Feelin’ Alright

Seems I've got to have a change of scene.
Every night I have the strangest dreams.
Imprisoned by the way it could have been.
Left here on my own or so it seems.
I've got to leave before I start to scream.
Won't someone lock the door and turn the key.

OK, that’s a little dramatic, but the fact is I haven’t posted anything on this app since March 6, 2020 when the whole world shut down. Since then, the only traveling Brenda and I have done was to Whistler last October to celebrate our anniversary. Needless to say, as accustomed as we were to frequent trips away, staying put in Vancouver for eighteen months has left us with an itch that wasn’t being scratched. Well, this week we decided to quell that urge and have a little cycling getaway to Salt Spring Island.

This is my first trip to any of the Gulf Islands and Brenda’s first attempt at cycle-tourism since our rather disastrous 2015 Portugal trip. Early Tuesday morning we strapped on our backpacks, jumped on our folding bikes and rode to the nearest Skytrain station. From there it was only a few stops to the bus that would take us to the Tsawassen Ferry terminal. We took the milk run ferry that stopped at Mayne, Galiano and Pender Islands before arriving at our destination at about 1:45 PM. The crossing was fantastic under a clear blue sky that allowed us to enjoy the entire trip seated on the upper sun deck. We were even treated to the sight of a humpback whale breaking the surface not far from the starboard side of the ship. The islands themselves are beautiful: thickly forested and dominated by steep rolling hills.

In fact, upon our arrival we quickly realized that this cycling trip was not going to be a ride in the park. Leaving the ferry we immediately came to a long slow climb before rapidly descending into the town of Ganges where we stopped for lunch at the Tree House Cafe. With our bellies filled with food and beer, we made our way towards our accommodations, about 5 kms away. Although GoogleMaps assured us the route was mostly flat, it is anything but. As I arrived at the top of our first steep 40 metre climb, I realized I had forgotten Brenda’s Berkey water bottle in the restaurant. Back down the hill, retrieve the bottle and up again to re-join Brenda. With all the ups and downs, we climbed 91 more metres, with full backpacks and repair kit on board, before we arrived at our room. Under bright sunshine and 26 degrees, I was literally melting.

While in town, we bought a couple of salad kits which we ate for dinner while seated on the deck overlooking St Mary Lake and enjoying the sunset.

Feelin’ alright, mm, hmmm.Read more