Chemainus

Well today was a pretty interesting day. I had organised it prompted by reading books a friend had lent me and had organised the day with information from the internet, a couple of emails with the hotel and visitor centre in Chemainus.  I ordered my tickets online the evening before which required me to be at the bus station by 8am. Well the bits of information didn't quite fit together!

Thanks to Google maps I checked the bus drop off point and the map of the town I had got online. There seemed to be a bit of a discrepancy. The bus driver said he thought it was only about a 1k but I could ask at the gas station.

The gas station was on the trans Canadian highway which I crossed with some trepidation. The petrol station assistant said 10 mins down the hill. She had clearly never walked it herself.

I set off down the hill and some way down saw a sign saying Visitor centre 2K, so what happened to the bus that was supposed to stop right next to it. Neither I nor the hotel had found that, and of course the timetable changed to the Fall timetable on 2nd September.  Not another soul was walking and had anyone offered me a lift, I would probably have accepted.  I was very relieved when I got to a roundabout where the left turn said Chemainus, town of murals. Then it was the countdown to the visitor centre , 400 metres 200 metres, straight down Willow street. By this time I was already passing murals but I headed onto the visitor centre for the map.

I had a helpful chat with the woman there and got the number of the local taxi firm in case I needed it. As it turned out I had time to walk and it seemed quicker despite being uphill.  I also got recommendations for a coffee shop, the first one not open for another hour I discovered. Isn't 11am a but late to open for  coffee? Well the Owl bakery was open and doing a good trade so I joined them for a large cheese scone, more like a rock cake and not very cheesy, but by this time it was five hours since breakfast.

I considered the carriage ride, I quite fancied being lazy and entertained, but he didn't reappear and I was concerned about wasting precious time as I had a return times ticket. 

So I set off on the trail, a small selection of which I include here.

It was sort of Banksey on steroids really, every corner you turned, every building with a wall had some great depiction of an aspect of the historical life of the town. There was a little evidence of the logging history down  by the waterfront, and clearly a lot of transport by water as a spotted a ferry point. 

There are a lot of islands and I remember seeing films about logging where the logs were actually floated downriver. 

And after all that hard work of course the lumberjacks would need some fun. Where else would you find a film title like this!

I left Chemainus in plenty of time thinking I could gave a cuppa and perhaps buy something to eat whilst awaiting the bus. Well that was some hope, large bags of crisps, frankfurters, large coca colas.... I settled for a tea but had to enquire about the system, then I found a reasonably comfy rock to sit on and wondered if sitting outside with my tea contravened any laws. 

I also thought may be sitting at the exit to a gas station might signal something I wasn't intending. Well I had a wave from a little boy in a car, and one or two people passed the time of day, but it got really interesting when I stood over the road where the bus was to stop. It was at the entrance to a  boat building yard. The owner asked if I'd like a  chair; his mates said, he's ok, he won't bite. So he looked at me and said Unless if course you want me to , I could just nibble around the edges! What an invitation......funnily enough he looked like a long haired version of Patrick and I'm sure he too had an Irish accent.   Well as he closed his gates he said, if you're standing there much longer, I'll bring a chair.  Saved by the bus, which arrived shortly after. And an interesting drive back to Victoria ensued as the driver was under instruction.  

My plans to go on to Buchart gardens were thwarted as the last bus had left, so at 3.30pm, I thought I was due lunch, so headed for the Spaghetti factory and ordered a Mediterranean salad with prawns which arrived with a small loaf and followed by free ice cream

As I returned to the hotel there was a lot of hooting and clapping as a police boat was escorting an 88 year old woman sailing back into harbour. Great! Your only limitations are those you place on yourself. 

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I topped the day with a soak in the Jacuzzi and a swim, and resisted the urge to visit another museum in its late night session, or go to the noisy bar over the road. Tomorrow I leave Victoria. I think it would warrant a return visit and perhaps more exploration of the island in general. I have tomorrow until 3.15, so perhaps the gardens eould be possible.