Saturday in Vancouver

After a late night, Andrew let us have a sleep in – blissful. The apartment we are in features excellent beds and good sound proofing – no tap dancers upstairs – so we all slept very well. Andrew and Ruth arrived promptly at 10am and we piled into the Chevrolet Traverse SUV that Andrew had hired to facilitate our sight seeing.

Vancouver to Gibsons by ferry

Today we headed north across the Lionsgate Bridge to Horseshoe Bay where enormous ferries plow back and forth between the mainland and various islands and coastal destinations. We lined up and waited our turn before driving aboard, parking and making our way onto the deck to enjoy the spectacular scenery and fresh air. The clear water, green hills and purple mountains created an impression not unlike New Zealand – you can just about feel the good health in the air.

Fresh air on the deck

Ruth and Andrew on deck

The 40 minute ferry ride brought us to Gibsons, a beautiful little coastal town that has no access by road, making it effectively an island, in terms of commerce and culture, if not geography. The homes nestle in the folds of the hills that run down to the bay and the little street that runs along the foreshore is packed with quaint shops selling local produce and good coffee. The town proper is several kilometres inland where they have a little shopping centre and a school and all the things a town needs.

Looking down to the water from Gibsons

We browsed the shops on the waterfront buying local olive oil and balsamic vinegar before waiting our turn for a table at Smitty’s Oyster House where the queue of eager diners foretold the quality of the food and the lively ambience. We ate exceptional seafood, grooved along to music that took us back to the days of our youth and enjoyed a local beer.

The hanging baskets in Gibsons reminded me of England – gorgeous double begonias in a range of vibrant colours

After lunch we motored around the coast, saw the place Andrew and Ruth’s friend was married last month and ended up at a local small brewery where organic produce was on offer, along with the a number of beers. It was a sunny day and the beer was good. The result was predictable! We relaxed into the kind of soporific lethargy that only comes from drinking beer on a warm afternoon and so. when Stuart asked casually what time the ferry left and Ruth checked the timetable, we found ourselves with the barest margin in which to get back to the dock. Andrew did a great job getting us there and we were among the last vehicles allowed onto the ferry!

Back ashore, we took the coast road home and enjoyed the spectacular views and equally spectacular real estate. We stopped in at Urban Fare for provisions then headed up the Ruth and Andrew’s apartment for a barbeque and a glass of local syrah. It was a lovely end to a wonderful day. Andrew and Ruth are terrific hosts and it is great to have some time to spend with them.

Alison and Andrew

Andrew and Ruth at home in their apartment

Hannah – thanks for the photo of Smoke. Good to see she’s not fading away. Hope everything is going well with you all in WA. Is Phred behaving herself? The weather doesn’t look too bright – 14 degrees! Brrrr. Take care …

Love

SAM