BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
January 5, 2002
Finally, Kim and I have our Celsius menu in front of us so you can read on and be envious of our first meal in Australia. For starters, I was given a shrimp bisque and Kim had the Roma Tomato & Saffron Tea Consomme in a tea cup. Very yummy complimentary gift of the chef. For our primi piatta (first course for those of you who can't translate), Kim had the Roasted Tomato, Pepper & Egglplant Roulade, Marinated Goat Cheese, Tapenade, & Olive Bread. Sounds good, eh? I was served the Roma Tomato & Saffron Tea Consomme with Basil & Zucchini Tortellini. Kim and I are getting hungry just repeating our menu to you. Oi vey. Okay, secondi piatti (second courses, if you haven't caught on) - for Kim the Pan Roasted Ocean Trout Fillet (without the Grilled Scampi because she has been cursed with a shellfish allergy), Dill & Fennel Vinaigrette. Me, I had the Grilled Swordfish on Kipfler Potato, Asparagus & Black Fungi, Cabernet Vinegar. AND there's more! Our third course (I forgot how to translate "third") was Grilled Aged Grain Fed Fillet of Beef on Asparagus, Roasted Shallots & Trompettes de Mort for Kim and for myself Pan Roasted Rib Eye of Lamb on Spiced Egglplant, Roasted Garlic & Grape Tomatoes, Basil Oil.

We haven't even gotten to dessert yet and it's a good thing we skipped the Cheese course!

We were graced with another complimentary dessert starter which was so amazing, we were talking about it for days - panna cotta with fresh raspberries and a strawberry sauce. Next, our cappuccinos came out with the truffles and petit fours. We finished off with passionfruit souffle served with mango ice cream and fresh whipped cream!!!

It's time for Kim and I to go have another dinner now. We're starving!
We've had at least four or five meals of comparable grandeur for a fraction of U.S. prices! Someone recommended to us yesterday to just become fruit pickers to stay in this country and travel and eat. I think I could do that...

Okay, now that you've got all that in mind, here's how we've been burning off the calories:
Today Kim and I walked all around Brisbane, beginning at the Queen Street Mall where we each purchased additional luggage to carry home all the damn gifts we bought for you. Then we crossed the Victoria Bridge over the Brisbane River where we walked along a beautiful bricklined path at the Brisbane Arbour area with purple bougainvilla vines overhead. We browsed through the Saturday Market (buying your gifts to fill our luggage) and went by a really funny artificial beach along the riverside called Brekka Beach (something like that) where the locals seemed to thrill in the chlorinated pool-beach.

We walked onward across the brand-new Goodwill pedestrian bridge (back across the Brisbane River) to the Botanical Gardens which we're sure would've been gorgeous in Spring. That's a lot of walking - enough to burn off one of those dinners. Now it's time for us to refuel with another dinner in Brisbane.
Cheers to good food, good wine, and the good life.
Kim & Hani