An Island Cruise

After saying our farewells to Shelley and Courtney we followed familiar roads to spend a couple of very pleasant hours with Di & Bud. Di was a year 7 teacher at Bothwell Elementary when Julie was on exchange in 2007 and they were close friends during that exchange. Our visit was improved when another Bothwell teacher Marg and her husband Les called in as well.

Bud gave us directions to the Tswassen BC Ferry terminal and we were very glad he did as Vancouver seems to have had a makeover of their road system and if we had relied on Mrs G’s knowledge we’d have never made the BC Ferry on time. As it was we were among the last cars to board. But board we did and we were away across the ultra flat Georgia Straight!

We looked without success for our caboose (website) but we did fondly remember our brief moment of living in a very different type of paradise complete with outdoor bath that gave us a great view of the BC Ferries as they plied the Active Pass waters. Of course seafood chowder was the meal we chose and it remained as delightful as it was during 2007, doesn’t take too much to satisfy hungry Antipodeans. And an hour on the ferry is a great place for a little catchup.

Disembarking was relatively easy but finding our accommodation for the night was less so. Addresses and phone numbers seemed to have changed. What to do? We did finally make contact and with batteries on Apple appliances running low and appetites increasing we decided to grab a quick meal. Chinatown’s Arches beckoned us more than Ronald’s or Tim’s did so we looked for a quick inexpensive Chinese Meal.

What we got made the restaurant at Fawlty Towers worth 5 Hats in the Good Food Guide. Dreadful service followed by an even worse meal made The Ocean Gardens a restaurant to remember. We were too shocked to photograph the Chicken Chou Mein for the blog. If we point out that the meat in the dish appeared to be sliced sandwich chicken with lots of noodles in a sauce that would make do as some type of chemical weapon that may paint a picture of what we received. We left before the other dish that had “been forgotten” by the cook had been found. The memory will live with us for a looooooooong time!!!!!!!!!!

We arrived at our friend Karen’s place and told of the experiences of the past few hours. A couple of drinks, tall tales and true of our legendary past travels and future plans along with a comfortable bed made the memories of dinner fade as we prepared for the next day.

Karen is just moving back into her house after two years teaching in Istanbul, which made breakfast at her place difficult so we headed for a restaurant for the morning meal. The first choice had more people waiting outside than were actually eating inside so we went to Plan B. Now that was good until the ExTerrestrial lost the Honda but after a nice jaunt around the Victoria Waterfront we were reunited and joined another slightly shorter queue. The wait was worth it as the meal was great at the Blue Foxhttp://www.thebluefoxcafe.com/ and the conversation matched the breakfast. All good but not 100% Swank! 

All good things have to pass so we had to take our leave and head toward the “love shack by the lake” for the next part of the adventure!!