Big city village living

After a day yesterday spent 'down south' with Carol and her 'senior friend' the copilot and I have decided to sample the attractions closer to home and so we decided to potter along the high street here in Fairlight. And I have to say it's lovely. We have a butcher, couple of shops cares and a bottle shop as well as a vet and a doctors all within a gentle stroke of our front door.

And so we have spent a liesurly breakfast in the cafe watching the world go by listening to the chatter between the comers and goers who are all jolly and frindly and seem to know each other.


I got me to thinking and the last place I experienced this sort of easy civility and friendly banter and chatter was visiting my Grandad in the little village where my patently grew up.

And so it hit me, while Sydney (and indeed the rest of Australia) might seem frustrating to a Dubaite used to 24hr city with late night shopping and everything being all in one place, it is probably the tendancy to stick with local shops and walking around your community rather than big out of town shopping centres and strangers for neighbours that keep the village feel of Sydney. I believe Sydney has been in the top ten nices city to live on since leagutables have existed and deservedly so, and it has to be because you are living in a village not a city.....which is cheating really.




And so we are off to the bike shop now to buy the Co-pilot a bike so she can explore more....and yes, the local bike shop!!