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fitted in with it all.
    ‘If we’re not going in to your office, we can do some sightseeing,’ Claire said. ‘It’ll help get you oriented.’
    That morning, she’d shown him a map of Sydney and had pointed out the main places of interest. She’d done well, giving him a good description of the layout, so even though he was seeing these streets for the first time, he didn’t feel lost.
    .’ He pointed up George Street. ‘North is that way.’
    Claire raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve always had a good sense of direction. I don’t know how you do it.’
    ‘And you?’
    ‘I’m completely useless. I can get lost in a car park.’ She shrugged, adding, ‘I do get lost in car parks.’
    ‘Then, between us, we should be able to work it out.’
    ‘Let’s head to The Rocks first. That’s a pretty part of town, and very historic. Also, you can see both the Opera House and the bridge from there.’ Peering up the street, she added, ‘We can take a cab.’
    Stefan shook his head. ‘Let’s walk.’
    ‘It’s a long way on foot.’
    ‘I’m not an invalid. We’re walking.’
    He wasn’t going to look out at the city through the windows of a cab. He wanted the experience, firsthand.
    ‘What do you think?’ Claire asked, gesturing at the city around them as they strode ahead.
    ‘I’m not sure what to make of it.’
    To be truthful, after his initial excitement had faded, the centre of the city wasn’t as brilliant as he first thought. The CBD has an unpleasant feel about it, but Stefan found it hard to nail down—it just seemed cold and unfriendly.
    The buildings looked almost nondescript as they passed, no matter whether they were old heritage buildings or new office towers; the traffic seemed nightmarish, even from the point of view of a pedestrian; and the pollution and car exhaust was dreadful.
    What had he seen in this place? Claire had been born in Sydney, but he didn’t have that history. He’d been a visitor from the States, so perhaps he had fallen in love with the city. Or, perhaps with Claire. ‘Is there a different route we can take?’ he asked. ‘This haze is making my eyes water.’
    Claire pointed to a side street. ‘We can turn down here, then go up the next street.’
    The air seemed fractionally better, and the sight of a couple of small contemporary cafes and funky little coffee nooks set up for office workers made him feel more comfortable. Yet, as they kept going, a freeway began to dominate the streetscape.
    He remembered the freeway from the street directory Claire had shown him. It had been a mix of highways, expressways and distributor roads with a few tunnels thrown in.
    ‘Are there freeways everywhere in the city?’ Stefan asked.
    ‘I’m afraid so. You get used to it, though.’
    ‘Really?’ He wasn’t convinced, but was glad he’d insisted on walking. The exercise felt therapeutic, and despite the exhaust fumes and general heaviness of the air, Stefan finally felt like he was getting somewhere.
    When they’d reached The Rocks district, they wandered around, and Stefan could see why Claire had suggested the area. The Rocks was obviously a tourist spot. For a start, it was cleaner than the rest of the city; there was signage pointing out areas of interest; and the pace of life here seemed slower, with people seeming more appreciative of their surroundings. Stefan took his time, too, admiring the historic sandstone buildings.
    ‘Let’s go a bit further up that way,’ Claire suggested. ‘We can head to Dawes Point.’
    ‘Sure.’
    It wasn’t as though Stefan had any better ideas. It was one thing seeing a map and working out how to get from A to B, and another to know what to do and which places to visit. And, at the moment, everything was new and exciting.
    When they reached the peak of the walk, Stefan stopped and looked around.
    Now his decision made sense.
    He’d wondered why he’d chosen to live here when, presumably, he could’ve lived anywhere in the world.