Australia from the Galley

Australia tonight off the South China coast: meat pies, mashed potato, peas and pavlova. Elena's galley has once again delivered a country more promptly than any transport system I have used ashore. I arrived equipped with no particular expertise, which is often the best way to approach dinner. It leaves more room for enjoyment and fewer obligations to make authoritative statements.

The pies offered warm pastry and the substantial comfort of a meal that makes no attempt to conceal its intentions. Mashed potato and peas seemed entirely content with their supporting roles. I found the plate deeply reassuring. There are evenings for delicacy and evenings when the sight of a proper pie feels like evidence that the world retains some workable priorities.

Big Kev declared the pies authentic. He is from Leeds and spent eleven days in Sydney in 2004, which apparently provides a sufficient foundation for certification. I admired the confidence. My own travel experience generally produces uncertainty and additional biscuit purchases, so it was instructive to see how efficiently a short visit could be converted into lasting authority over a national cuisine.

Elena accepted the ruling because she was busy slicing the pavlova and therefore above it. This struck me as exactly the right response. A person holding the means of distributing pudding has little need to contest someone else's credentials. The pale sweetness on the serving plate was a more pressing matter than the geography of Kev's expertise. I waited for my portion and refrained from offering any judgement that might delay its arrival.