Travelling Hopefully - to Katoomba?

I thought I would get away for a few days.  It would be an opportunity to sleep late, do little and avoid the censure I receive when I try and do that at work.  Casting about for a not terribly distant, not terribly expensive place to practice inertia I finally decided on Katoomba.  I selected Katoomba for the very good reason that the place I wanted to stay at in Kiama was booked out.

Still Katoomba has its own attractions for the lazy, do nothing holidaymaker.  It's far enough from Sydney to make going there seem like a trip rather than a journey, its cold enough to justify staying in bed until midday and its uninteresting enough to justify not leaving your room unless you need to eat.

Before I'm besieged by a legion of Katoombaphiles outraged by this slur on their beloved home town permit me to explain.  There are many many interesting things one can get to from Katoomba.  There are the Three Sisters, Echo Point, Govett's Leap, a variety of things Scenic; railways, skyways, worlds.  There is the Blue Mountains National Park with hiking paths, bushwalks, nature treks and plant strolls and of course there are the roads and railway station that have the added benefit of taking you away from Katoomba.  Any or all of the preceding can be most conveniently enjoyed by basing yourself at Katoomba.  But let's be clear, Katoomba itself isn't really that interesting.  I can't think of a single reason to visit Katoomba for itself, which is why I went.

Packing warm clothes and a number of books I said farewell to such of my colleagues as I thought might miss me (principally the office guppy) and set forth on my journey.  It took me the best part of twenty four hours to get there because I stopped to visit friends and family on the way.  I like to get such obligations over at the beginning of holidays so I don't have to think about them thereafter.  With friends and family provided with enough of my company to probably satisfy them for the next six months I continued on my way and arrived in Katoomba on a Saturday afternoon.

I was staying at a guesthouse on 14 Lovel Street.  In a burst of imagination it had been christened the No14 Guesthouse.  I have to admit it was great.  Centrally heated with creaky stairs (some people may not see that as a plus but some people aren't me) with broad verandahs, helpful staff and a surprisingly comfortable bed.  All in all a definite score.  If it weren't for the fact that I had to eat I would probably never have left.  Unfortunately I have developed a tragic addiction to food so I had to go out occasionally.  I spotted a rather quaint looking Italian place in Katoomba and was quite disappointed when it was full at dinner time and I couldn't get a table.  I was even more disappointed the next night when I did get a table and had the opportunity to sample their cooking.

With clothes and books unpacked I was officially moved in.  So I spent the rest of the day lounging around, reading and generally unwinding to the point where I was in danger of fraying.  Then I did the only thing left to do in the circumstances; I went to bed early.

Going to bed early had the unfortunate side effect of getting up early as well.   For some reason I rose earlier every day of my holiday than I do when I go to work.  I didn't really mean to, I got up to go to the bathroom.  Then I realised I was hungry so I had breakfast.  Coffee and tooth cleaning naturally followed and by that time I was officially awake and there was nothing for it but to shower and get dressed.  This put me in a bad mood for a few hours so I went outside to bask on the sun drenched verandah with my book.  Within five minutes of my sitting down the verandah was shade drenched courtesy of a rather pushy cloud that wouldn't take no for an answer.  I sat there grimly but the cloud had more staying power than I did so I stomped up the road for elevenses.