The Baronial visit

So, after an incredible (and boozy!) few days at Sofala, we all head back to Sydders (fuck, I’m starting to sound like one!) via the Blue Mountains. What a beautiful place it was, we stopped off in Katoomba and made our way down to Echo Point to view the Jamieson Valley, 3 Sisters and Katoomba Falls etc. The town is quite small and I guess I expected it to be a little like Keswick in the lakes, but I didn’t really get a feel for it at all unfortunately.


Views were smashing though – here are the 3 Sisters. Abbo legend has it that the Sisters lived with their Dad, a Witch-Doctor, who was out shopping etc for some sarnies and the like, leaving the whelps at home. There lived a nasty creature in the area and Dad had warned his bairns to stay away, but would you believe, they get a bit too noisy near the lair and the monster, like a dragon, hears the girls and makes his way over to them in order to make them lunch. Dad saves the day by turning his daughters into the rock formations but the horrible beastie the goes after Dad, eventually trapping him. Rather than become lunch himself, Dad escapes by turning into an animal, but he can’t change back and thus can’t release his daughters….. So there – great bed-time tale. I can’t remember what the animal was called though – soz. At least the pix are pretty!
The Jamieson Valley!











Out on the beers in Sydney that evening with Phil and the Baron to the Rocks – but I think we’re all pretty bushed and the boys are up early Wednesday for their respective trips – Phil to Tokyo to meet Ang and the Baron to Brissy (shite!) to meet some of the more distant rellies. Leaving me to loaf around and entertain myself…. Heh heh heh! I was a good boy actually, getting up Wednesday to run a cheeky little route I have mapped out along Erskineville. Started thinking about some Campervans, there are a few on Gum Tree but nothing catching the eye yet.

Scott gives me a shout to meet Thursday for a war game or 2 – but we decide we need to meet at the Carlisle first – top boozer – love that place. Bite to eat, some beers and pool – then off to play Memoir 44 – a great little strategy level game with different WWII scenarios! Not too boozy a day, which was ace – and I managed to do quite well on the games – it pays to be aggressive – good foil for Scott as he’s a very careful player.

Baron’s return on the Saturday heralds a nice piss-up – off to Toukley with Jimmy and Danz for Easter. This was lovely in how it came about – Dana invited me along knowing I was ‘Billy-no-mates’ with Neil and Troods being away and I suspect also to soften the blow of her and the ‘FAMILY’ for ‘Wor Jimmy’. Dana, gotta say babe, Jimmy knows me very well – through no fault of his own - and making us share digs was the nth degree of torture for the Jimster – still – like yr thinking and 10/10 for effort!! ;-0) Thanks Danz too for letting the Baronial presence make an appearance – otherwise I’d’ve had to entertain!!

2 more things to say about Toukley ( apart from how facking nice it is as a getaway place and how great Dana’s Family are – again sweetie – where’d ya go wrong…?! Heh heh!) So, the two things:

1] Got my second dumping when I went swimming (Don’t I sound healthy…?!) and;

2] Jimmy playing footy – we had a game in the front garden (yup – they have ‘em over here). Now. I’ve played at Uni in the park with said Jimster and he was nearly as bad as I was – which is to say facking hopeless – so, imagine my surprise when Jimmy, with one of Dana’s Nephews on his back, manages to dribble his way through to a goal…… Then I realised that everyone was under 12!

3] Oh yeah – number 3 – that look of adoration in Dana’s eyes when Jimmy was holding Danz’ sisters newborn – bless. It could make a grown man choke on his Carlton Cold!! ;-0)

Top Easter – haven’t had that much of an Easter that’s felt alive since, well, I killed our pet rabbit cos the fucker didn’t lay eggs. (Found out later that it was generally birds and reptiles. Ooops, sorry Fluffy. On a good note – I don’t wet the bed anymore….!). But why do we tell kids such blatant lies though? Why? (I’m not bitter. Honest.)

So, what more could we do to see the Baron off…. Oh yeah - eat and a pub crawl of King Street! Waytago! Tuesday nights sees a quiz night at the Coopers, Neil and Troods local. The Baron and I head down but arrive a wee bit late, missing the first round. We enter nonetheless – and would you believe, we didn’t come last!! I think a lot of that was to do with Amanda and Jacqueline’s brain power – cheers girls – you the besht – hic!

Baron, you need to leave a comment at this point – was it a decent pub quiz?!