Melbourne

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a city highlights tour which was partly by riverboat and partly by bus. We were driven into the mountains for afternoon 'Billy tea' at a picnic area that gave us a panoramic view of Melbourne. Along with the tea, which is made by adding a few eucalyptus leaves and loose tea to a bucket of boiling water, we were served Lamingtons, sponge cakes with a jam filling and chocolate coating dipped into coconut, AND vegemite, the popular Australian spread which is made from yeast taken from the bottom of beer barrels. I found the vegemite tolerable but Bill didn't care for it.



For dinner, we had reservations on the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, which travels through the streets of Melbourne during the gourmet meal. For an appetizer, we both tried and enjoyed kangaroo meat. As we approached the tram stop where we would board the tramcar, we couldn't believe our eyes. Our friends Suzie and Bob (from our dining table on the Regal Princess) were waiting there! We had known that they'd be in Melbourne visiting friends for a few days, but never expected to run into them in this city of 3+ million people. What a coincidence!