manly + bondi

While the rain didn't stop come Sunday, that didn't stop us from heading to a must-see site in Sydney: 
the beaches!  

We opted to take the 30-minute ferry from Circular Quay to Manly to see the famous beach there.  When we arrived, however, we were caught in a complete and utter downpour.  To shield ourselves from the wet, we headed inside to Hugos - a famous waterside bar and restaurant that even on this dreary Sunday was jam-packed with Australians.

the spot on a sunny day

from here  

We ordered some of their award-winning pizza (with some wine of course) and watched the rain come down on the harbor.

note amused girls making peace sign in back

Post filling up, we braved the rain to check out the beach, which was still dotted with surfers despite the cold and clouds.

It didn't take us long to decide to head back.  We hopped on the ferry to man the very (!!) rough seas that had me convinced the boat was going to flip.  
Stefan was in heaven.
I was not.

But soon we were back in the smooth waters of Sydney Harbor and we could take some obligatory shots of us in front of the Opera House.

Besides Manly, Sydney's other perhaps even more famous beach is Bondi.  Because Stefan had checked it out on a previous trip, I opted to visit this one on the day he had to attend meetings, which fortunately for me (but not so fortunately for Stefan) was one of the most gorgeous days of our trip. 

Bondi is also home to a gorgeous path that allows you to walk along the cliffs and sea to a neighboring beach. 

Pretty unreal.

After my walk, I treated myself to a drink at Iceberg's - a famous seaside pool club that was founded in 1929 by a group of local lifesavers who wanted to stay in shape in the winter.  Included in the constitution of the club is a rule that it is mandatory for members to compete three out of four Sundays each winter for a period of five years to guarantee membership.  Luckily for me, the rule only applies to locals - out-of-town visitors are given a free one-day pass.

Regardless of the weather, Australian beaches are stunning.  It's no wonder everybody surfs.

xoxo

KK