Up Up and Away … Goodbye to Canada …

I will have arrived back in little old England and will be back in my old home town of Eastbourne … by the time you read this …

Seven Sisters and Cuckmere cottages

... having left on Thursday 29^th … overnight at Calgary, arrive back at Gatwick in the middle of the morning on Saturday 1^st December … being collected – I’m glad to say with my luggage! – by my brother …

I think I have a flat to go to … need to sort that out and should be in by the middle of December … a few things are planned after that – and then I’ll be settling in to normality …

Eastbourne panorama looking east towards Hastings

Reefs seen from the float plane

… my friends, and those in the various organisations I belong to – haven’t forgotten me – and so I’ll be back going to talks etc … at least my brain won’t atrophy …

The bays - Cowichan Bay

Once I’m up and settled then I’ll be back to normal – though may just take my time til early January 2019 – oh how time flyeth …

Victoria from a float plane trip

 I will miss lots about living here – it’s been a pleasure and I look forward to coming back at some stage … views to die for, opportunities not to miss,  food and vino I've enjoyed ... 

When I was out the other day ...

My wine tour was conducted by Cheers Cowichan ... and is well worth doing - they pick you up ... from all over the show - eg Villa Eyrie ... a place I'd love to visit ... 

Cowichan Bay cafe

BlueGrouseEstate Winery … present owners have knowledge of Peruvian vineyard as they lived down there … 

Avocado and Crab salad at Cow Cafe

Zanatta – lunch here … Vinoteca restaurant ... see Monday's and Friday's posts ... 

Island Oysters 'Antoine' with pernod at Cow Cafe

Enrico Winery  ... another vineyard with a difference ... 

CherryPoint – very early vineyard, then taken over by First Nations, then bought back and now a vineyard again …

Trees, trees, old and new

One last story appropriate to this ever changing world …

I was in one of the local liquor stores ... and two, what (in England) I would call construction guys - but here ... probably loggers or similar ... I'm waiting to pay by the open door ... 

Cowichan estuary looking out from a hide

... there's a heavy smell - almost dung, tobacco, brewery extracts ... I remark on it ... the cashier looks at me and looks at them ... I'm oblivious and keeping a cheery face ... 

I never saw one of these ... but love the board
letting us know they are around - wildlife will be missed

... they are in the other queue (not to say there's a queue often in this part of Canada) buying their evening drink ... 

Cannabis

I wonder where the smell is coming from ... as do the others ... but it's a sort of 'difficult' situation - anyways I pays my way and offs I go ...

Cowichan harbour - floating homes

I go in again about a week later - and the cashier says - oh you remember those guys: yes, I say ... they came in earlier today too - and as they came through, they asked me if that English lady was here??!!

History - these plots were allocated
to the early settlers ... and I have
to tell you more about these maps -
they are on show in Cobble Hill

No - she says and they apparently all have another good laugh - which I will now join in with ... they'd been smoking cannabis ... gosh it reeks and hangs around ... 

We laugh away ... with more repartee ... and comments about these working lads - and my English accent ... then I say I'm going home and she says - oh no ... I'm so enjoying your company ... I'll miss your way with words and conversation ... 

The evening sun glistening through some
of the many trees

So for now – goodbye Canada … and yes for my blogging friends I will continue with my pioneering series, 



and other things I'd like to alert you to - an art gallery, a perfumier par excellence in my book, and lots of other subjects that I've never got round to ... so Canada will continue from the coast of little old England.

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories