Probably the most frustrating things about this story for me is that I’ve never been to Sydney. Australia is the only continent, in fact, that I’ve never visited…a fact that distresses me a great deal. Something simply MUST be done to rectify this. But that, dear gadling reader, is not you problem. So onto the news at hand.
The news at hand is this: Sydney, the Australian cultural capital (I said CULTURAL Capital, please no emails about geographic illiteracy) has once again been selected as the world’s number one city by readers of Conde Nast Traveler. This is frightening to say, the 11th time the harbor city has won the award since it (the contest, not the city) began in 1988. That’s quite an amazing feat for a former penal colony that supported Britain’s criminal and bureaucratic castaways. OK, ok, ease up. I know that’s an old tried and true way to upset Aussies. Again, no email, please (that means you, Howie ;-)). BTW: Budget Travel Magazine has got a piece on Sydney y’all might enjoy.
Anyhoodle, the idea is that readers…apparently an itinerant bunch…selected the best city based on ambiance, friendliness, culture sights, restaurants, lodging and shopping. About 28,000 readers voted this year, giving Sydney a score of 87.7, followed by the Italian city of Florence with 86.8, and San Francisco and Bangkok each with 85.9. Why New York is not on the top of the list is a mystery to me, especially since I know both Bangkok and New York and…well, Bangkok is exciting at all, but the best? Nah. All said, though, more than ever before do I need to hustle and get these bones to the land down under.