Hello, Sven

Oh my, I've become a car owner! Or more accurately, a lease-to-owner of a 2008 Volvo C30 called Sven. Below is the pictorial evidence and I can confidently say after a day of cruising and negotiating the streets of Sydney, I'm liking it! Surprised by how much I'm taking to it in fact (having a GPS helps). Never thought the first car I purchased would have a steering wheel on the right side, but I guess I shouldn't be shocked after being in Aus for 3+ years...

As I drove home today, I was pleasantly reminded that one of life's simplest pleasures is definitely driving with windows down and good tunes. Especially with these two tunes in particular:

Half Full Glass of Wine by Tame Impala
Coca Cola by Little Red

Meet Sven (named for his Swedish lineage):








-- tc

Katoomba and environs

Haydn and I headed to the Blue Mountains a couple of weeks back to celebrate the end of a hectic January, oh, and my 32nd bday. It's a 2 hour drive but took me 3 1/2 years to get there! Better late than never, and even better to stay at Echoes Boutique Hotel.

We were in super relaxo mode on Saturday but hiked way down down on Sunday, started out at the Three Sisters and going down the Grand Staircase. Or was it just called The Really, Big Steep Staircase? No matter, since I lived in the Grand Canyon and learned it was the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps that initially carved out the trails to get to the bottom, I find it intriguing and admirable that the trails are there for us weekend explorers.

And thankfully, there is a cable car to get us back to the top. It took us by Katoomba Falls, which sadly is a falls without the water. It's very dry up that way and we only saw creeks that probably were gushing rapids a few years ago.

Beautiful area of the world with lots of funny old antique/junk shops. I bought a book at a place called Mr Pickwicks.

Here are our photos:
















- chunkytoast