My first encounter with the evil Starbucks empire was on a visit to California in 1997. I remember thinking at the time "What kind of an idiot would spent $4.50 on a coffee?" At the time a latte in Sydney was $2.20 (or $2.50 if you could find a larger styrofome cup at the time which was still a novelty).

Fast forward to 2010 and in a sign of how reversed the two countries economies have become, it's now cheaper to drink lattes (or beer for that matter) in New York than Sydney. In October 2008 I lived in Brooklyn for a month and a latte from my corner cafe there was $2.75 (Atlas Cafe on Havemeyer). For six bucks I got coffee, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a New York Times full of images of stockbrokers slapping their foreheards. What a bargain.

As you'll all know, in Sydney today most places are now charging $4 for a regular medium size $3.50 or maybe even a bit less if you're in a competitive area like the CBD). For a good coffee in a weird spot, like say, the Toby's Estate across from Victoria Park Pool - it's $4.50 for a not-small take away. If you're soy drinker, that's right, welcome to the scary world of needing notes for your morning caffeine fix.

And all this despite the fact the media tells us Sydney has the cheapest Caps of the three big capital cities - with a regular takeaway averaging $3.06.

So how did this happen? Somewhere along the way crazy American Starbucks prices stabilised and Aussie prices kept going up and up.
Well the strong Aussie dollar has a lot to do with it, as does rising milk and bean prices. But Aussies have also got a lot more discerning in their taste for coffee, and have been willing to pay more for it. Near my work I used to get a great Lavazza from a Chinese takeaway for $2.80. Then a Toby's Estate opened up. Damn it was good coffee, and everyone, perhaps suffering from a mild case of affluenza, was willing to pay a little bit more for a really good cup. Then the dodgy cheap Chinese takeaway closed down. And if someone else moved in, they'd look at the price everyone else was charging and join the $4 club.

I really shouldn't complain. I spent fifteen months travelling the world, visited nine countries and I realise now I think Australia probably has the best coffee of anywhere in the world. But when a three coffee a day habit starts costing fifteen bucks - it's time to get a plunger.

Signed, Grandpa "Back-in-my-day" Stooge.

I can't believe I haven't listed this one yet.

Victoria Park Pool is a heated outdoor council pool, open for swimming twelve months of the year. Take that Toronto and your free three-month-a-year-ers!

I've been coming here for almost twenty years since I was in primary school. And I keep coming here thanks to it's location - right next to Sydney uni at the King St/City Road and Parramatta Road/Broadway Junction - which makes it close to both Glebe, Newtown and my work in Ultimo. And unlike a lot of other council pools, it's in a nice outdoorsy park and isn't overly chlorinated. And they have a gym.

And now it's daylight savings and it's spring, swimming after work is amazing.

It's a lame thing to miss and love about Sydney, but Vic Park Pool was one of them. Swimming is a great form of exercise and this is a nice pool - I almost feel like I'm wasting my weekend if I don't go for a swim these days.

Sure, the beach is nice - but the water is too damn cold this time of year!