Day 4 (September 19, 2021): Trees. And Nanaimao Bars.

In a Covid world where paper-bag breakfasts have become the new normal for hotels, we were surprised to see a full, serve-yourself hot breakfast at the Bayview Hotel this morning.  We left the hotel at 10AM , bid Courtenay-Comox farewell, and headed off to our first stop of this last full day of our vacation: Cathedral Grove, which is on the road to Port Alberni.

Gob-smacked from the size and age of the old-growth forest there, we headed next to Little Qualicum Falls.  From there, we headed to Nanaimo, to check out a few of that city's top sights.  Having heard Nanaimo described yesterday as "the armpit of BC", we entered the city with low expectations, picturing an industrial ferry town.  But we left Nanaimo feeling very impressed!  We thoroughly enjoyed the city's parks and its waterfront.  And let's not forget the Nanaimo Bar we enjoyed.

From Nanaimo, we headed to Duncan for a catch-up coffee with a fellow Compassion Canada Board member.  And from there, it was on to the Inner Harbour of Victoria, where we are spending our last evening of this short vacation.  A British dinner and a post-sunset walk around the Inner Harbour topped off this fourth day of our trip.

Tomorrow morning will bring our flight to Toronto and on to Halifax.  

Cathedral Grove is an old-growth forest enroute to Port Alberni.  Its trees are up to 800 years old.  But most sprouted after a fire opened up the forest... about 300 years ago!


Standing among these giants, one cannot help to realize that - in comparison - our lives are but a blip in time.


While the 400m cedar loop through the forest didn't impress as much as the forest giants, one couldn't help but be impressed at the quality and expense of the investment by the BC Government.  I don't think I've ever seen such an extravagant public investment anywhere back in Atlantic Canada. 

Even 800 year old trees come to the end of life. 


A tree took sprouted up in the stump of a centuries-old tree.  But now both are covered in moss.

When a tree falls across a stream, does it make a splash?

Cameron Lake.

Little Qualicum Falls.

The rapids below the upper falls at Little Qualicum Falls.


One of Nanaimo's most popular spots is Neck Point Park, just north of the downtown core.  The logs that have washed up on the beach are impressive.


BC Ferries' ferry to Horseshoe Bay at Nanaimo's Destination Bay.  The Trans-Canada Highway actually ends at this ferry terminal.


The Bastion, from 1853, in Nanaimo.

A Harbour Air flight taking off from Nanaimo's harbour for Vancouver.  Protection Island in the background.


The round building to the left is where we had our Nanaimo Bar.  The building in the middle of the photo is the air terminal and control tower.

In case you're not familiar with the ingredients of the typical Nanaimo Bar.

This was our made-in-Nanaimo Nanaimo Bar.  It was nicely presented and tasted great!

Duncan is known as the City of Totems.  These four totems are located in the town's center, next to the former railway station, where an historic CN caboose has also been nicely restored.

We got together with fellow Compassion Canada Board member, Shannon, at The Tin Cup in Duncan.  What a great catch-up chat we had!  Wonderful to see Shannon again.

On the way out of Duncan, enthusiastic young people were campaigning for tomorrow's federal election, standing on an overhead walkway.


By 5PM we were in downtown Victoria and checked into the Marriott Inner Harbour.  Next door, Bartholomew's Pub provided a great Sunday dinner, featuring Yorkshire Pudding with beef and gravy.  A perfect British pub meal in a town that seems to love all things British!

The sun had just gone down as we left the pub.  The former "Canada 150" sign, now reduced to just "Canada", had a perfect glow in the waning daylight.  That's the Fairmont Empress in the background.


Victoria's Inner Harbour just after sunset.

The Victoria seaplane terminal.  A couple of Harbour Air's float planes were sitting, ready to take commuters to Vancouver to start the work week tomorrow morning.

At 7:39PM, the lights were turned on, outlining the BC Parliament Buildings, marking a perfect end to this last full day of our mini-vacation.