Our goal today was to be in as much nature as possible. We began at Scenic World.

Knowing we would need a renewal after a total of 17 days, so far, on a cruise ship and seven days in the bustling town of Sydney, we booked a five night stay in the Blue Mountains.

Our first stop was a brief visit to Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum. 

It is home to the world’s largest private collection of teawares, including more than 5,500 teapots from all over the world and spanning five centuries, most of which were collected within Australia.

Coffee, with a friend, followed along with a stroll through its historic streets.

Dinner was to be found in the neighboring town of Katoomba.

In the 1930s, this town was known as the Honeymoon Capital. First, however, it was called The Crushers after a local stone quarry. It was renamed Katoomba, from an Aboriginal word for waterfalls, because of the nearby 800-foot- high falls we will be ogling. The town was formerly a coal-mining center, but mining gave way to tourist development based on the picturesque mountain locale. The nearby Scenic Railway, once used to carry coal miners down the cliff face, now carries tourists into the Jamison valley. The locality yields apples and timber; clothing, leather goods, and furniture are manufactured in the town. It will be a place we visit often but today's visit consisted mainly of exploring The Carrington Inn, Australia’s oldest remaining resort-style hotel (built in 1883).

Its opulence has not faded after 142 years. Wow.

Dinner was next door at The Old City Bank. In 1912, Sir James Joynton Smith, then owner of The Carrington, decided a bank was required on premises. Construction commenced and in June of the same year, a branch of the City Bank of Sydney opened. The upper story provided residential quarters for the inaugural bank manager. Operating as bank until the 1930s, it was converted to use as saloon and now this delightful pub.

Today was one of mainly getting our bearings, learning to drive on the opposite side of the road, gathering knowledge of what-not-to-miss, and doing laundry. Tomorrow, we venture forth. The anticipation is almost too much!