Dinner with Jan and Caron, Chemainus, BC, Canada 8/10/2013

AUGUST 10, 2013 (Saturday)

 

Excited for today. We had been contacted about a month ago by a couple who live on this beautiful island. They were very kind and invited us to dinner. We arranged a date that worked for both of us and today is that day!

We left about noon and picked up the cupcakes we had ordered yesterday at Ooh La La, got gas, and stopped at a couple of garage sales. Didn’t buy anything but had fun looking. We then just started driving around Highway 17. We explored the cute little town of Sidney, drove around and saw Brentwood Bay then back to catch up with Highway 1.

Today's drive.
Today’s drive.
Tonight's dessert! Ooh La La cupcakes.
Tonight’s dessert! Ooh La La cupcakes.
The waterfronts are often developed into some parking stalls, walkways, beach access, and glorious flowers.
The waterfronts are often developed into some parking stalls, walkways, beach access, and glorious flowers.
Sidney is a neat coastal town, on a island filled with neat coastal towns.
Sidney is a neat coastal town, on a island filled with neat coastal towns.

 

Everything has a cool, clean, fresh feel to it.
Everything has a cool, clean, fresh feel to it.

 

Typical bay/harbor/strait view.
Typical bay/harbor/strait view.

Once we caught up with Highway 1, we went to Langford to the Costco there. We were wanting to get some wine to take to dinner tonight. We were surprised that you can’t buy any liquor in any store, that you need to buy at a specially licensed wine store. We found the “Everything Wine” store close to the Costco and then hit the road again. We stopped at the Malahat Lookout, which is spectacular and informative.

A fine Canadian wine store.
A fine Canadian wine store.
Malahat Lookout (part 1).
Malahat Lookout (part 1).
Malahat Lookout (part 2).
Malahat Lookout (part 2).
Malahat Lookout (part 3)
Malahat Lookout (part 3)

Then on up the road to explore Duncan. Duncan BC, the town of totems, and that’s no lie. What a great place. I’m sure we didn’t see all the totems but we saw at least a hundred. Lovely.

Everywhere we go on Vancouver Island we find touching memorials to the war dead.
Everywhere we go on Vancouver Island we find touching memorials to the war dead.
Duncan Totems
Duncan Totems
Duncan Totems
Duncan Totems
Totem
Totem
Totem
Totem
Totem
Totem
Duncan Totem with round building in background.
Duncan Totem with round building in background.

 

Totems
Totems
Totem
Totem
Metal sculpture of wooden totem.
Metal sculpture of wooden totem.

 

Totems
Totems

 

Duncan City Hall.
Duncan City Hall.

After that we headed on to Chemainus. Love this quaint little place. Pictures don’t do it justice. Didn’t appreciate how close to the water it is.

Chemainus city sign.
Chemainus city sign.
Edie's penchant
Edie’s penchant
Edie's penchant.
Edie’s penchant.
Nice, clean, fresh, coastal town.
Nice, clean, fresh, coastal town.
Getting close to our friend's house.
Getting close to our friend’s house.

We got to Jan and Caron’s place a little too early so we went back to the Saltair Pub and had a drink. Great place. The food looks delicious too, and reasonably priced. We saw a bench just outside the pub that was dedicated to “John Higgins.” We asked the employee inside about John Higgins, who died in 2012. We had a friend named John Higgins who also died in 2012. Not the same one, but small world. Also, while we were visiting with Jan and Caron, we told them about the bench and they said their names are on the plaque for the dedication, that John Higgins was a good friend of theirs.

Saltair liquor store, next to the Saltair pub.
Saltair liquor store, next to the Saltair pub.

 

Saltair Sign
Saltair Sign
Inside the Salt Air Pub.
Inside the Salt Air Pub.
We really liked the warm friendly feeling inside the local neighborhood pubs.
We really liked the warm friendly feeling inside the local neighborhood pubs.
Nice, friendly staff at the Salt Air Pub.
Nice, friendly staff at the Salt Air Pub.
Placard on memorial bench at Saltair Pub.
Placard on memorial bench at Saltair Pub.

We got to Jan and Caron’s place around 5:30 PM. What a beautiful home they have and what fun, generous and welcoming people. They showed us around their place. They have a little over an acre with three places on it. Two are occupied and the third is a “vacation retreat.” All beautiful. They have it decorated beautifully and it was such fun getting to visit with them. Jan had made the most delicious lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. Extra lean ground sirloin, excellent cheeses, a great sauce. It was an excellent dinner. We got to share information about timeshares, booking strategies and personal stories. We got to laugh a lot.

Jan and Caron's lovely home.
Jan and Caron’s lovely home.
We enjoyed the deck for much of out visit.
We enjoyed the deck for much of out visit.
Jan showing Edie and I the rental house and retreat cottage.
Jan showing Edie and I the rental house and retreat cottage.
Back of the main home.
Back of the main home.
The cottage is a great one bedroom one bath place that zoning laws won't allow for full time occupancy.  Jan loves the wood burner in cold weather and works from here sometimes.  Would at least be a tax write off in the US.
The cottage is a great one bedroom one bath place that zoning laws won’t allow for full time occupancy. Jan loves the wood burner in cold weather and works from here sometimes. Would at least be a tax write off in the US.
Front yard.  Looks like a lot of work keeping the grounds nice.  They do a great job, it all looked wonderful.
Front yard. Looks like a lot of work keeping the grounds nice. They do a great job, it all looked wonderful.
Lots of beautiful potted plants on the deck.
Lots of beautiful potted plants on the deck.
Lots...
Lots…
Lasagna and garlic bread.  The plates are huge, the servings were very generous.
Lasagna and garlic bread. The plates are huge, the servings were very generous.
Dinner included and excellent salad with variety of dressings and some cheese.
Dinner included an excellent salad with variety of dressings and some cheese.

After dinner we had the cupcakes. The cupcakes were a surprise because there was a little bit of “surprise filling” inside each. Mine (lemon) had a raspberry surprise. Michael’s (triple bypass) has a chocolate surprise. Very good. We could have talked all night but the drive back in darkness and dodging deer is always worrisome so we left around 9 PM to head back to Victoria BC. We are hopeful we’ll get to catch up with them again. They are now part of our “blog family.”

Jan and Caron saying goodbye at evening's end.  Nice people, fun, so glad we got a chance to share an evening in their beautiful home.
Jan and Caron saying goodbye at evening’s end. Nice people, fun, so glad we got a chance to share an evening in their beautiful home.

That was our wonderful day. Hope yours was good.