Michelle Obama has been seen looking half-hearted while visiting Sydney with her husband Barack, as the city is caught in a wave of obama-mania.
The former first lady and former president touched down in Australia’s most populous city on Sunday night on a private jet, before embarking on a series of appearances.
The couple were spotted on Monday dining at the luxurious Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant in Balmoral, on Sydney’s northern beaches, for lunch.
However, Mrs. Obama seemed unimpressed, or perhaps tired from the long-haul flight, in footage captured outside the expensive restaurant.
Michelle Obama was seen looking unimpressed outside the elegant Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant, in Balmoral, on Sydney’s North Shore, on Monday.
The couple were flanked by a large entourage of security guards.
Mr. and Mrs. Obama arrived in Sydney by private plane on Sunday.
The American president appeared in a good mood while dining in the Bathers’ Pavilion
A six-course tasting menu paired with premium wines at the restaurant costs $300 per person and includes pink snapper sashimi and handmade fettucine.
A witness said the couple were having dinner in a room whose curtains were closed to the outside world.
The security presence for the former president as he was escorted back to his motorcade was so considerable that one onlooker compared it to a “small army.”
Obama spent a whirlwind 24 hours in Sydney, his motorcade roaring over the Harbor Bridge early in the morning to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The morning began by being first greeted by the daughter of John F. Kennedy and US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Mr. Albanese then received Mr. Obama at Kirribilli House.
The two were all smiles as they posed for the camera together by the harbor while holding black umbrellas in the drizzle.
Barack Obama has met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the arrival of the former US president in Sydney
The president, along with his wife Michelle, flew to Sydney on a private plane on Sunday night.
“It is an honor to welcome President @barackobama to Sydney,” Albanese wrote in a post on Twitter.
Later, Obama took a walk along the North Head cliffs as more than a dozen police cars and a dozen police motorcycles waited along the nearby road.
The president and his wife are in the country for their ‘An Evening with President Obama’ speaking tour, which will kick off at the Aware Super Theater Tuesday night, with the cheapest tickets at $395 per person.
He will then fly to Melbourne for another appearance at the John Cain Arena on Wednesday.
The president will speak on leadership and global challenges with former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who will also moderate the event.
Obama is pictured with the US ambassador to Australia and John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, outside a Sydney hotel on Monday.
More than a dozen police cars and a dozen police motorcycles were on standby as the president strolled along Shelly Beach.
Tour organizer Growth Faculty said in the event description that attendees would hear Mr. Obama “discuss strength in leadership and explore techniques for navigating an unpredictable future.”
“In times of great challenge and change, President Obama’s leadership ushered in a stronger economy, a more equal society, a nation safer at home, and more respected around the world,” the description read.
“There is no leader better equipped to share his experience, unique strategy, and wisdom about the changing face of leadership.”
Ticket prices range from $195 for a standard seat to $895 for a ‘platinum package’.
A platinum ticket includes priority seating, designated entry, a one-hour pre-event cocktail party, a copy of Obama’s book ‘A Promised Land,’ and a commemorative lanyard and program.
The president and his wife were swept away by a caravan after landing in Sydney on Sunday.
President Obama is in the country for his ‘An Evening with President Obama’ speaking tour, where he will discuss leadership and global challenges with former Foreign Secretary Julie Bishop.
President Obama’s last official visit to Australia was for the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November 2014.
He also visited in November 2011, where he addressed a joint session of the federal parliament in Canberra after being invited by then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
In his speech, President Obama spoke about the importance of the Asia-Pacific region.
Obama served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.