Get up fairly early for a light breakfast and finish off the packing. Check out at 9 a.m., because we think we'll need a fair amount of time to drive to Horseshoe Bay in the remnants of rush hour traffic and get there 30 mins before our Ferry. Actual result = arriving almost an hour before sailing and having plenty of time to park up and walk into the village and buy the Starbuck's flavour of the month coffee, Dark Cherry Mocha - yum yum!!
Ferry sailing is smooth and quiet. In fact we're so used to it by now that we don't even move out of our chairs for most of the journey, preferring to get some rest as we both woke up early and have a longish drive ahead of us. Jim buys 2 new books to read and braves the wind to take a couple of photos just as we near Departure Bay, Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
A bonus is that it is a good few degrees warmer over here than on the mainland, and to celebrate we stop almost immediately for a lunch break at the Cactus Club Cafe for a lightish lunch, just a "light" salmon sandwich and salad and a burger - although we don't eat all the bread and Jim leaves most of his fries. The pint of Coke causes major burping for the next hour of the journey but did go down well with lunch!
We turn off Hwy 19 and onto Hwy 4 to begin the slower but prettier route - just as the rain begins, and gets worse, and gets worse and gets worse. Apologies for the terrible photos, but it didn't stop the whole way. It hasn't stopped now either. Jim stopped at Tourist Info just outside Tofino and I thought he was going to get blown all the way back to Nanaimo!!
Arrived at The Wickaninnish Inn just before 4 pm to the sight of driving rain, gale force winds and crashing waves from the Pacific Ocean. It reminds us of a stormwatch break in Cornwall but with 10 times the ferocity. Methinks we will be needing the free bright yellow waterproof jackets, matching blue storm trousers and free wellies they give out for walks along the beach while we're here.
If we never have to leave our room again, who cares, it's amazing, with every comfort you could think of, double soaker bath tub, walk-in shower, scented candles, two gas fireplaces with real flames, a KETTLE for tea! The list goes on and so does Carol, taking pictures of all these delights. Oh and there's a "turn down" service so when we get back from our meal at The Pointe Restaurant over in the other part of the hotel, we come back to one of the two CD players on and Michael Buble singing soft jazz to us. Yep they give you free CD's, there's a library of books, mags and DVD's to take out. So it's off with the Buble, on with Sarah McClachlan and fill up that tub for a soak.
The food at the restaurant was sublime. Jim had duck breast with various accompaniments and Carol the most wonderful pork dish ever. Pork loin accompanied by a slow-roasted piece of pork belly wrapped in Proscuittio and served with prunes and vegetables. But it was the desserts that completely won us over. Jim had white chocolate panacotta with blood orange sauce and frappe drink and fresh mandarin and Carol had 4 flavours of home made ice cream and sorbet - coffee and pistachio ice cream and melon and pink lady apple sorbet. To absolutely die for! They make all ice cream, butter and the most amazing flavoured bread themselves. We are so very glad we are going back to dine there on Weds again - Carol wants that panacotta!! Or does she want the ice cream again? Decisions decisions.
But now it's bed, a great big King size one crafted from cedar. Can't beat the Canadians and their love for wood. It's not as if they don't have enough of it - lost count of the amount of logging trucks we passed on the way here!
Sweet dreams everyone!
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