Pavlova

So Pavlova is a traditional Australian dessert. It's basically a gigantic meringue with fruit and cream. I have been wanting to try one since before I came to Australia, but unfortunately I really had a hard time finding them anywhere. I think that is because they are something that is more accessible and nicer restaurants, instead of the places that I was usually frequenting. Fortunately, when I was with my family we were eating at really nice restaurants. So our last night in Sydney, on our way back from New Zealand, Pavlova was on the dessert menu. So naturally, I had to order it! It was pavlova with passionfruit. Now, I can take or leave passionfruit, but it was the meringue that I really wanted to taste. It came out in an enormous slice, and we all had some. It. Was. Fantastic!!!! The meringue had a different consistency throughout, light and fluffy in the middle, cake like and then chewy on the outside. I loved it! I was also really happy that I could end my time in Australia by tasting a dessert that I had wanted to try for so long. I was the perfect treat to end my journey. 

Kiwiana: New Zealand Snack Food

So because I loved tasting Aussie candy and snack food so much, I really wanted to try some Kiwi snack food when I was in New Zealand. Specifically, CookieTime cookies, which a couple friends and told me about. When one of our tour guides asked it we wanted to do anything else before we went to our hotel, I asked if we could stop at a convenience store for some cookies! Our guide loved this idea and was nice enough to help us pick out some other classic kiwi snacks. My mom and sister got really into it, but no so much my dad, haha. We ended up with some CookieTime cookies (above), which were yummy. I tend to like my cookies a little softer, but they tasted really good. My favorite thing was the BumperBar, which is also made by CookieTime, but has fruit and chocolate in it. I liked these better because they were chewy and had fresh fruit in them!! The banana ones were amazing!!!

My sister's favorite thing was the Pineapple Lumps. I had totally forgotten that I tried these in Australia. I didn't love them because I had been expecting something else when I tried them. My sister pointed out that they were like pineapple Charleston Chews, and she love love loved them. I like them just fine now that I think of them that way. Also apparently they are much bigger in NZ than Oz, so it was nice to try them there. 

We didn't get to try Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, which is also supposed to be huge in New Zealand, but hopefully we'll be back someday and can try it then :) Eating gourmet abroad is fun, but trying classic junk food also gives you a unique taste of the culture, and is a super fun way to explore a country. It is now on my list of things to make sure I do whenever I'm somewhere new!

Tasting my way around Fitzroy

Fitzroy is a funky neighborhood in Melbourne. It's filled with Coffee Shops and boutiques. It is somewhat of the hipster area. It was also one of my friend's favorite part of Melbourne so I wanted to check it out! I walked there from the Queen Victoria markets, and that's where I spent most of my afternoon. The architecture makes the area look bohemian, and the funky names of the stores give in personality. I bought this mini strawberry cupcake (above), as a walked around. It wasn't amazing, but it was $1 and cute. It started randomly pouring on my when I was there (below left), so I ducked into a coffee shop and got a chai (below right). They give you a pot of milky tea, and you have to strain it yourself. It was really good and the chai hit the spot on a rainy afternoon. I drank it and read my book!

I continued to walk around and made a few small on sale purchases. I got a map of Australia poster for $4 and a scarf for $2.50! When I got hungry I stopped at Lord of the Fries, a Melbourne fast food chain known for their amazing chips, a bunch of friends had recommended it to me. I got their Sweet Potato fries with sour cream and sweet chili (below), they were amazing!!!!! Just the right thing for lunch!

I had such a nice time enjoying an afternoon of walking around and exploring. I've realized it's a nice and leisurely way to get the feel of different areas of a city!

Brekkie at the Queen Victoria Markets

So I was in Melbourne for about 36 hours. On the morning of my second day I decided to check out the Queen Victoria markets for breakfast and browsing. I ended up going with a girl that I met at my hostel who had also finished her semester abroad at UQ, such a small world. It was about a 5 block walk to the markets. They are indoor and take up an entire block. Exploring them took me a solid couple of hours. It was incredible! There are aisles and aisles of fresh fruit, deli stall, and souvenir stalls. My favorite was the deli section (above), there were so many wonderful and unique aussie and cultural foods. I ended up buying breakfast at some of the stalls here. First I got a dessert pastry, because why not :P ? It was a pistachio almond twist (below), and it was amazing!!! It was filled with almond and pistachio flavored spread and was a great way to start the morning. 

As I wandered around more I saw Russian Pastry shop. They and these wonderful savory pastries, which I cannot remember what they are called for the life of me (this is why you don't wait 2 weeks to blog about things). I bought a pumpkin one, and it was extremely tasty. It was perfect for a chilly morning, the filling was warm and creamy and the dough was soft and chewy. 

After breakfast I walked around all of the stalls browsing. It is truly incredible how large the place is. Also the fruit was so fresh and cheap!!! I got a mandarin and ate it one the spot from the organic produce stalls. I also looked (but didn't buy) around the souvenir section. Many of the stalls sold similar things, but it was since to walk around and browse. A great start to my exploring day in Melbourne!