B.C. Vacation: Getting in the groove
Today we finally got into the "vacation" groove. Day 2 at Parksville was spent getting the room situation sorted out at Tigh-Na-Mara, moving our stuff to a new room next door, going out to lunch at A&W, walking the beach, and chilling out.
Today, Brenda, our two boys, and I went to Coombs and visited the Old Country Market. The Old Country Market's roof is topped with grass, and goats that live on the roof regularly graze in front of wide-eyed tourists. This seems like a gimmick until you walk into the market to see that this is no ordinary store.
There's a definite European flavor to the grocery items, with brands I've never heard of and items such as mayonnaise in a tube. There's also a gift shop, with a great selection of wood toys. I bought Cameron a wood sword and shield, and I bought our friends' girls acrobatic animals on sticks. There were Japanese lanterns and garden-decorations in one section, and an amazing deli and restaurant in another section.
Brenda and I took turns shopping in the store, since Drew decided to take a nap in the car. When Brenda came back, she had a stash of goodies, including an African Samosa, a rich blend of peas, potatoes, carrots, and seasoned chicken stuffed in filo. When Cam and I went in the store, I bought another one.
After the market, we went to Englishman River Falls for a short hike. A bridge took us over a deep canyon with an amazing view of the falls. Hiking with a toddler is no easy feat, so we didn't walk very far.
We finished off the day back at Tigh-Na-Mara with another stroll on the beach as the tide was coming in. Then Brenda and I left the kids with Michelle and Youssef and went out to the Tigh-Na-Mara restaurant for dinner.
