Plock plock!

I still had a bit more time to kill before I was back in Canberra, and since my flight from Ayers Rock took me to Sydney, it was in that area that I made the most of my remaining time.

I’m a big fan of author Jasper Fforde, the man who created the Nursery Crime and Thursday Next series; a mind-bending look at alternative worlds where nothing is quite as it appears. The deeper you dig, the more it all interconnects, the more it references, and the more subtle in-jokes become clear. It’s a real nerds book – the literary version of Spaced & The Ice Cream Trilogy if you will. Anyway, in one of his more recent novels, he makes reference to the Paragon tearooms in Katoomba, NSW, where he wrote part of his book, so I decided to pay a visit.

Anyway, last time I went to Katoomba, the weather was cold and miserable, so it was a nice change to go in the warm and sunny autumn weather. A 2 hour train journey from the centre of Sydney, Katoomba is a delightful quaint little town, nestled in the beautful Blue Mountains. Even in the town itself, you have areas as lovely as the Katoomba Falls where you can stop for a photograph or two before wandering back into town.

When I did, my attention was instantly caught by Mr. Pickwicks, an antiques and second hand bookstore over the road from Paragon. With plenty of time to kill, I took a stroll into this veritable treasure trove of bits and bobs to check out their wares. From classic motor racing tops (including selections from Ferrari and McLaren) to vinyl records of all ages; retro clothing to golden artefacts; whatever you wanted you could find. In the books section, I was instantly drawn to the Maths section, typically squashed into the three bottom shelves of a hidden corner of the store. Squahed amongst the bottom shelf, and one of the last I looked at was an incredible treat – a copy of Euclid’s Elements from 1863. Now, those who don’t know Maths probably don’t know who Euclid is, but trust me when I say this truly is one of the pillars of Mathematics. A assimilation of all the Mathematical knowledge of the time, it is still relevant today. Indeed, some of the questions posed by the Greek are only just being answered now. For $85, I was so sorely tempted, but eventually decided against it. Besides, I enjoyed myself enough flicking through it in the store for about 20 minutes.

After that, I took a brief break in the very classic Paragon tearooms, themselves over 100 years old. They perhaps weren’t as exciting to me as my recent find, but maybe that is the difference between an author and Mathematician.

The second Fforde thing to cross off was to grab a photograph of Pickwick’s restaurant in the suburbs of Sydney. Named for the clumsy dodo in Thursday Next, it is disappointingly unthemed save for the advertising, so I decided not to frequent it. Besides, the area it was in was fascinating enough by itself. Clearly the area of Sydney where the fashionable anarchists would hang out, it was a treat of small trendy cafes, alternative clothing stores and independent record stores. The streets had that grafitti that only comes with certain reputations – a Julian Assange poster announcing that the Truth is out There; unexplained words on the ground; and my favourite moody art shot;

Then, it was goodbye to the city itself. I do enjoy Sydney, though I feel it’s difficult to see the true spirit of the place – my extra few days there uncovered a little more of it’s soul that can’t be found in the hustling and bustling business centre. I have a couple of favourite haunts now, and could well imagine surviving there.

Then, it was back to Canberra, for term to begin again.

And finally, here is my favourite piece of street art, spotted around Canberra.

I pity the fool!