Matthias and Fran had moved in next door about four years ago, after migrating from Herve, in Belgium, to pursue Fran’s medical career. They were a lovely couple, urbane, well-read, and sociable. Both couples enjoyed camping, bushwalking, cooking, wine, reading, and it wasn’t long before we had proposed a camping trip to the Grampians.
Most of the day had been spent walking around several ancient rock art sites. Exertions and sunshine had left us excitedly tired. More so the Europeans, who had never before encountered this ancient art. The flickering flames from the fire fractured a nosey Merlot, swirling in our glasses.
We had dined, from a camp oven rendition of Boeuf de Anglaise, followed up with home stewed quinces with a macadamia ice cream. It was time for cheese and Matthias had been promising to introduce us to one of his family’s ancient runny cheese recipes.
He returned from the car fridge with a sealed container, inside, a wrapped, cellophane parcel. There were wafer-thin biscotti, and then … all hell broke loose. Aged, homemade Limburger! It fairly took your breath away, possibly damaging our nasal passages, and scarring the back of our throats!
Delicious, if taken with the nose pinched, but that night in our tent, the farts were malodorous! It was fortunate that it was a warm night, enabling all tent-sides to be rolled up.
Since that first exposure, Limburger fumes have been coming over the back fence regularly. We talked to Matthias about the issue. We suggested limiting cheese-making to weekend excursions out in remote bushland. He agreed to limit production. But we always knew when a new round was being ripened. The odour only intensified as the weeks went by – twelve weeks, and it meant that parts of the neighbourhood were evacuating!
We eventually approached the Council’s OH&S Officer. Emilia spoke with a distinctly Gaelic accent, but she investigated, eventually confirming that no By-Laws were being broken! She suggested we move, if we thought it was so offensive!
With some misgivings, the House Sale sign went up! We moved to hippiedom’s Nimbin Central.