Last Hurrah in Sydney, Australia

I'm on the last leg of my 2-year break from work, and I'm spending it in Sydney with Gigi. I flew here the day after James' despedida (with a slight hangover), and I've been having an awesome time so far. I'll be staying here until the 22nd, so I'll be celebrating my birthday here as well. Sydney is great- the food is excellent, and you get a glimpse of the sea from many points in the city. I hadn't known that the food here would be outstanding; apparently, this city is heaven for a foodie.

At Hyde Park

Gigi in front of the Opera House

Gigi's been a great host, showing me the sights, bringing me whale-watching, and taking me to her favorite eating places. Gigi has a special role among my friends, in that she is my eating partner. Of course, I eat with ALL of my friends (it's kind of a requirement), but she feels as strongly about food as I do. We talk about food for hours, and even better, she is a great cook. So she gives me a lot of recipes (her going-away present when I went to Columbia was a cookbook of her own concoctions), and while I'm here in Sydney, has been cooking for me.

So whether we're eating out or in, the food's been great. One thing about Sydney, though, EVERYthing is so expensive, as the city has a very high cost of living. Even stuff from the grocery costs so much more compared to the US. When it's time for me to go home, I'll be heavier from all the eating, and poorer from all the spending. Well, that's what holidays are all about.