April 12, 2022
Day 0: From Home to Frankfurt
Joni chips in this cartoon as we (hopefully both) jump on the conveyance that will take us to this new adventure:
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If we had been leaving for a warm destination, then today's conditions on Vancouver Island could have been a source of some satisfaction. But as it was, the sleety rain and the snow at slight altitude was just a bug. We got quite soaked just on the walk from the car to the ferry building. It could easily be just the same right now in Northern Germany, but at least in going there we are getting another roll of the dice.
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2 years ago
Just about every time we take a ferry off our island, we look at the land and the water and wonder, very briefly!, why we would ever want to leave. But yes, here we are going again! At least here in B.C. and on a weekday, the ferry trip for old timers like us is free.
The ferry turned out to be a bit of a shock. After two years of fleeing from anyone that strayed inside our 6 foot government decreed exclusion zone, we found that BC Ferries had imprudently, pre-covidly, built their boats with seating rows just about three feet apart. So looking at the nice ladies just ahead made me want to shrink backwards. But in the seats behind were two more, no doubt nice, ladies! If we're gonna be on this trip, I will have to overcome this conditioning real quick!
The bus from the ferry terminal to the airport can be a little tricky to find. But we are pros now, and this time we did not have to hold everyone up as would be if we were having to fit our bikes to the rack in front. The bus windows were fogged with the cold and rain, and the driver - seemingly behind his time - was really careening along. Our fellow riders, though, were in a good mood, with some pointing out landmarks that could somewhat be seen from the windows.
We are not quite sure if we paid for this bus ride, or for the next leg, on the "Skytrain". Some kind of new scanner looked at our Visa card, but did not report on how much money it took, or if that was for one or two of us. We do know that we forced one gate open to get onto the train, and that a Transit worker had to use her magic card to get us out at the other end, a service she did to have us quit yelling at her!
Another photo we customarily take is of one of the indigenous sculpture pieces that adorn the concourses. These pieces are certainly spectacular, and no doubt for the visitor they epitomize the West Coast culture here. But we feel funny about them, for a couple of reasons. First off, the native people make up probably 5% of the population. So why does the other 95% have to rely on them to represent the area to the visitor. Surely the Europeans or maybe even the quite plentiful Chinese or Punjabis could dream up some decorations as well?
Reason two, and here it gets a bit controversial, is that although they have some truly great artists, the native people show few if any signs of actually being the guardians of the environment and proponents of traditional ways and values that the tourists might wish. The hard truth is that most are not the best ambassadors for this region. Oh well, we still love and photograph the sculptures.
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2 years ago
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2 years ago
Sorry for the late reply - hope it's not too late!
2 years ago
p.s. Did you quit on your blog?
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