Alex and I have considered dropping the "honeymoon card" at various points during our trip but we generally feel awkward and uncomfortable about it, especially because we are essentially on a yearlong honeymoon! We finally decided to try it at the Hong Kong airport since our flight to Sydney by way of Seoul was a long one; we figured "Why not ask?" The check-in desk agent was perfectly nice to me but stated that unfortunately our flights were very full and she couldn't upgrade us. She said she'd let the gate agent know if anything changed and we walked away toward security thinking "Well, it was worth a shot." After grabbing a quick bite we started to board and were stopped when our tickets set off a loud beep. I started to sigh assuming something hadn't been checked properly but was stunned when the agent informed us we had been upgraded to business class! It worked! Alex and I were basically giddy about our good fortune for our entire journey: champagne for the newlyweds? Yes please! Dinner with wine pairings? Don't mind if we do! I can't believe this nice check-in agent actually did follow through and succeeded in giving us an upgrade but I am so happy we asked! I am really going to have to restrain myself from bringing it up every time we check in to a flight or hotel now...
We arrived in Sydney completely exhausted after nearly 24 hours of travel but awake enough to appreciate the warmer temperature. Our room wasn't ready yet (we have actually been surprised occasionally and allowed to check-in super early, but not this time) so we dropped off our bags, grabbed some massive caffeinated beverages and headed to Sydney Harbor to walk around.
What "they" say is true: the harbor views can't be beat.
View of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge.
The sun was shining and there weren't too many other people around so we had a really nice walk through the area surrounding the Opera House and nearby park. After a quick lunch near our hotel it was check-in time...and once we got to our rooms it was nap time! We knew it would mess up our sleep cycles but we just didn't have the energy to do much else. The weather coordinated nicely with our timing (almost an endorsement of the unscheduled nap): it started pouring as soon as we got to our room so we stayed indoors for the rest of the afternoon. (We may or may not have been binge-listening to Serial and are almost out of new episodes).
We ventured out in the rain to buy an umbrella - we really should have packed one - and enjoyed a nice dinner at nearby Onde. Really great food if you're ever staying near Kings Cross in Sydney.
Sunday morning we both woke up late and disoriented. We went to the gym in search of some energy and were excited for a beautiful day in Sydney. Unfortunately, by the time we had showered the storm clouds had replaced the sun again. (The locals said this weather has been abnormal so we hope it clears up!) Alex and I headed out with our umbrella anyway and walked in and out of the shops on Oxford Street for shelter when it started to pour really badly. I bought a few - practical! - items and strolled around until most shops closed around 5-6pm.
Rainy day shopping on Oxford Street.
A park along the walk down Oxford Street.
Wet and still a little out of it, we headed to a tapas place by our hotel, Jekyll and Hyde, for dinner. After a glass of wine and some amazing small plates, we are off to bed so we can wake up for our flight to Cairns tomorrow. We didn't get to do a whole lot in Sydney but we'll be back for five days at the end of our Australian roadtrip so we are excited to continue our sightseeing here!