Paddington Markets

Saturday was a busy day.

We started off with an early bus ride up to Lane Cove. The Draegers saved us their mixer in the yard sale, so we went up to claim it. We're sad to see them leave next week, but happy to take a small kitchen appliance off their hands.

With our standard ineptitude for the bus system, we ended up in the CBD instead of Milsons Point on our way home. But that was OK, because it was a beautiful morning and perfect for a fun breakfast. We ended up down at The Rocks and grabbed an outdoor table at The Bakers Oven cafe. It's in an old building that still has the original brick oven used in the 1900s. So the atmosphere was charming and Old World - a perfect leisurely Saturday morning.

Then we caught the ferry home. While we waited, though, there was a sighting of one of the rarest sights in Sydney.

That's a Toby talking on the phone and smiling. It's rare to see this in the wild, and much rarer still to capture it on camera.

After that, I left T at home and headed out to Darlinghurst and the Paddington Markets. I walked from the CBD through Hyde Park, and up Oxford Street to get to the markets.

Anzac war memorial

Oxford Street is full of trendy shops and colorful buildings, so it was a fun walk.

Food truck at the farmers market

The markets are held at a church in Paddington and are well-known for showcasing Australian artists, designers, and craftsmen. I was not disappointed - I had a great time walking around and checking out all the vendors.

There was a ton of cool stuff there. I found lots of jewelry that I loved, and there were some amazing fashion designers too. 

Before I walked back to the city, I stopped by the Reservoir Gardens in Paddington. The Reservoir Gardens are an underground reservoir that's been renovated into a community garden. It's a really unique park. A lot of the reservoir infrastructure has been re-purposed into garden components - like support structures now hold up a hanging garden.

The gardens have a Babylonian feel, and it's easy to forget you're just a few feet away from the busy street.

There were also two containers in the gardens: one for deck chairs and one full of books from the library. Park visitors are encouraged to set up a spot in the garden and enjoy a book. Charming!

By the time I got home, I was wiped out. But I saw a lot of different areas of Sydney in one day, so it was well worth it.

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