DAY 10

2/16/2018

ANOTHER DAY WITH THE FAMILY

After the birthday dinner we returned to the hotel from the restaurant via Uber. The Sydney Harbour bridge was busy in both direction but traffic seemed to move along and we were back to the hotel in about twenty minutes from the time we were picked up.

We began our day with breakfast in the Club Lounge. The staff in the hotel are very accommodating. For example, we each have a banana daily and one morning the order had not arrived in time. They said going forward they would have a special order of two bananas for us daily. In the evening the lounge is very busy and often we'll take back a glass of wine to the room. They offered to send a bottle down to the room for us. While we took them up on the banana order we passed on the wine as that would be too much wine. There rest of the hotel staff has been very helpful from housekeeping to the concierge to the bell hops.

We enjoyed the same breakfast of cereal, and fruit that we have been having each morning. The tables by the windows were moved so this evening people can stand by the windows to watch the fireworks as part of the Chinese New Year's Celebration. Fortune cookies were at each places setting along with candy coins.

After freshening up we took the elevator to the lobby and it was "Uber" time. LOL. When we arrived to the apartment, Gui was getting ready for work, Jennifer was preparing lunches for the grandchildren and Emma and Andre were playing toys. While Jennifer took the children to school we saw the arrival of Crystal Serenity to Sydney.

After Jennifer returned we drove to Split Reserve where we walked for quite awhile while enjoying beautiful views of the nature all around us. From there we drove to Balmoral Beach which we had visited the other day. This time we went for a much longer walk and also enjoyed a picnic lunch. This is an absolutely beautiful beach. Our son Eric called so we each spoke with him for quite awhile.

In the afternoon Anne Marie went with Jennifer to pick up Emma and Andre from school and they stayed at Andre's school so that Emma and Andre could play on the playground. Shortly after they returned we took Uber back to the hotel.

After freshening up we walked to Circular Quay where we saw our beloved Crystal Serenity which we have sailed many times. After seeing Serenity we walked to the area that we will need to use to take private ferry's over to Serenity tomorrow since she will be anchored as of early tomorrow morning. As we walked we ran into friend Elisabeth who we have sailed with on several cruises. It's a small world. As we walked back towards Serenity Keith spotted friends Jim and Rob who we sailed with on the 2015 World Cruise and who visited us at our home a few months ago.