Leavin' on a Jet Plane

It's not easy to say goodbye to such great travel companions and friends as Hildegard and Matthias.  I am a bit weepy as we part.

The day started with a walking tour of Nanaimo, where the ferry picks us up from Vancouver Island.  The locals are history buffs and shoot a cannon daily from this spot at noon.

We take the history walk and look at old buildings and learn about the bustling coal mining economy that was Nanaimo's heyday.  Coal beat out gold for ensuring wealth and jobs.  

The Presbyterian Church was prominent back in the day.  Architecture is very Presby-like.

We have to finally try a Nanaimo bar.  These rich treats are very Canadian, and served everywhere we have been.  The origins are shrouded in mystery with many locales claiming ownership.  Nanaimo has the name locked in, so they win by default.

None of us slept too well and perhaps it is a little end-of-the-trip blues.  Matthias finds a warm spot on the ferry deck for a nap in the sun.  I drink way too much coffee to try to summon some good cheer.  Hilda has a humorous book she picked up at Fraserway when we dropped off the Adventurer 4.  The bookcase there of donated books is telling - there are four times more German books than any other language. The smallest section is the English books!

Last night we had our finale dinner at a highly rated restaurant, Bistro at Westwood.  We were a little doubtful by the location in an out-of-the-way Country Club, but the ambiance was cosy and be food excellent.  We enjoyed recounting our favorite adventures and camp spots.

Today is our travel day, but Ben and I spend our morning strolling through the UBC Botanical Garden in a rainy mist. In addition to beautiful gardens and a woodland with exotic and indigenous trees, we also enjoy canopy walk tour.  

The system of securing the swinging bridges and canopy platforms is engineered to not damage the trees or inhibit their growth.  A system of pressure I s used that tightens the harnesses against the tree under the weight of people.  They call it "tree hugging and tree kissing."

We meet a super nice couple from Toronto, Tam and Theresa.  They are headed to Ucluelet and Tofino, so we share our favorite spots.  They love the California central coast, so we tell them  to call us if they get over our way.

We spend our last Canadian dollars at the Fairmont Hotel bar at YVR.  Here's a toast to you, Matthias and Hildegard.  We look forward to seeing you next year in Germany.  Danke und viel Liebe.