Thinking Allowed: M2B graduates

We have finally made it back to Sydney to complete our unfinished quest of walking the entire Sydney coastline as a family. We nearly canceled the ending given the very high Sydney covid numbers, but decided that it would set a good tone for our coming year to learn how to walk through challenges. We took a few days to walk the portion from Circular Quay to Bondi. Pretty much all of this portion of the trail was new to us. Having already done Bondi to Coogee numerous times we can now claim intimacy with the coast from Palm Beach to Coogee. Next step Coogee to Port Botany?

The first day we had fair weather for a stroll from Double Bay to the CBD. Our step was light and the girls bounced ahead, invigorated by the warm summer evening and scenic vistas. Unlike our last coastal jaunt this time Zadie was expected to walk on her own. Jakob told a very long story, Lilia and Marcus, that carried the girls' enthusiasm through to the end. As well they were so excited to take the ferry back to the start.

The next day we had an ambitious plan -except so did the weather. We put our rain jackets to good use and walked through the drizzles and the rain and multiple thunderstorms. The trail had some bright spots but also spent a lot of time on the sidewalks of busy roads where the noise of the storm was amplified tenfold. Jakob played cheerleader but we were all soaked through and tired of cars. Luckily once we left the main road we got to stroll through quiet neighborhoods full of very very expensive private schools that dominated the horizon like modern-day Hogwarts. We then joined a cute single track that hugged the coast and made the rain look charming. When we got to Shark Beach we learned that when you lie down on a beach in the pouring rain to rest your back, people come to save your life.

The final day was almost canceled as Jakobs back was putting up objections. We figured we would head out anyhow and play it all by ear. Lucky for our team one of us is able bodied enough to run to fetch the car on anyone's whim. It was overcast and drizzly but the walk up to Watson's Bay was lovely, passing by vast houses and numerous beaches. Watson's Bay offered us the comforts of a playground, a place to rest, excellent views and coffee to refuel those in need. While Rose Bay won none of our hearts, the quiet little Watson's Bay was a favorite. Uplifted, we carried on south along the Pacific Ocean catching glimpses of our good friend Manly across the Bay. The sun came out and warmed us so thoroughly that our children turned pink cheeked and moist looking. We all decided the best of both worlds was the overcast but dry weather. And then we realized we only had five kilometers left to Bondi, so we decided to keep going. Somehow Bondi, though busy and tourisity, is a charming neighborhood with character. We were granted our medals in the form of falafel pitas and gelato, and just might be the first Teitelbaums to walk from Manly to Bondi.