Friday, September 27
Today was a very full day!
In mid-morning, after doing some reading and DuoLingo German, I walked onshore to the Telegraph Harbour store to buy some of our favorite Nanaimo bars for future desserts—and actually declined to buy ice cream! Shortly before noon, we pulled away from Thetis Island and motored toward the small town of Chemainus on the Vancouver Island shore, where we moored about 45 minutes later at the busy working port’s government dock, right next to the terminal of the ferry that takes cars and people between Chemainus and Thetis Island.
Once settled into our spot, Walt and I walked ashore on a pleasant partially-overcast afternoon to see something of the town, which is famous as an “outdoor gallery” containing some 60 huge murals, painted, beginning in 1981, by different artists on the walls of buildings here, there, and everywhere (see the murals, which constitute “the world’s leading community-driven art tourism experience,” here: https://muraltown.com/mural-art-gallery)!
We visited grocery stores, bakeries (my Cornish pastie–a “hand-pie” filled with meat and vegetables–was very filling!), a large and quite marvelous antique/collectibles store, Hansel and Gretel’s Candy (we bought a nice assortment of Dutch licorice), a lovely garden containing topiary animals grouped around a heavily-laden apple tree, the Waterwheel Park, St. Michael-and-All-Angels Anglican Church (Sunday morning’s destination), and the handsome Chemainus Theatre and gift shop (we bought tickets for the evening play and for the preceding “fancy dinner” in the upstairs restaurant), and at last returned to Braesail, having seen and admired quite a number of the outstanding murals that depict the history of the town.
We were able to rest for a while before hiking back uphill, at a little before 6 pm, for about a mile to the theater to attend the dinner, which included: soup (dill pickle—surprisingly tasty!), a salad buffet (six different varieties), bread and crackers, tempura prawns in a toothsome sauce, a choice of four entrees (Walt and I chose walnut-encrusted salmon), and a dessert buffet that included a chocolate fountain with fruit pieces for dipping, cream puffs, cheesecake, tiramisu, boozy chocolate cake, three different pies, apple crumble, and small lemon, lime, berry, and Nanaimo bar bites to eat with tea or coffee! Quite a feast served by amiable and attentive wait staff!
The well-attended and very-entertaining show, called Home to Roost, by Canadian playwright Kristen da Silva, is set on the front porch of a home in a small island community in northern Ontario, and tells the story of two middle-aged single sisters, the adult daughter of one of them who comes home from the big city for a visit, and the good-looking young man who lives next door, all of whom need family and friendship to provide safe spaces for the sharing of secrets. Very cleverly-written and expertly-acted, the play featured a single beautiful set and eye-catching costumes, and provided warmth for the heart as well as eliciting some sympathetic tears and occasioning a lot of good laughs as well!
By shortly after 10 pm on a lovely, very mild evening, Walt and I were on our way down the hill and back to the boat, where we tumbled into bed without delay after a marvelous day!
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 