Solo getaway to Salt Spring Island ~ books, scent, skirt, tee and a sparkly vintage brooch.

 

I took myself away for 4 days to Salt Spring Island before our week at Pender.

I opted to stay close in town and park the car and walk to the shops and galleries.

My room overlooked the harbour.

The Salt Spring Island Inn was a very pleasant surprise.

It was built in 1937 and has been updated over the years...it has 7 rooms.

Three of the rooms have ensuite bathrooms and are advertised as deluxe rooms.

The 4 others share 2 separate bathrooms with showers.

It is very cozy.

The room was quiet and clean and had a TV which I never turned on once!

I purchased the deVol Kitchen Book from a fabulous shop called Rhubarb.

They have the MOST beautiful things in the shop...

they also have a website with some of their items.

I could have spent a fortune in there.

I finished knitting my neck warmer while I was at the Inn.

There is a wonderful cafe on the main floor.

It is popular with the locals and with tourists.

The food was really delicious and even though it was busy, 

the service was wonderful. The staff were friendly and animated.

I ate at the cafe every evening and opted for healthy meals.

(No fries or burgers)

Rain did not stop me from getting out and about...

I was out for an early morning walk before the shops opened up

when I spied this bottle on the sidewalk.

There must be a story here...

Pod has some amazing things inside!

European brands, cashmere sweaters scarves and hats.

Beautiful coats, clothes and shawls.

Met up with my friend Ali and she and I perused the shops.

She loves the Rhubarb Shop too so I went back with her again...

I went to 2 of the 3 thrift shops on SSI.

Found a sparkly brooch stamped Butler.

Love the size of the brooch...it makes a statement.

Found a basic tee top by Mododoc at Mouats.

 They have a vast selection of clothing and were having a sale.

I found the Golden Amber scent at Mondo...

it is woodsy and I love the fragrance.

Denim skirt also from Mouats.

I haven't had a denim skirt in many many years.

This will be a serious work horse in my wardrobe.

I am already planning what I am going to wear with it...

My crisp white shirt and pearls, tights and Black Chelsea Boots for a start...

Tee tops with my hand knit sweaters and vests.

Met up with Terry, my husband's cousin, who has lived on SSI for many decades.

We had a fun day together!

Terry is an avid walker and has made many trips to walk the Camino and various walks in the UK and Scotland.

She took me on a 5km walk in the Channel Ridge area.

I held my breath when she showed me a road that was so steep it went straight up!

I was VERY intimidated...

Terry was patient with me and said I'll talk and when you need to stop I'll wait.

Well I stopped 3 times to catch my breath but I did make it to the top.

After our walk she showed me wonderful areas of the Island that I had never visited.

For example, I had never been to the Mercantile...

The Woodshed

Glorious colours and a wide variety of veggies.

Beeswax Candles...

Fruits and Funghi

Salt Spring Island Kitchen Co.

They make wonderful and unusual jams, sauces, and vinegars.

Also sell the Salt Spring Island Cheeses and have yummy crackers too.

Tempting tasty samples too :-))

I bought two jars of jam...

Hot Mango and Onion and Thyme

The uber popular Francis Bread Bakery...

Totally loved these lights! They remind me of jellyfish.

Lots of tempting treats...

We had a delicious bowl of chowder at The Oystercatcher in Ganges.

Thank you Terry :-))

Went into Louise Campbell's Gallery...

colourful paintings and silk scarves.

I purchased 3 packages of art cards.

On November 11th there was a parade and a ceremony in the town square.

Many people turned out to watch the horses and Canadian Navy Bands.

After the event was over I grabbed a coffee 

then

 I checked out of the Inn and went to the bookstore to buy another book to take with me to Pender.

I read this book in a couple of days and have the sequel waiting at home.

I had never been to Pender from SSI before. It was fun to see the different scenery.

Well that about wraps up my holiday away...

Pender Sunset on our last evening...

I must apologize for being so slow at responding to emails!

I don't use my computer much when I am away.

I have laundry to tackle, bread to make, food to buy, and 

YES many emails to answer...

Only then will I read some more of Ina's new book!

What a lovely story!

Thank you for staying in touch and reading my blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Daytripping, a New Frock...and Snippets from the Humble Bungalow Garden

 

Still here...

maintaining positivity

while the ankle slowly mends.

I have gained weight with the lack of exercise...

mid March to Mid May with no aqua fit classes or long walks.

Once my mobility improves I am going to have to get serious about losing pounds.

I had my second xray today...

hopefully showing the fusing of the bones.

(fingers crossed)

Walking is much better, not too painful unless I walk too long.

The Pharmasave had these Pokoloko hooded beach cover ups for sale.

I don't own a proper cover up for the beach or the pool at the cottage 

so I grabbed this one in grey.

I justified the purchase quickly as I imagined wearing it on the cottage deck.

Or perhaps with cute sandals and my straw hat to the Farmer's Market?

I could use it as a robe, or to sleep in!

Waffle cotton...

(two trees are planted with every purchase)

Sooke River

Friends accompanied us on a day trip through Metchosin on the way to Sooke.

The scenery was green lush and gorgeous.

We stopped for a peek at Weirs Beach where my husband's family once owned a cottage.

Walked along the sandy beach and gazed across to the city and the majestic Olympic Mountain Range in Washington State.

Then we tootled along to Lester B. Pearson College, 

an international world college, 

one of 18 in the world.

We drove through the campus to see the beautiful architecturally designed buildings 

in the West Coast style...

My husband has done lots of architectural work for the college over the years.

Our friends had never been there.

Sooke River is a pristine spot, popular with locals for the pot holes and swimming.

The weather was wonderful!

We ventured into a thrift shop

I found and Italian scarf with hand rolled edges 

pink with burgundy designs.

($3.00)

Here is the scarf...

The Alliums are blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The bees LOVE these blooms.

These are planted in between the white Claire Austin roses 

which are growing on black obelisks just in front of the deck.

Primula Auriculas are putting on a show on the front porch.

We have them on a bamboo shelf unit that my husband painted black.

There are quite a few different varieties and colours.

Their blooms are like little happy faces...they make me smile.

Last week we had a really gloomy cool rain day...

I made my sourdough boule which warmed up the kitchen and made the house smell wonderful.

I decided that comfort food was called for so I made Hamburger Soup.

The recipe is from The Best of The Best of Bridge cookbook.

These cookbooks were very popular in the 1980's and 90's.

I only have the one book but it has some great recipes in it...

some feel nostalgic, others are totally retro!

I've drastically whittled down my cookbook collection...

I only have 3 Barefoot Contessa Books!

Various other books are among the group.

The small shelf the books sit on is only half full.

Do you have oodles of cookbooks?

Do you find recipes online?

What are your favourite cookbooks?

~ Cut Loose Linen Dress ~

Hooray I finally found a black linen dress!!!!

I have been looking for almost a year to find THE ONE.

Will be wearing it a LOT...

to the market, at the cottage, shopping, at a garden gathering.

Out for lunch or dinner...

the possibilities for wearing are endless.

I have black flip flops with rhinestones 

and white bow fronted shoes.

My straw black and white visor will work too...or my old straw hat.

Will carry my French Market straw tote...

have a white crinkle shawl from Paris which will be a good accessory.

Pearls too! 

Big ones or small ones...

I have set aside 6 garments to take to the consignment shop.

These will help to top up my clothing fund.

I am now thinking I could use a BIG Sterling Silver Bracelet...

I wonder if I can find one at the thrift shop???

What have you found at the Thrift Shops lately?

Have you been shopping?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam ~ Ketchikan and the towel creatures!

Colourful houses dot the shoreline in Ketchikan Alaska.

The sign welcoming us to town claims that Ketchikan 

is the "Salmon Capital of the World."

We arrived in port greeted by a misty rain.

We wandered the streets and stopped for a delicious bowl of crab bisque.

There are many historic buildings.

 Murals refer to rich history of Japanese and Filipino cultures.

The red light district of heritage houses built on stilts in a creek 

are now occupied by shops.

The town was very busy as there were 5 large cruise ships in port.

I had heard about the towels creatures that the stewards would be making for us.

Crab

Octopus

Elephant 

Dog

Monkey

There was a towel folding class on one of the sea days!

We did not attend.

So many options to consider when on board 

especially on Sea Days.

Mah Jong, Bridge, Bingo, Casino, Live theatre, Music venue, Computer classes, 

Pools, Spa, America's Test Kitchen, Movies, Lectures, and more.

The last cruise post is on the blog now...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam Skagway and Glacier Bay

Helicopters and seaplanes were waiting to take people up for tours.

There was a 8 hour train trip to The Yukon which was super popular.

We opted to walk around Skagway, visit the museums and explore the old town.

Vintage Train with snow removal equipment on the front.

The Gold Rush played a major role in the formation of these towns.

We stopped here for a cocktail...

there were tours of "the red light rooms" upstairs!

I love the driftwood on this building.

First Nations mask

Corrington Private Museum pieces

Trading beads

Love the signage.

After Skagway we made our way to Glacier Bay.

The glaciers were my favourite part of the cruise.

The water was turquoise...

these next photos speak for themselves.

We saw a few pleasure boats on our way to the Glaciers.

Permits are required to enter this area as it is a protected UNESCO park.

I will be back soon with more of the cruise highlights so watch for the next post.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~