The final throes - and THANK YOU

This will be the last blog post from Canada - which is sad. But we've been away a month and while we don't want to leave, we are looking forward to being at home, both in England (can't wait to see our little Sammy, who was at nursery when we left but is now a schoolboy) and France (I've missed my mummy and daddy).

Left Ucluelet this morning, in more sunshine, for an easy four-hour drive across more forested mountains, or are they mountainous forests, and spectacular views.

A stray strip of low cloud

Did we mention that our latest hire car has Californian plates - enabling us to continue to masquerade as bad drivers from the US?

We arrived in Victoria around 1.30pm. Actually our motel is in View Royal, a suburb of Victoria. Good room (although we're missing a kettle, Roger has just discovered), nice chap from Yorkshire on reception who printed off our boarding passes for us, and what look like comfy beds.

We drove down town this afternoon and then around the coast for a few miles. Victoria itself appears on brief first glimpse to be a beautiful city with some impressive old (for Canada) buildings.

We didn't walk about much as my back - which has held up marvellously for the whole month - decided to 'go' a bit today. 

The outskirts of Victoria are impressive, too - we've seen no industrial areas, no grubbiness, no sign of real life, actually: the houses and streets are all immaculate. The residential coast road is a cross between the smart bit of the French Riviera and Westbrook and Westgate. The architecture - some art deco, many single storey homes (too smart to be described as bungalows) and the views out to sea - reminded us a lot of that part of the Kent coast and we even found a Margate Drive. But the size and splendour of the houses and gardens was more Nice and environs.

It's fascinating to look over the water at the US coast - Washington state is very close. And the views from Mount Douglas, in a large park on the edge of the city, endowed to the people 'in perpetuity', are fantastic.

Those mountains in the far distance are in the USA

Roger very near the summit of Mount Douglas

This evening we went to the theatre and saw Red by John Logan, a play that premiered in London (England, not Ontario) to good reviews and which we both enjoyed a lot - very interesting about the artist Mark Rothco, whose work we like.

When I booked the tickets I assumed The Belfry Theatre was down town, but it turned out to be in the area of Fernwood which we were told used to be a 'bit decrepit' but had been improved and was now a sort of artists' quarter. The Belfry started out as a small independent theatre group and is now nationally known. 

We had supper at the Fernwood Inn opposite the theatre. I had a small Caesar salad - how healthy; and a large plate of poutine - hmm... but yummy duck gravy and I did leave some of the cheese (but none of the fries). 

This is where we had dinner

The Belfry Theatre - yes it used to be a church. Roger's carrying my bag because my back was hurting

So now to bed for our last sleep in Canada. We'll see a bit more of down town Victoria tomorrow before heading off for the ferry back to the mainland. Then to the airport and home.

So what can I say about our wonderful Canadian holiday? It's been fantastic. This is a beautiful country. But what has made it so special has been spending time with my cousins and their families.

TO MY AUNTS AND ALL MY COUSINS, THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN AND FRIENDS: EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS MADE US FEEL WELCOMED AND LOVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE LOVE YOU ALL TOO. XXXX

Hello Goodbye

So... we're heading home tomorrow. A big thank you from me to our new friends and all our relations and cousins who have made us feel so welcome and given us such a great time in Canada. I can't wait to meet you again - maybe in France or the UK??? Come on over and see us soon. Lots of love... Roger

Wot, no whales?

Woke up this morning determined to go whale spotting. Got to the harbour. Hmmm... weather not ideal!

Fog, mist, cloud - whatever, we weren't going to see whales through it

So we drove up the coast, through the Pacific Rim National Park, heading for the end of the road - a village called Tofino (which Roger various refers to as Torremolinos or Tartufo). Lovely drive through more rain forest, stopping off for a picnic on the way. We weren't really worried that we appeared to be in a 'Tsunami Hazard Area'! 

In case of tsunami turn right

Or to find out when we got there that one of the little shops hired out crutches??

Because we'd learned how to escape from a rip current:

We went for a walk. The track through the forest was interesting.

A local told us there has been no recorded case of a wolf attacking a human in North America for many, many years. We didn't see one, anyway.

And at the end of the track, the sun came out and we discovered what Roger thinks must be the most beautiful beach in the world. It was amazing: Blue Pacific ocean, soft sand, weird drift wood, freaky rain forest all around and misty mountains, some of them with snow on top, fading into the distance.

The view to the left

The view to the right

Roger on a rock

Jill with her latest treasures

After an hour or so on the beautiful beach we went back to the village, had a wander and found what looked like a good restaurant overlooking the harbour. It was early, but Canadian restaurants open for dinner around 5.30pm; everyone seems to eat well before 7.30pm here. We had a really good meal - probably the best piece of fried cod I've ever tasted; fresh out of the sea today. Roger had oysters as a starter.

The view from our table: a float plane takes off

During dinner we watched the boats of whale watchers returning from their trips and the seaplanes coming in from their outings to find bears.

We didn't see any whales, but think we'll come back here one day, maybe as the start of our trip down the west US coast, and we'll go whale watching then.

Our waitress was rather sweet but a bit vague - she got our order wrong twice and she gave us a free glass of wine as compensation. When we paid she thanked us for putting up with her!

On the drive back to Ucluelet we stopped one more time, on another lovely beach, to say goodbye to this part of the island.

Bye bye Tofino

We're off earlyish in the morning to drive the four hours to Victoria. Tonight is our penultimate night in Canada. We're still having a wonderful time. Enjoying it all to the very last.

Life on the edge

We're as far west as we can get! If we went any further we'd be east... 

After a fond farewell to John last night and Cathy this morning we set off for Horseshoe Bay in our black Ford Focus. Arrived early - no probs thanks to satnav (GPS) so had time for a coffee there before boarding the ferry, sitting out in hot, bright sunshine.

Horseshoe Bay from where we took the ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island

The boat journey was under two hours - a bit like Dover to Calais but a smaller ferry - so I had time to try poutine for the first time, a Canadian delicacy that Joseph reminded me about: Chips served with cheese curd and thick brown meaty gravy. Well, it was delicious. 

Roger at the helm

Looking out at the ocean from the ferry

Leaving the mainland

The scenery on the drive from Nanaimo across Vancouver Island to Ucluelet was spectacular - mountains, forests, low cloud, sunshine, lakes... 

Roger's arty shot from the moving car

We found our bed and breakfast on the second attempt - satnav not so reliable on this occasion - and on the way met a deer by the side of the road.

The deer was quite unconcerned and continued grazing while we stopped the car right beside it and took a photo

Our room is en suite with an equipped kitchenette - fridge, microwave, crockery, glasses, cutlery etc - so instead of finding a restaurant we went to the grocery store and had dinner at 'home'. We had chicken pot pie, bought from the deli counter and heated in the microwave, with salad. And a Greek thing - spinach and feta in filo pastry.

We found a liquor store, too, so we had a Canadian shiraz with our meal. Canadian wine is just fine - but expensive: you can't get anything for less than around £8 a bottle. 

Before dinner we went for a walk with the map our landlady gave us on arrival. She was very helpful and told us about where to walk, what sights to see, etc. Basically it's scenery - the Pacific Rim National Park: coast and ocean - and whales, if you're lucky. We may have to pay out for a boat trip if we want to see any, I fear. We were hoping to avoid the expense and see some from the shore.

Anyway, the walk was lovely. More temperate rain forest and fantastic coastline. 

Mossy trees

Roger catches a glimpse of the Pacific through the branches

Moonlight over the ocean - where debris from the Japanese tsunami is still being washed up

Lots of interesting grasses and ferns in the undergrowth

Rocks and trees

Now to bed. Tomorrow we'll explore this part of the island some more. I'm still hoping for whales...

About to start the last phase

Well, amazingly, our holiday is nearly over. But we have one last adventure to come - our visit to Vancouver Island. We picked up a rental car this morning. This one has California plates - so we continue to masquerade as Americans! Today we've planned our last few days in Canada. (Thank you Debbie and Ernie for the maps which have proved very useful.)

We'll drive to Horseshoe Bay tomorrow and get a ferry to Nanaimo on the island, then drive to Ucluelet on  the west coast, from where we hope to see whales in the Pacific. 

We've booked into a small hotel called the Wild Edge Lodge at Ucluelet for two nights, then we'll drive to Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. We'll not have long, but hope to get a flavour of the place during the afternoon, night and morning we're there. We've booked tickets to see Red, the play about Rothko that got good reviews in UK when it was on at the Donmar Warehouse (I think). We're staying at a Comfort Inn.

On Friday we'll get the ferry from Swartz Bay on the island to Tsawawwassen on the mainland and from there drive to Vancouver Airport, drop off the hire car and take the 'overnight' plane to Heathrow. But that's in a few days. In the meantime we'll continue to enjoy Canada and Cathy and John's hospitality.

Down town and dinner

The sun came out yesterday and we saw how Vancouver and environs are surrounded by mountains. Quite a stunning city, We went down town for lunch and visited the art gallery.

John demonstrates how to snort iced tea - a Glaswegian tradition imported to Canada in the 1950s

Saw some great Matisses and other stuff - an exhibition from the collection of Baltimore sisters Etta and Claribel Cone. Also interesting work by famous Canadian artist Emma Carr. Lovely day.

One of the more modern buildings in down town Vancouver

Big 'bean' bags for lazing about on outside Vancouver Art Gallery

Roger admires the tie dyed tee shirt stall near the art gallery

In the evening Chris (Cathy and John's elder son) came over with his partner Courtney, who works at the SPCA animal hospital. John made delicious cedar grilled sockeye salmon. I fear eating salmon back home is going to be a bit disappointing after the treats we've had over here - Pacific salmon does seem to have something over the Atlantic variety.

Chris and Courtney

Justin with his customary glass of milk!

Sorry Ernie, I've got a new boyfriend - meet Jordi

It was clearer today, so you can better see the mountain view from Cathy and John's balcony

Primeval Forest

Around the Capilano fish hatcheries in Vancouver is a tract of primeval forest with huge trees (many unfortunately cut down in a logging spree last century) and ferns. (See earlier pics). It would make a great setting for a creepy horror film I think.

Primeval forest

The William Shatner Stone. Or possibly an alien...

A large goblin-type creature. Or maybe another alien?

Definitely one for Halloween

Look carefully. Can you see the scary face?

And scarier still... Oh no, it's Jill