I guess you really know a place when the reason you visit it is to bring back the foods you enjoy. It is how we view our trips to Salt Spring Island. First, there is a 30 minute ferry ride from Swartz Bay on the tip of Saanich Peninsula to Fulford Harbour. Yesterday, we stood on deck to bask in the lovely ocean views and warm sunshine. A dolphin swam past and gulls followed us.
Then there is lunch. We've been going to tiny restaurant on the wharf for many years now. It has gone through several name changes but the food is always good. Their mussels and pizzas are excellent. So it was with great anticipation that we arrived in the town of Ganges at noon.
Much to our disappointment, the restaurant now serves Mexican fare and although we love Mexican food, it was not what we wanted. We ended up at the Shipstone's pub owned by the Oystercatcher Restaurant. We shared a bowl of fantastic Salt Spring Island mussels and then ordered their fish and chips after being told the crab and shrimp sandwich had not been prepped the night before. The fish was ho-hum and a bit overcooked so we regretted our choice. However, the beer was great--made especially for the pub by Granville Island Brewery.
Service was slow but it was a nice day to sit by the water and watch the boats and floatplanes come and go. After lunch, we stopped by Thrifty's and bought some kaiser rolls and potatoes for supper then drove up to Sunset Farm to pick up four packets of lamb sausage. Yes, they are that good. I bought some unspun wool for my weaving project as it is far cleaner than the wool I have. Now, I must find the time to spin it.
We headed back to Fulford Harbour where the ferry docks but made a stop along the road at Garry Oaks Winery. We love their Fetish red wine, enjoy their Zeta red wine, and usually buy a bottle of their white wine, Prism. We had no time for tasting but ended up sampling a lovely dry rose, Blanc de Noir, so bought a couple of bottles of that as well. We left with two cases of wine (one box not quite full) and a couple entering the winery was told they had sold everything to us. As it was, we had to ask for Zeta as they were only selling that to people who requested it. It must be cellared for three months and they didn't trust just anyone to do that.
As we were running late, we didn't have time to buy Glen's favourite cheese, Montana, at the Salt Spring Island Cheese company. We had bought their truffle goat cheese at Thrifty's last week so I guess we can say we enjoyed the company's products.
The day was hot, 26 degrees C, so we decided not to stand on the upper deck of the ferry on the way home. Instead we set the van seats back and I dozed while a cool sea breeze bathed my face. As we drove the highway between Victoria and Swartz Bay, the van's thermometer registered 31 degrees. I was glad the trip was short as the van no longer has a working air conditioning system.
Comments for this post
