It seems that magic does happen at the Talisman Gallery & Pizza Café with the major transformation of the woodfired oven. In just over a week it was out with the old and in with the new as our pictures show.  We had one of the last pizzas from the old oven (top) and we just had one of the first from the new oven (bottom) and can happily say they are just the same if not better!

When you are coming up to the mountains you need to put this on your list of must do visits. Not only can you enjoy the fabulous woodfired pizza, coffee and homemade desserts, you can actually do all your gift shopping as well.  The café is  attached to the Talisman Gallery which specialises in inspired metal creations including, candelabras, mystical mirrors, handcrafted unique furniture and sculptures.  A great place to do all your Christmas Shopping the stress free way. 

Our mate Charles, who is a guide at Jenolan Caves, has organised  an  astounding new sound event at the Caves on November 3rd.  It really sounds like a fabulous concert with 8 Taiko drummers, Asian gongs, Sumatran flutes, vocals and fast paced island log drumming.  As we are just a short 45min drive from the Caves we are hoping to attend this spectacular event. If anyone is interested in attending, all the details are located at http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/  

Spring has well and truly arrived, making the Blue Mountains more beautiful than ever.  The apple tree at the back of our house provides a lovely backdrop for one of the many King Parrots that visit us daily. Alas, we seldom get any of the apples as the birds beat us to them!

We took a break from cleaning cabins on Sunday to visit the Mount Victoria Markets which are held on the second Sunday of the month, on the corner of Station Street & Harley Avenue.

They had a bit of everything. Antiques, produce, plants, jams, jewellery & lots of other mostly locally made stuff. You could even have your face painted while being entertained. It’s really a good morning or afternoon out.

Here are a few snapshots we took on Sunday. Click on each one to see a bigger picture.

Yes, folks. Yulefest is on again!

It has become a tradition to celebrate Christmas in July in the Blue Mountains around the time of the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere. Visitors can enjoy a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings at many wonderful restaurants in Mount Victoria and in nearby Blackheath, Leura, Medlow Bath and Katoomba.

We have partnered with the Manor House to offer a Yulefest package for 2007. Please visit our Yulefest page for details.

We have uploaded to our Flickr site some scans of postcards from our family postcard album showing some sights in Katoomba and Jenolan at the turn of the twentieth century. The cards in this album were collected by one of our great uncles and other members of the family between 1896 and 1918.

The photo on the right is of Government Accommodation House, Jenolan, and the postcard dates from around 1900. Click the photo to see a larger image.