It was another exhilarating day! We said goodbye to Roberto and, with our rental car, headed to Horseshoe Valley to get on the ferry for Nanaimo - but we had one important stop along the way!
That stop was in West Vancouver - Ridgeview Elementary School, to be exact.
Mrs. Meldrum is elusive no more!
That's right - I found Mrs. Meldrum! It worked out perfectly, as we arrived at the school during recess, so Amy had a few minutes of free time! The secretary called her into the office and as soon as she saw me, she smiled, hurried over, and gave me a hug! Dave took a photo of both of us - the two Mrs. Meldrums - holding the poster! Amy thanked us for our efforts and we said our goodbyes so that she could return to her busy school day. I received an email from her tonight, thanking us again. Trust me, Amy, it was our pleasure! I am so happy that the poster has a new home! How I love a happy ending!
We continued the drive up to Horsehoe Valley where we boarded the ferry. We had a bit of time to wait, so I grabbed a coffee and shortly afterwards Dave had an early lunch. He ordered white chowder - not knowing how huge the serving was - and, with determination, ate the whole thing. He loved every spoonful!
The ferry ride was spectacular - so many different shades of blue, thanks to the water, sky and distant mountains! With the sun shining down on us it felt like an August day, and not the last day of September! Today's ferry voyage brought me back to the time when Dave, Emma and I took the ferry from Scotland to Ireland to see my cousin David in Cork, when we just couldn't get enough of the scenery! And while we didn't hear an Irish accent today, we heard so many different languages - German, in particular, today. It seems like this time of year (in Vancouver and area) is still popular with tourists.
We arrived in Nanaimo, and I don't know what I was expecting, but everything was so "normal" - Nanaimo is a regular Canadian city with everything you could possibly want or need. Another misconception I had was that I thought fuel would be way more expensive here, but it was actually cheaper than some parts of Vancouver. Really, what do I know?
We drove out to Tofino, that little spot on Vancouver Island where you are an anomaly if you don't have a surfboard strapped to the roof of your vehicle! Oh, those beaches! And oh, those waves - I could listen to them crashing all day! And, yes, there were surfers out there doing their thing! I can just imagine what it must be like during the summer - Tofino must be teeming with people in July and August!
We went to Long Beach and Chesterman Beach, and walked along the shores, with so many of our senses in overload! Seeing the waves peak and then crash, hearing the constant rhythm of the ocean and the birds overhead, and feeling that cool air on our faces and in our hair - it was pure bliss!
For supper, we went to this little pizza place in "downtown" Tofino - they had a wood-fired oven and local beer, so it was the perfect spot to stop, savour and chat. We then headed to our B&B in Nanaimo, which is way, way up on a cliff overlooking the ocean - I will get a picture of it tomorrow!
And that's where I shall leave you for tonight. I'm not sure I'll be ready to leave the island tomorrow evening...
Sweet dreams, all!
~CC xoxo
