One day in Vancouver ...

Sunrise over the Gulf Islands

On Thursday morning, it was time to say goodbye to the Gulf Islands and continue on my adventure.  Since we were flying out of Vancouver back to Calgary, I decided to fly in a few hours before the family to squeeze in some sightseeing.  I was very keen to see Vancouver after many Australians had commented that it reminded them of Melbourne or Sydney.  The first sea plane into Vancouver offered a spectacular view as we flew over the Gulf Islands and past snow capped mountains, to land in the middle of Downtown Vancouver.  

Gulf Islands from the air

Heading into Vancouver


Since I only had a few hours, I decided to rent a bike so I could cover as much space as possible.  I began by cycling around Stanley Park, which many people had recommended.  The views of the mountains and harbour were wonderful.  The beaches weren't anything special, but thanks to the hot weather, many people were sun baking and swimming.  I reached the end of Stanley Park and decided to keep following the seawall to see where I would end up.  Without a map, I was a little worried when the sea wall ran out but kept going, using the mountains to gauge my location.  Tackling Vancouver this way gave me a great sense of the city and thanks to my moments of mapless disorientation, I found myself cycling through some pretty residential areas, Chinatown and Gastown before finally ending up back in Coal Harbour where I began my journey.  

Vancouver Harbour

Doesn't it look like Hobart?


So, did I think Vancouver was more like Melbourne or Sydney?  Well, I couldn't see any physical resemblance to Melbourne but I'm sure that there are plenty of cultural activities happening in Vancouver that would rival Melbourne's cultural scene.  I can see the similarities to Sydney, with the city being based around the water.  But the Australian city that Vancouver really reminded me of was Hobart, just on a bigger scale.  The harbour surrounded by the mountains really made me feel homesick for Hobart, something that I haven't felt for a long time.

Downtown Vancouver

Riding around Stanley Park

Canada Place

Olympic Torch

Odd sculptures dotted Downtown Vancouver

Gastown

Sunset paddling ....

Exploring the Ganges Harbour

For my last night in the Gulf Islands, I wanted to do something a little different, so I decided to join a sunset kayak tour.  R. and the kids decided to join me, since they were fatherless for the evening.  We paddled from Ganges out to Chocolate Beach, a small man-made beach on a little island which is also owned by the family.  The paddle took us through the busy Ganges harbour and past several small islands, including Deadman Island.  At Chocolate Beach, we stopped for muffins and juice before heading back towards the setting sun.  The three hour paddle wet my appetite for kayaking so I'm looking forward to enjoying it some more when we return to the island in September.  For the meantime, goodbye Gulf Islands!

Paddling towards Deadman Island

Chocolate Beach

View from Chocolate Beach

The Tree House Cafe ...

Tree House Cafe

Salt Spring is full of lots of great cafes and little restaurants but the one that I keep gravitating back to is the Tree House Cafe.  It is just very cool.  They do great food (gluten free options too), have some nice wines and serve the most wickedly delicious Polar Bear hot chocolate (with peppermint liqueur and kahlua) .... yum!  It is here that our 'staff meetings' occur - R. and I enjoy an afternoon glass of wine while discussing the summer curriculum plans (no bad coffee and bickering over yard duty rosters thank you very much!).  Last night, we headed in for the open mic night and enjoyed some good music and watched the sun set.  At last, I have found a cafe with some character in Canada ... no Starbucks here!

And yes, it is built around a tree

On the way into open mic night at the Tree House

The 'hang' drum at open mic night

The way home

The joy of learning ....

School time on the island


The island really is a magical place to learn.  There is something just so cosy and joyful about having 'school' in a cottage in the middle of the woods on an island.  Or going to the beach for a reading session.  R, B and I are getting right back to the heart and soul of learning - asking questions, reading, exploring ideas and playing games.  A huge benefit of home-schooling is not having to rigidly stick to particular units of study.  We have complete freedom to build the curriculum around the children's interests and wherever we are in the world.  Right now, Ten year old B is fascinated by the world wars, so we're jumping straight into high school history with a unit on World War I.  I'm a little nervous about it given my lack of historical knowledge.  Six year old R and I are reading and exploring fairy tales - tomorrow, we are hiking the 'Fairy Door' track again to spend time reading and gathering inspiration for our own fairy tale.  My only worry is ... how will I ever go back into a classroom again?!

Views from Deadman Island .....

Looking out towards Ganges, the main town on Salt Spring Island

Despite the fact that I didn't leave the island yesterday, I still managed to take a couple of pictures of the views from this spectacular place.  Deadman Island has some interesting history behind it.  In the 1850s, two indigenous Canadian tribes had a battle on the island, with the winning tribe placing the heads of the dead men on the beach, hence the name, Deadman Island.  Quite a gory history for such a tiny island.

The beach that once held the heads of the losing indigenous tribe.  Now, it is home to children's swings

Looking out towards the family's other small islands

Sunset towards Ganges

North American menus ....

A 'doughboy' - 10 year old B. convinced me that this was a 'must have' at the Salt Spring market.  For me, it was a 'once only' experience.  If this doughboy was on a menu, it would be described as being 'piled high with fruit and smothered in berry sauce and whipped cream' (unfortunately, the stall had run out of whipped cream)

When you travel and therefore dine on your own, there is plenty of time to people watch and read the menu.  Recently, I have noticed a theme in the language used in North American menus.  The language consistently refers to the quantity and size of the menu items.  Terms such as 'loaded with', 'smothered with', 'bottomless' and 'piled high' pop up on these menus with alarming frequency.  Perhaps there is a link between this and America's obesity rate?!  Obviously, this observance has been made in mid-range restaurants, not high class places like Ilili or Giorgione, two places that I was lucky enough to visit during my stay in New York.  Perhaps, I need to find a dining companion so that I can occupy my time with conversation rather than analysing the menu?!

An island adventure ....

Long Harbour

My brother often asks if I actually do any work and the answer is "Of course!"  The truth is that I do work.  In fact, I work very hard - I spend an intense 7 hours with the children each day and another hour or two planning and getting ready for the next day.  The reason I have so many adventures is that my free time is simply jam packed with exciting things.  Particularly here on the island, where I spend most of my spare time with the family.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that I live in such a spectacular place.

Private docks

The picnic site

Today's adventure was blessed with the first hint of summery weather - blue skies and the beautiful warmth of the sun.  The day began with a pancake breakfast party to celebrate Canada Day at a beautiful property in Long Harbour, about 20 minutes by boat from Deadman Island.  Here, I sampled a Canadian breakfast of pancakes piled high with bacon, sausages and maple syrup.  Interesting combination.  Following breakfast, I offered to help the children rowing on the lagoon but I think I hindered more than helped.

A warm lagoon

Hidden houses

Following a wonderful morning soaking up the sunshine, we headed into Ganges, the main town on Salt Spring Island.  Summer time Saturday mornings bring all the locals and summer residents into town for the famous Salt Spring market where farmers sell their produce and local artists promote their wares.  We were too late for most of the healthy produce but there were still plenty of not-so-healthy home baked goods for us to sample.

According to local sources, this is Barbara Streisand's boat.  Check out the helicopter!

Ganges Harbour

The afternoon provided great people watching as hippies and well-to-do summer visitors mingled together in the sunshine.  As we sat and watched the goings-on, B. and I tried to define the word 'hippy' and had fun categorising people based on the number of facial piercings, the cleanliness of their hair, and the presence of underarm hair in the women.  Salt Spring also produces an enormous amount of marijuana, which further adds to the hippy label.  We had an interesting encounter with an old hippy who makes wooden contraptions that are spun in front of your closed eyes, causing you to see strange pyschedelic patterns.   A weird sensation.

The famous Salt Spring market

Pyschedelic lighting experience

I must not be used to the summer sunshine because I returned from today's adventure feeling a little weary and ready for an afternoon nap.  No rest for the wicked though, another dinner is on the cards tonight.  Tomorrow, however, I will return to 'work' mode and do some planning and catch up on my uni reading.  So, while I do work, I somehow manage to fit a lot of adventures into my spare time.

Funky music