The 6:00 ferry from Vancouver Island glides through the gulf islands that sparkle with their beauty. The arbutus trees crawl out of cliff openings and find their crooked way to the sky. Their shiny leaves fall all year around making the pathways slippery Their paper thin, rusty fragile bark curls and reveals the smooth beige skin and the tree almost looks naked.
The smell of the dry grasses and pine trees bring my childhood roots back.
The lighthouse stands sharp and warns boaters of the passage. And reminds me of foggy mornings in my childhood, where the foghorns would blow in Vancouver harbour.
The long seaweed kelp rolls in the waves, giving the seals places to hide. They peek up and look curiously at me.
A bald head eagle flies above, gliding in the wind. No. Two. No. Three. So many. Soaring in the skies.
An orange whale watching boat roars by, hoping to find whales and dolphins for the well bundled customers.
There is the ferry, sailing Svend to tsawassen, he is waving to me from the upper deck. And then to Greece where he will sail alone and with danish friends.
And now it is my turn to sit on the ferry and sail one more time through these waters. I look north to Kathi and Erik, sailing in the Broughtons many days boat travel away.
They caught so many prawns. And crabs. And fish. The sun is shining up and down the coast. The rain, wet clothes, clouds have been put in the suitcases. This is British Columbia. This is my where my old roots are.
I have said goodbye. To siblings, inlaws, cousins, nieces, nephews, their little and big ones, friends, old and new.
Goodbye to the Canadian friendliness, warmth, generosity. Goodbye to the taste from childhood, (Nanaimo bars, lemon pie, scotch mints, blackberries….) and let the memories live on. Thank you all for this memorable trip. Everything has been perfect. (Well..maybe not all the rain).
