Fwd: Thursday, Wild Week

[<http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Note: forwarded message attached.

Content-Type: message/rfc822
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

X-Apparently-To: http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert via 206.190.49.122; Fri, 30 Sep 2005 16:29:03 -0700
X-Originating-IP: [206.190.37.148]
Return-Path: <http://profiles.yahoo.com/gail_sx>
Authentication-Results: mta224.mail.mud.yahoo.com
  from=yahoo.com; domainkeys=pass (ok)
Received: from 206.190.37.148  (HELO web81003.mail.yahoo.com) (206.190.37.148)
  by mta224.mail.mud.yahoo.com with SMTP; Fri, 30 Sep 2005 16:29:02 -0700
Received: (qmail 26910 invoked by uid 60001); 30 Sep 2005 23:29:02 -0000
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws;
  s=s1024; d=yahoo.com;
  h=Message-ID:Received:Date:From:Subject:To:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding;
  b=xubdHHEeTqQuCKumDRdTe0atU0EKPAI60AQUAr9+b1FEWJMxgwMmf7xUXdMYi8XTxm6t1YY9NTIUUO9WzNK6B9S5RkPxTF1Ry1CaBCA2wtiPBIKxr8IrjbRnQoKtPf02Fn6r9wC8siI57Mlz+HP/2zrUal+ORdFUiSX3nLlwn8M=  ;
Received: from [139.168.118.87] by web81003.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Fri, 30 Sep 2005 16:29:01 PDT
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 16:29:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gail <http://profiles.yahoo.com/gail_sx>
Subject: Thursday, Wild Week
To: Gail Schultz <http://profiles.yahoo.com/gail_sx>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Content-Length: 2365

Greetings group,

Wednesday night the wind picked up and by Thursday it was howling. I
had been a hermit the day before, but decided I had to get out today.
The caravan was creaking and rocking alarmingly...plus about one day in
that small a space is all I can handle.

I drove up to Mt. Victoria to the Imperial Hotel. The Imperial was
built in 1878 and has a grand elegance. I came in the side door and it
took a while to figure out the layout. The highway had changed the
configuration of streets in Mt. Victoria so now the main door looks out
on a side street. Eventually I made my way through the bar, billiard
parlour and into the lobby.

I had come up with the idea of having tea and scone in the old hotel
and wasn't disappointed. The lobby was also their tea room with old
wooden tables and plush velveteen benches. It wasn't until I sat down
that I realized the tables were too high for their purpose. I had tea
and scones practically at nose level, which made eating them with
elegance and grace a little difficult. No matter. I reverted to
American barbarianism and made a table cloth of napkins on the seat
next to me and settled in for a long leisurely read, eat and tea sip.

Each of the common rooms had a fireplace burning coal which helped to
stave off cold and damp. I was able to walk through the ball room, main
dining room and down one corridor of meeting rooms. The Imperial is
build in a square with a courtyard in the middle. The front door looks
across the street at what used to be the tennis courts and croquet
lawn. It's a little worse for wear but looks like it's in the process
of being restored.

By mid-morning the wind had died to a dull roar and the rain was
intermittent. I headed back down the mountain toward Blackheath turning
off on Mt. Piddington Road. It was a long windy drive on dirt roads to
almost the top of a hill, then walking tracks the rest of the way. The
top gave more views of the Megalong Valley. There were some other
walking tracks down into the valley, but I decided to fore go them this
time. It was starting to rain again. By the time I got to the car it
was sleeting, and as I drove back down to the Blue Mountain Highway it
hailed mightily... then stopped as suddenly as it had started.

I drove on into Blackheath and out to Govett's Leap. I remembered an
information center there and thought I might be able to hang out for a
while. It turned out to be better than just a refuge from the storm.
They had a full wall video screen and list of videos that you could
request. I come in just as When Birds Don't Know You're There was
starting. After that, I requested Kingdom of the Lyrebird. Description
"Follows the life of the lyrebird through the changing seasons of the
temperate rain forest. Also shows a variety of song birds and the
marsupials who share this environment." I enjoyed the videos... and by
the time I emerged again the skies had cleared somewhat.

I walked down to Govett's Leap. There was another walk to a waterfall
that billed itself as easy. I started out on it, but discovered way too
many uneven, handrail-less steps, so headed back to the car. I had
supper on Blackheath and then headed up to Mt. Victoria. 

Mt. Vic Flicks is a theatre in an old town hall. It's all wood and
padded executive suite type seats. The chairs were a bit narrow,
reflecting the bum of yesteryear I guess, but quite comfortable. They
looked like regular office chairs, but slopped more at the back and
were attached together in blocks. There's a stage at the front with the
men's and Lady's leading off from either side. I'm guess these used to
be dressing rooms or something similar. The snack bar was down front on
one side. It had to be closed when the movie started so the light
wouldn't interfere. I thought it must be an old sign over the snack
bar, but discovered, yes indeed, they had small popcorn for a
dollar--and large for two dollars!! Best deal in town.
http://www.bluemts.com.au/mountvic/default2.htm

The theatre was warm (important since with the setting of the sun it
was absolutely freezing outside). The screen was fair size... I wasn't
expecting too much. Happily, I was completely blown away by the sound
system. Obviously a surround sound system had been installed, and was
terrific in quality.

I saw the School of Seduction--fun British comic romp--I'd recommend it
for a good light entertainment rental.

TTYL,
Gail

"The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see." -GK Chesterton