Mileage today: 87 miles  Total Mileage:  6,454 miles

We had a good night’s sleep at our B&B until the neighbour’s cockerels started up at about…. Well, it seemed dark….

Fabulous breakfast, different to Stephens Bay.   This was a Dutch spread: breads,  Dutch cheeses, ham including home made ham, homemade jams, hardboiled eggs, fruit salad, and….. About 10 types of homemade smoked salmon.   Joop is a very keen fisherman and he catches salmon all year, prepares it meticulously and freezes it within the hour.   He told us he gets up at 5am and is frequently home again with his 2 “allowed” fish by 550.  He has experimented mightily with different smoking techniques and methods as well as different gravadlax mixes.  Anyway, we sampled smoked coho, pink. Red, chum, sockeye, Chinook plus gravadlax, salmon pate…..  Blimey…..it was all gorgeous especially the gravadlax.  That was soft and unctious with lots of dill. 

We chatted to him for ages.  An interesting  guy with interesting views on life here. They came when he was 61 so not your typical immigrants I guess but they love it having been frequent visitors over the years .

We set off West on rt 4 towards Tofino.  As usual a lovely drive through forested mountains and river valleys and beside huge lakes.  We reached the Pacific Ocean and turned right for Tofino, travelling through the Pacific Rim National Park.

We stopped for lunch and the afternoon at Long Beach, the well named massive beach  in the park.   It is a huge swath of sand with woods behind and the Pacific rolling in.  It wasn’t too wild. It reminded me strongly of some Cornish beaches.  There were loads of surfers out. Loads.  I guess reflecting the accessible conditions ie nice surf but not hideously churning conditions.  It was like Fistral on a good day or Tolcarne most days….

We ate our picnic sitting on a log and then walked a couple of miles on the beach.  It was hot.  I had a long sleeved t shirt on and shorts and the t shirt was too hot. I paddled in the sea.  It was cold but not freezing.  Tomorrow I’ll wear a cozzie and go in.  Most people today wore wetsuits but they were surfers.  I saw plenty of people in the water just in swimwear.

There were loads of shells in the sand.  We picked some and brought them back.

Headed off mid afternoon and continued on into Tofino.  A lovely lovely town.  Full of attractive bars and restaurants and boutiques.  Lots of surfing shops and schools.  We went into the co-op and got some meat for dinner.  And some wine….

Checked in at our place, The Shoreline about 4.  It is literally on the shore, by the marina on the inlet side.  Absolutely exquisite view.  We have an upstairs apartment in the A line cabin.  It’s bijou but bigger than it looks and very well equipped.  Nice kitchenette with lots of equipment and a big gas bbq.  Fab bathtub. Sauna cabin, rain shower… View to die for and lots of aromatherapy products including an electronic atomiser.  We are well set up for 2 nights.

Tonight Bob bbq’d burgers and I made up all the trimmings.  We washed it down on the balcony with a nice cold bottle of pinot g.  Watched seals and herons and the sea planes.   Then coffee – lovely and strong local grind – with a tot of J D Honey. Super sunset over the sea which is glass.

Today was Daisy’s birthday and we spoke to her and Lu several times. Lu had surprised her with tickets to both shows of the Harry Potter story at the Palace Theatre with dinner in between.  They said it was absolutely amazing.  So lovely to know they are there for each other.