Tuesday evening, I started my solo getaway, which has become a bit of an annual tradition. After the hectic budget season at work, I really need that downtime to just do whatever pleases me. Usually, I try to do some planning for the future, but this year felt like a lengthy meditation — I really just cleared my mind for three days.

My journey to Vancouver Island started at sunset on the ferry. Our ferries are considered part of our highway system, albeit an expensive one. It’s around a 90-minute sailing, so there is time for dinner. Surprisingly, the canned wine was excellent, being VQA from an Okanagan Valley winery, JoieFarm.

On the trip over, I finished reading The Other Daughter by Caroline Bishop. I had read her other book, The Lost Chapter, and quite enjoyed it, but this one not quite as much. It flips back and forth between a woman in the ’70’s and her daughter in the present day, which I found a bit hard to keep track of. But more than that, I really hate novels that are trying to teach me something, and I felt that way about her approach to the Swiss women’s movement and the practice of taking children there away from their families as cheap labour for the farms. Yes, they are important, but I found the novel kind of boring.

On the other hand, while I was there, I sat in the armchair overlooking the ocean and read The Last Invitation by Darby Kane and really got wrapped up in it. It was an interesting idea for a story, about a woman who cannot accept that her ex-husband’s death is being considered a suicide. Her tenaciousness gets her into difficulty and it seems that a powerful group of women, whose sense of morality is their own, may be behind it.

I also continued my ongoing binge-watch of Grey’s Anatomy. I never watched it back in the day, but it’s a nice bit of TV to relax with, following along with the lives of the continuing characters. The first few seasons were the best from an acting point of view, I think, but I’m still having fun with it in season 14.

The view from my windows and balcony was wonderful and ever-changing with the weather and the tide. (Unfortunately, my hip was bothering me too much to walk down to the water, but I did enjoy sitting on the balcony for my morning coffee.)

I had some good food while I was there and was pleasantly surprised to find out that my room package came with a $45 dining credit, which I used for some smoked salmon eggs benedict on my first day and dessert on my second evening. I also went and had a lager and lime with a chicken pie and yam fries at the Black Goose Inn, as well as wine and charcuterie after a soak in the mineral pool and hot tub at the spa. (No cameras allowed inside the spa as all dining takes place in bathing suits and robes!)

On the final day after checkout, I did my annual visit to a favourite clothing store and found some nice tops and even a dress — I never wear dresses, so this was outside my comfort zone. I also had time to go to Chapters before the ferry ride back and spent a $25 gift card from Christmas on four bargain books — I seem to be reading more again.

But before all of that, I went to The Beach Club resort for lunch on the patio, protected from the elements by a big plastic tent. Best nachos I’ve ever had! (The patio looks a little warped as I wanted to get as much of it in as possible, using a panoramic view.)

And finally, back to reality. I’m on duty to cook dinner tonight, then back to work in the morning.