The Visitors Have Landed!

My family and friends from the US came to visit this past week and will be here for another week. I am having a wonderful time showing off my home here in Sydney. Here they are in front of our back patio (left to right): my godmother, Elsa Suarez; my mother, Maria Luisa López; with me and my dear friends from Peoria Nickie Roberson and Mary Anne Michelet (1). They arrived Wednesday at 8.15 am and cleared customs around 10 or so. I gave them a tour of our Shrine after they settled and unpacked. Here is the Station where Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (2). They were impressed that the station depicted a mother with a babe in her arms. And here is a rare blue bird of paradise plant (3)! Frankly I didn't know we had one on the property!

The next day we headed out to Sydney, via the Parramatta River Cat. the ride starts in the heart of Parramatta (the nearest city to where I live) and goes down the river out to Sydney Harbor. It takes about 1 and a half hours. The day was lovely.

These bottle brushes were blooming at the bus stop (4-5) and this white bottle brush was in Parramatta (6). Here is a shot of the houses along the river (7). And the first sighting of the city bride (8). We got off at Circular Quay (pronounced "kee") and walked to the Sydney Opera House (9-14). After seeing the Opera House, we took a train ride through the gardens (15-19).

Afterwards we got back on a ferry and headed to Manly Beach. These are photos as we went around the Opera House (20-22) and then of Manly (23). After some coffee, we headed back as the sun set. We captured a shot of North Head (25) and a sailboat race (26). Everything glowed during the "golden hour" (27-30).

The following day they celebrated a "mornign tea" with the parishioners at the office. This lady, Ann, bought my mum (as they say here) a bouquet of native Australian flowers (31). Wasn't that sweet? Following the tea, we raced to the Blue Mountains (32-42). Here are some sulfer crested cockatoos that were flocking about at a picnic site (43-46). And check out house strangely this tree grew (47-48).

These last shots are of a feast at Pina's house (49-54). Here is the whole party (49); the seafood platter (50); buffet line (51); Pavlova (52), my favorite; Nickie and my mother with Pina on her balcony (53) and US Guests with Soo and Pina (54).

We have more adventures this week and I am pooped after a full on Sunday. Know I sleep with a smile on my face because of my mother and guests who are like family to me. What a great time showing them this beautiful country!