Finbar finished a whirlwind
trip to NZ / OZ. Did 5 cities in 5 days. Auckland in NZ, then Brisbane, Adelaide,
Sydney and Melbourne. A total of 8 flights. Great to be home...
But anyhow, I figured that I couldn’t
leave OZ without participating in an important local tradition. As such, I just had my first (and only)
vegemite sandwich. Like most other
Americans, I first heard of it of course in the 1983 Men at Work No. 1 hit song
Down Under.
For the uninitiated, it is
basically a brown paste made from yeast extract which you spread ever so sparingly on a piece of
toast. Apparently some dilute it with
butter or margarine. But not yours truly.
I am pleased to report
that it is totally gross. A mixture of
bitter and salty flavors. Not something
I will repeat, but very happy to have tried it.
And for the skeptics, I
attach proof.
PS: A fun fact – Peter Garrett, the lead singer of Midnight
Oil, was Education Secretary for OZ.
PPS: View of the Sydney Opera House from my hotel room. Nice! Especially before my room filled up with thick dark smoke and we had to evacuate the upper floors of the hotel... But that's another story...
