After leaving the cottage on Monday morning, we drove along the Pacific Rim Natural Reserve with a stop at MacMillan Provincial Park to take a stroll to view the beautiful big Seqouia trees. It's impressive how large and old they can become!
Towards the end of our drive to the B&B, we were once again surprised by a deer that Miriam spotted all of the sudden; it was peacefully grazing along the road. The first time we saw one, I believe it was on Sunday, we saw a mother with her two youngsters coming out of the bushes to continue running along the highway. Right next to us! I'm still in awe over all the creatures we have come across on our trip so far..
Besides Philipp, none of us had stayed at a B&B before and we were therefore not sure what to expect. We arrived at Tcozy B&B just before 3PM and were greeted by Hans who was working in his garden. Hans and Tannis Schaub have been running their B&B for about 6 years. Hans, originally from Switzerland, told us he came to Canada 46 years ago for an 18-month contract at a HotSprings Hotel near Chilliwack and moved to Vancouver only 5 months after he had started there. Hans and Tannis met, fell in love and eventually settled in Qualicum Beach. This little town has approximately 8000 residents and is mainly popular amongst retirees. Gorgeous villas and a beautiful beach adds a lot of charm to this village.
Tannis had always dreamed of having her own B&B and after quitting the catering service Hans was running, they decided to turn their house into a cozy little home for travelers. Tannis is crazy about tea and teacups, that's why they came up with the name "Tcozy B&B". The rooms are decorated with flower wallpaper, a queen-size bed with 6 flower patterned pillows, in one room a doll stroller in the corner and in the other room a small bench with 2 clowns (a little scary!) and sets of tea cups and saucers everywhere. They even had small bedside lamps in the shape of a teacup.
Our room was called "Not to Forget" and the one my dad and Miriam stayed in was "Lavender Rose". We had a shared bathroom that had on each wall a set of towels corresponding with our room. They even prepared bathrobes and house-shoes for us and on our bedside table a little teacup with chocolates.
They had a big garden with two small ponds and porcelain gnomes, dolls, puppies and castles everywhere. It was all very kitsch obviously but at the same time all this over-the-top deco made it nice and cozy. We found that Hans' and Tannis' friendliness and openness showed throughout their house and created a 'home away from home'-feeling for us.
After placing our luggage in our rooms, Tannis recommended us to visit Parksville, a town not too far away from Qualicum Beach, to explore Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. And so we did. It was there that we witnessed an interesting 'quarrel' between ravens and crows and where we saw our first Canadian bunny jumping through the grass.
We stopped for a quick bite on our way back, and, as most nights, had an early one in, contently tired from all the hiking and driving.
Breakfast was included and when we came down at 8AM that morning, we found the table all set up. Yoghurt, muesli, jam and toast was already prepared and a delicious omelet and potato-rösti was waiting for us in the oven. We found out that the job Hans held at the HotSprings Hotel was as a cook and it was clear he didn't lose his skill or passion for that; wooow, it was good!
Needing to catch our ferry at the port in Nanaimo, we had to say goodbye just before 9:00. From Nanaimo we crossed the Burrard Inlet to Horseshoe Bay and drove further to Whistler, a ski resort town. We planned to check in at the Listel Hotel early afternoon to have enough time to explore the village as well. The idea came up to go to the top of Whistler Mountain and from there to the peak at the opposite side to Blackcomb Mountain with a gondola that has an unsupported span of more than 3km (!), the longest in the world! Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and the view was limited so we decided to pass on that and take a walk through the 'Lost Lake'. A few minutes on the way following the 'Tin Pants' trail, we came across a sign saying "Whistler is BEAR country" and that the people and bears in Whistler have been living coexistent for a long time. So, with our knees a little shaky and our eyes on the lookout more than ever, we continued our hike. We all remembered the guidelines in case we would encounter a furry black teddy and I personally repeated it in my head multiple times: stay calm, stand your ground, speak in a non-threatening way and slowly back away... stay calm, stand your ground, speak in a non-threatening way and slowly back away.. Ok..
It was pretty exciting and during that walk we thought to find or hear a sign of a bear at least 4 or 5 times I believe. Gotta admit that a little sigh of relieve slipped from our lips the moment we were out..
I keep my fingers crossed that we do spot one or two tomorrow during our water rafting trip; I've been told that there is a possibility that they fish at the side of the river we go over. Let's see.. More on that the day after.
The main reason for this holiday in Canada was to get to know different places and see what would be the best one for us to eventually settle.
We didnt really have a 'click' with Québec, so Montréal and Québec City in general because those are the cities we visited. They certainly had areas that were very beautiful but we felt that it's not the place to be and that there will not be as many opportunities as there will be in other cities, like Toronto or Vancouver for instance. We really noticed the French influence and I personally prefer the American/Canadian attitude.
Toronto was a nice change and we were all captured by its enormousness from day one. It's a true metropolitan and what I love the most about this city is that you have these tremendously tall, beautiful modern skyscrapers in the city center and cozy green side streets with romantic alone-standing houses just a few blocks outside. It's a pleasant contrast and totally works for me! You can escape to Toronto Islands by a 15-min ferry ride, or to High Park, with its natural and recreational facilities as I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs. Although it cannot be compared with Stanley Park in Vancouver though! Toronto has a simple and affordable public transport system and is in general a city where one can easily get around.
In Vancouver it's not the city itself that makes a big impression I find, but its surroundings. From the city center it takes you 20 min to reach Stanley Park or North Vancouver to ie. Capilano and Grouse Mountain (hiking destinations). A 2-hrs trip brings you with a ferry to Vancouver Island where you can enjoy nature to its fullest. The high-rises downtown are not as impressive as Toronto's center district, and it's in general more expensive.
Both cities are very, very clean and I really appreciate the great effort that is given into separating the waste, by both the municipality and residents. The municipality for placing different types of garbage bins and even instruction videos all over the place and the people for respecting and caring about the environment and actually following the guidelines.
Anyway, I hope that this, along with the pictures posted on my Facebook page, gives you more of an idea of what both cities are like. Definitely worth a visit!