Sydney, Sydney, Sydney

I've been out of the country for two weeks now, island hopping in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. However, I'm going to start by writing of Sydney instead of the last 12 days because I think I've found a new favorite metropolis, on the list with Lisbon, Barcelona, Chicago and Portland. Sydney is clean, beautiful, full of motion and sunshine in a sparkling, enchanting way - not an overwhelming, isolating way. I spent today walking the main streets in the city center, from the wharf where the Dawn Princess released her passengers to the ancient sandstone staircases in The Rocks, to the shopping of George Street.

Tamara and I had lunch at a pub that offered crocodile and kangaroo on the menu. We chose the kangaroo skewers with onion rings and a red ale, and the first truly hot spice we've tasted the whole trip. After she took off for the airport, I made a beeline for the Opera House, which was surrounded by the chaos of the Aria awards - Australia's equivalent to the Grammy's. (If only I knew any Australian pop stars to get excited about!) Despite the huge set up operation, the tour treated me to gorgeous views of the harbour, the concrete structural beams, and the glistening white roof tiles. Best of all, as I departed the tour guide complimented the colors I was wearing (orange and purple) and said that Jorn Utzon himself would have loved them too!

This evening, I ventured out for dinner without heeding any of the recommendations I'd gathered on the ship full of Australians. Sometimes it's just more fun to do things myself. I walked through The Rocks under the Harbour Bridge perusing menus and knew I'd found the right place when I saw chorizo on the menu. Pony offered a selection of small plates, perfect for tasting as many things as possible. To begin with, since all the wines were over $10 a glass anyway, I just went for straight whisky (I love Basil Hayden). I chose an aged goat cheese tartlet: a puff pastry crust with arugula, tiny beets, and shaved goat cheese on top. The crust had the perfect combination of crispy and chewy at the same time, and the goat cheese had more character than a typical chevre since it was aged. Next, a plate of grilled chorizo with a tomato herb sauce. What more could I need? Oh yeah, dark chocolate. The best dessert yet! No messing around with cake - the components were two slices of a light, fluffy fudge, like the baked fudge I make, with a generous dollop (yes, a dollop) of dark chocolate mousse. To top it off, a sauce of candied orange rinds surrounded the sculpture of chocolate.

Now that I'm completely satisfied, I'm planning on spending the evening with my bottle of Australian shiraz, watching the Aria awards at the Opera House from the rooftop terrace of the most beautiful hostel I've ever stayed at. I'll write about the 6 days of snorkeling and sand later...