I am sitting in bed listening to the surf pounding the beach. Ummmm. It reminds me of the sounds I used to hear when I went to sleep in Bayfield on Lake Huron. I didn’t know how much I missed it until I heard it again.
Today I got up fairly early, wrote in my journal, posted on my blog and then headed into Tofino. I hadn’t been there yet and was looking forward to the visit even though I had heard that it has become very commercialized. And it has. I am sure it bears very little resemblance to itself perhaps 25 years ago. Galleries, Restaurants and shops line the streets. Traffic is heavy and parking impossible. Once I found a parking spot though I spent a pleasant mid morning and early afternoon in the galleries and look at what Vincent and I found. Who knew that Tofino was named after an explorer named Vincente Tofino. You have to know that I indulged V. by having an Ice Cream….Island Farms Dark Chocolate. It was pretty good and tasted better considering the place.
One place I went was the Eagle Aerie Gallery featuring Roy Vickers work I spent a lot of time there. The paintings were luminous and each carried with it a story or personal moment that inspired the artist. I had been told that this was a place to visit and it did not disappoint me.
I spent some time in the Tofino Info Centre and the woman there was very helpful. She told me that yes, there are galleries, surfing schools and shops in town but what I really wanted to see, she insisted, were the natural wonders. She gave me a list of the must see things including rain forest, bog and an interpretive centre. I think I have my work cut out for tomorrow.
I came home and had some lunch, then joined Mary for a long walk on the beach. There is an eagles nest that she is watching. The baby is almost ready to fly. We both took binoculars and actually saw Mom, or it could have been Dad, come by and feed the little guy. He was dancing around on the nest side and looked to be almost as big as the parent. Not long now I guess. Mary says she hasn’t seen him standing up there strengthening his wings, so maybe it won’t be for a bit yet. There were surfers all over the beach. So many that I thought that surely someone would get hurt by a flying board but, that is just the lack of adventure in my soul I guess. Everyone was wearing wet suits and the air was pretty cold. I was well bundled up out there and wished that I had a good solid hat.
It is Friday and tomorrow is Saturday. Weekends have not been great for me on my trip. From over full ferries and long lines to a problem that couch surfers seem to have. People don’t want me on weekends. They are busy, especially at this time of year, doing weekend things. I have decided that 2 nights is about a perfect amount of time to spend with people. On the other hand I get caught once a week by a weekend. I could take that time to get my camping experience but unless I get a reservation most campgrounds in populated areas are full. Oh well, Mary and I had dinner together tonight. I cooked and it wasn’t too bad. We poured over maps and tried to plot my route through BC and then looked at pictures of this property from empty lot to construction site, to home. We have decided that I will spend one more night. That will give me lots of time to see more of the natural wonders of the area and then maybe I can camp on Sunday evening. Hopefully many of the campers will be heading back to town.
Morning mist through the window
Afternoon beach with no mist
I really love the way the mist/fog dances around here. You can always see it in the distance waiting for a chance to duck in close to shore. This morning when I got up it was hazy but the sun was bright. Then suddenly I could hardly see the beach. Around noon it just cleared up but then all afternoon it moved in and out giving me different views of the trees, mountains and shoreline. It has a soft and almost unreal feel to it. Again, pictures with my camera just don’t do it justice.
A shot of a bank of mist/fog/clouds waiting on the horizon for a chance to duck into town
Keep well, talk soon.
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