Vancouver Island

I've been putting off blogging about Canada partly because my brain has melted with the heat and partly because although I know our vacation is over I didn't want to admit that it really was...

But here goes, pictures from Canada...

Our first trip was to Vancouver Island. We took the ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo and went to a family picnic before driving down the Island to Victoria. We stayed with a family friend in Victoria for two nights and then took the ferry from Victoria back to Tsawwassen.

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We were up early and on the 7 am ferry to Nanaimo (famous for its dessert, the Nanaimo bar, which, besides the coconut, is just about perfect!). The weather was (coconut-less and thus) perfect - sunny and cloudless blue skies that stuck with us for most of our time in Canada!

Our friend in Victoria lives right on the beach and has an ever fascinating and ever changing view. 

Unfortunately we weren't the only ones enjoying the view - the seagulls and Canada geese were very fond of the little sandspit, very vocally fond... especially at midnight.. and 1 am... and 2 am... and... all night until my father snuck out in his pjs and started lobbing rocks from our friend's rock garden at the sandspit. The geese took off in a huff and didn't come back!

Victoria is a picturesque town, said to be "more British than Britain," (although we ended up having Mexican for lunch - really good fast food Mexican) home to the Empress Hotel 

and Craigdarroch Catle 

and a few brew pubs with taster sets with six beers to try.

All too soon, however, it was time to head back to Vancouver. This time we took the ferry from Victoria to  Tsawwassen 

and then back to Vancouver, although not for long!