Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane was a guided city exploration for me. I was beyond fortunate to have met a lovely couple, Joan and Kerry, while in Italy and they offered to host me if I ever made it to Australia. I took them up on that offer and they gave me irreplaceable memories! 

One memorable thing about the city was the "beach" that had been created right in the midst of the bustling downtown! It was  really stark contrast to see it right in the middle of the concrete jungle! 

My hosts were the underpinning of every memory in Brisbane. They were selfless and took such care in coordinating anything they imagined that I would like to do. One key experience that they wanted for me was introducing me to the Aussie meat pie. These could be found in a wide variety of fillings and could be encased in crust or have a slightly toasty mashed potato as a cover.

I was beginning to enjoy the wide variety of cheese that can be experienced from different regions, a passion that has grown exponentially since then. I had the opportunity to find this lovely stop off in a tiny touristy street where I browsed the local cheese to my heart's content. 

My hosts also took me to Eat Street, a foodie marketplace that utilizes shipping containers for the various vendors. It had isles of shipping container stalls with a wide variety of foods, reminiscent of a county fair.

I also learned about and tasted Moreton Bay Bugs, a local crustacean with sweet lobster like meat. I saw someone eating them at a restaurant and we decided to stop on the way home and pick some up from a seafood shop and we cooked them ourselves! 

While in Brisbane, I also learned much about the history of the country, saw the amazing and diverse landscape while hearing folklore about the topography, and I also began to learn about the indigenous peoples and the disadvantages that they continue to face in current society. I was humbled by my kind and generous hosts and I will never forget them.