Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Holiday snippets and snapshots...part 2

The mountain of laundry has been washed, folded and ironed and it feels so good to be back on top of the chores.

Chester has definitely warmed up and is back to his former tricks...
a few more snapshots from our holidays.


Port Browning Harbour on Pender Island.
Mr. HB and I have been going there since the 1970's
when it was called Scot's Lair the bagpiper would play the pipes at the raising and lowering of the flag right atop this rocky outcropping.

The Marina is close to the Driftwood Centre which has a fabulous book shop, a gift store, pharmacy and a well stocked food market...
basically all the things we might need are a 10 minute walk from the boat.


This horse saw us walking by the fence and came over to say hello.


After checking us out it proceeded to munch on some dandelions.


The view from our walk along Razor Point Road.
This windmill was beside a farm stand that sold veggies, jams, wool and eggs.

We walked briskly for an hour in the hot sun to visit the Sea Star Winery.
I had worked up quite a thirst and the wine was chilled!








a lovely glimpse of the ocean from the top of the hill


There was a food truck from the Hope Bay Bistro on site and a Farmer's Market with veggies, breads, jewelry, pottery, flowers.
An acoustic guitarist played while we dined...
 I had tasty fish tacos for lunch with a glass of wine.


The Ortega is especially nice for al fresco summer time dining and BBQ's.


When we pack for our cruising holidays on our SeaRay 
we plan ahead and bring lots of books.
One of the luxuries of being away from our usual demands and routines mean that we can devote a good chunk of time to reading.
There are no distractions like TV or the Internet as WI-Fi coverage is spotty and unreliable.

Colm Toibin's Nora Webster is a gem...I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Jude the Obscure

I have another couple of instalments of the holiday snaps coming up...
with so many photos I need to break them up so that they don't bog down the Blogger site!
Hope that your week is a good one.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks so nice and peaceful-a real holiday!
I used to go out on my sea holidays (nothing crazy-a walk,drink or dinner)-now I am so happy on my balcony,sipping the wine and watching the sea. As much I like going out in the city-I appreciate the peace,sea,stars,smell of immortelle,lavender and rosemary and crickets
Dottoressa

Rosie said...

What an idyllic vacation Leslie ....just perfect, so relaxing! Thanks for sharing all your pictures ...I'm really enjoying travelling with you :) Looking forward to the next instalment.
Take care and have a wonderful week.
Rosie

DaniBP said...

It's so gorgeous out west, lovely photos, the trees and the ocean, just beautiful!
I love a holiday that allows lots of reading and just calming down, away from the hectic everyday. xx

KSL said...

Looks like perfection. I read 5 books on our vacation too, and it's nice because it gets me in the habit again. Do you swim in the ocean there or is it too cold?

Madame Là-bas said...

Lovely pictures! There are so many coastal spots to visit. A reading holiday is great. I really enjoyed Nora Webster. I would read other books by Colm Tóibín. I tried to start a book called Irish Linen last night. It was written by Andrew Greeley and was really not interesting to me. I've got a lot of holds coming available from the library so this is really a reading summer. Have you read The Summer Before The War by Helen Simonson? That will be my next book when I get home. Your Jude the Obscure roses are always so beautiful.

christy said...

Thanks for sharing these snippets of your vacation and the beautiful pics. A reading vacation sounds like heaven.

Lorrie said...

I just read your previous post, and now this one. Lovely photos of our beautiful coastal environment. There is much to see and do on the Gulf Islands - your wine tour sounds great. And there's lots of walking to get places when you don't have a vehicle (other than a boat). Because of our overseas trip we are not getting out on the boat much this summer. Perhaps a weekend in September.
Your reading selections are ones I'm adding to my list. Enjoy being at home.

Susan Coleman said...

Lovely photos. Looks and sounds like a delightful holiday.

Pondside said...

What a lovely holiday that must have been Hostess! Your photos are beautiful, and I could imagine how good a crisp, cool wine would have felt on a dust-dry throat!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Sounds like you appreciate and savour the fine things in life and your attitude of gratitude makes life richer and more meaningful.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Rosie...hope your week is going well too.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

We were tired with all the fresh salt air and were asleep before 10:00 most nights and woke rested...I just wish that we could replicate that habit at home!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The pools are where I swim as I do like my water warm...lots of the younger folks swam in the ocean. I used to swim in the sea...but it is chilly!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The Summer Before the War is on my list...the holds on popular books at our local library are really long. Sometimes the wait is months...but well worth the wait if the book is good.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Reading holidays are a luxury...I do read a bit each day here at home but of course there are chores, the garden, and other obligations and distractions that prevent me from devoting myself completely to a book.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Your trip looked wonderful...do you have any book recommendations for me?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Susan...it was fun and totally relaxing.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Yes the chilled wine was so tasty and then I was parched by the time we got back to the boat....the heat was almost oppressive! A bottle of Perrier and a cold mist with my fan was required...later in the evening we sipped another glass of vino!

thepoutingpensioner said...

Thanks for sharing those lovely places you visited. Your pics are super special as usual, and showcase Canada beautifully.
What impresses me equally is not so much that your holiday laundry is already washed, but that it is also ironed and folded, it would take me MANY weeks to get to that stage - so well done you!

Kristien62 said...

What beautiful shots of your lovely country. I love Canada and, as a young family, we vacationed in Quebec and Ontario often. British Columbia is on our list now that we are back to being a couple and your pictures are beckoning me to make the trip as soon as we can.

For this year, we are traveling to Outer Banks, NC and youngest son will be joining us. Our vacation, like yours, involves books, an evening refreshment and much needed relaxation. Add a pool, the beach and a few excursions to the shops. It's been a hot and busy summer so the September trip is much anticipated.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I love doing laundry...Mr. HB designed and renovated our basement so that it is a bright space where I am able to enjoy the time I spend working there.
I used to dislike ironing but i have learned to change the way I look at the chore...I focus on the finished results more than the process!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Quebec is so beautiful in the Fall ....with the Laurentian mountains clad in their leafy autumnal colours...your trip in September sounds lovey especially when you get to travel with your son!