So picked up our hire car this morning. Yet more hints of deliverance and people who aren't quite all there. The woman (who eventually turned up at the hire desk once we called her home number!) took forever.... to sort out the car and told us several times that they didn't have an SUV for us (so how come we were able to book on on line then!!!!) so we had to have a Camray instead. Becky was disappointed cos rather enjoyed driving the really large cars but never mind.
So just about 20 mins out of Port Hardy, just by the side of the road, we saw the most beautiful black bear quite happily just standing there and munching on dandelions! Sat there for quite a while just admiring and taking photos of him. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Stopped off in Campbell river to go to the Visitor centre and check out what's around. We had been thinking of going to Zabellos which has a lot of stuff about mining and logging there but the lady said the road was not tarmaced , only graded (and not very recently at theat) so without and SUV we probably shouldn't attempt the drive - bugger!
However we did stop at the gallery of a local artist called Gordon Henshel which was just outside Campbell River and his paintings were just fabulous. His wife was running the gallery and he even came and had a chat with us which was very special. We spent simply ages in there both making shortlists of the paintings we would like to buy. In the end Becky did buy one and arranged to have it posted back to home.
After that we needed to crack on to Courtenay so just kept on the road. Yet more beautiful, stunning scenery, although quite a few of the hill/mountain sides were scarred with evidence of logging which made them look a bit sad. Arrived in Courtenay and the beach house B&B is stunning. A lovely house built in a perfect location with magnificent views out across the water to the next nearest island - Heaven. Just the owners were a bit odd and it wasn't the warmest or most relaxed atmosphere to be in. No shoes in doors, don't touch this, don't do that etc. etc.
