A bit more exploring in Seattle...

Although I was only there for a few days (Sat-Mon), I found Seattle to be a charming city with lots to explore. We stayed at a hotel that was close to so many attractions as well as the centre of the city, and walking around was very pleasant. 

In the side street near our hotel, a festival was in full swing on the Sunday to say goodbye to Summer. 

In a previous post I mentioned the cafe next door to the hotel...

The tree lined streets and the gardens added to the charm...

The view, looking the other way from the hotel...towards the centre of the city.

 Similar buses to what we had seen in LA.

We didn't ride in any Seattle buses but we did catch the monorail...here's the sign letting us know that the monorail station is in the building adjacent.

We rode the monorail to the Space Needle, which is a well known landmark (icon really) in Seattle. Being the weekend, there was a bit of a wait to travel up to the observation level of the Space Needle, so we walked around the large parklands that surround it. 

The gardens were beautiful...

 A lovely quote...

Also in these parklands were the Chihuly Gardens; these are filled with fantastic looking glass sculptures of plants...we didn't go into this area but here is a link to visitors' photos of those who did pay to go in and marvel...
DH and I checked out the Sonic Bloom Installation which was also made of glass...these huge glass flowers light up at night due to the stored energy from the solar cells that are incorporated into the sculpture.

After walking around for a while, we found a seat and 'watched the world go by'...(I was also checking the photos I took with my iPad)...but I had this feeling that someone was watching me!

 Someone else was having a 'sit down ' too! lol

Love the 'dog'!
The nearby playground was very busy!

 Looking from an Australian educator aspect I was amazed by a couple of thing...

How high that climbing net went...and not a bit of 'impact absorbing' materials beneath these activity areas in sight. I guess Aussie regulations are a bit different to those in Washington State.
I reckon those adults were having as much fun as the children...maybe more?
Eventually it was finally time to line up, to go up to the Observation deck of the SkyNeedle ...but I'll save all that for another post!

More of our recent, short trip to Sydney...

This is the view in one direction, from our motel room. As you can see, it is right in the middle of the city.

I could watch the planes in the distance, fly across that little patch of sky on their way to landing at Sydney Airport...

The next photo is looking in the other direction and looking down at Pitt St.

On our last full day, we rode on the monorail as it will be closed forever on June 30.

A view from the monorail...

The Queen Victoria Building as seen from the monorail....

Another lovely old building that we passed in the monorail...

The maritime Museum as seen from the monorail... Darling Harbour

 After travelling one circuit of the monorail route, we got off at the stop near the Queen Victoria Building and then had a wander through this magnificently restored building...

This is where we stopped for a coffee in the QVB

Then we went for a walk down the street from the QVB and came across some yarn bombing in a beautiful old arcade...

There were lots of trees wearing lovely striped jumpers! lol

 Then DH and I stopped off at Central station and viewed a display/exhibition of photos and memorabilia of the famous 'Southern Aurora' train which was a Melbourne-Sydney train.
From Central we caught the light rail...now this is where something so kind happened. You buy the tickets on the light rail and the conductor asked us whether we had one of the Seniors Concession, $2.50 tickets which you can buy at a number of outlets. We said no as when we have been in Sydney previously, you couldn't use concession tickets on the light rail. Well apparently that is changed now and you can now also use Seniors Business cards whereas before they weren't always accepted if you happened to get someone selling the tickets who went by all the rules. So...because the concession tickets can't be sold on the light rail, this conductor suggested that we get off at the next stop, buy 2 tickets at the '7-Eleven' store near there, and then catch the next tram/light rail. needless to say we did just that! lol

This is at one of the light rail stops...one of the many signs around Sydney which tell of the closure of the monorail service...

 We rode the light rail to the terminus at Lilyfield...you can see the city in the distance...

Back on to the light rail and this time we alighted at the Star Casino stop where we had lunch...

Then it was back to our accommodation for a little rest...because at 5pm we were meeting my nephew and his wife for an early dinner...
My nephew had chosen a very popular restaurant which specialises in dumplings, Din Tai Fung which was in George St. We were amazed by how many people (possibly 20!) were in the kitchen making the signature dumplings. So we  ordered a selection of dumplings as well as a chicken dish and some rice. It was all yummy and it was great to experience something a bit different. The young couple had to make their way another commitment so that was the reason for the early dinner. It was just as well we were early because when we left the restaurant just over an hour later, there was a big long queue of diners waiting for tables!

Chrissie and Gregg...

Next morning we left Sydney...here the plane is going over the northern beaches...

And here we are as our plane touched down in Brisbane!