Where are all the Aussies? In Spain, of course!

It was old-home week for the Aussie´s at David Quinn´s hostel in San Sebastian. Each of them swore they hadn´t met another person from Down Under in their whole travels through Spain and other parts of Europe. But there they all were, collected in a small beachside resort town in Basque Country. It was all ¨blokes¨and ¨mates¨, protests that no one but Queenslanders used the term ¨crickey¨, and at breakfast, good old Vegemite, a thick paste the color of chocolate that had a bitter, salty taste. They spread it on toast; some even admitted to eating it on a spoon!

I swear, I learned more about Australian culture in San Sebastian than about Basques. Sure, I saw some of the old men walking around in Basque berets and sampled some fine seafood tapas. I saw the signed written in Euskadi with its plethora of Xs, Gs, and Ks. But I didn´t delve into the secrets of their language and culture. I sunbathed on beautiful sandy La Concha beach, swam in the cold Atlantic waters, and ate Vegemite on toast with the best of them!