, high level of development, good atmosphere and many facilities for practice sports. Sometimes I think I was the one who designed Sydney.