I managed to wangle a night off work and got up early on Saturday morning to take a bus to the Opera House and get a standing room ticket for the Marriage of Figaro that evening. I found myself up at The Rocks at about 9.00, and decided to take the ferry across to Manly. It was a beautiful morning and the boat ride was gorgeous. I walked through the centre of Manly, then along the beach and up a track to look out points and cliffs. I followed some pretty dubious paths, optimistically thinking they'd eventually lead me somewhere, but ended up wandering around burnt bushland before being shown the way to the road by a hiker who took pity on me. I headed back through the town, thinking that Manly was the nicest suburb I'd been to in Sydney - great beach, laid back feel, friendly people, and went to the art gallery. I then set out on the coastal walk to The Spit, which takes you around all the little bays and beaches and has amazing views. Unfortunately, I'd got dressed that morning with the opera in mind, and was wearing Chinese satin slippers - probably the most unsuitable footwear possible. After four or five hours of tripping around tidal pools and down rocky paths, my feet were hating me.

The Opera House was lit up when I got there, and full of people milling around and sipping pre-show drinks. Some were tarted up to the nines in fancy dresses and dinner jackets, while others were in jeans. Although my ticket was standing room, the usher instructed me to grab an empty seat when the lights went down. I had a good view of the stage and the subtitles, and really enjoyed the performance. I'd never been to the opera before, and suspected I would find it a bit dull or incomprehensible, but it was actually pretty funny and the acting was great.