Grandma and the trip across to Vancouver Island

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In the morning, I got up and headed off to get some breakfast before checking in on my grandmother. I did decide I wanted something of a substantial breakfast, so I went to McDonald's. (Gasp!!! Yeah, I'm kind of disappointed in myself, too.) I ordered and then stood to the side, as I had been instructed. After a moment, this guy behind me asked if I was going to order. I said I was already done and he asked me, in a really annoyed voice, what I was doing there then. I should be standing off to the side. Then he walked up to the till to order and called me an idiot. I confronted him and he kind of looked as though he wanted to shrivel up a bit and disappear. That is one thing I've learned from my grandmother. She doesn't put up with nonsense like that from people. If someone says something untoward to her, she'll confront it, loudly. She is not one to be bullied. And she's a great example.



Then the guy ordered and where did he stand? Pretty much exactly where I had been standing when he called me an idiot. I walked up to him as my order was ready and asked him why he wasn't standing way off to the side and who the idiot was now. He didn't say one word.



But it was not going well in Vancouver for me as I had been told I had a bad attitude and had been called an idiot in the span of a day.



After breakfast, I headed to the hospice where my grandmother is staying. Again, there was nobody was there, but I decided to wait and see if she was going to wake up. It was only a few minutes later that my grandfather came by for his daily visit. I can't imagine how hard this is on him. The two have been married for over 70 years. I don't know how he's holding up.



This day was a particularly bad one for my grandmother, I gathered. She was not very lucid at all for most of my visit. She had had a bad night, being up until around 4 for some reason. So she slept most of the time I was there. She did wake up around lunchtime and ate some. She also did recognize that I was there, but she couldn't speak very well and we didn't have much chance to talk. I will send her emails as I travel. Maybe I can keep her entertained with my misadventures, but there won't be many of those, I'm sure. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Anyone who knows me is now rolling in the aisles with laughter, as I get into all kinds of trouble, even when it shouldn't be possible.)



At length, I took my leave. There isn't much I can do to help at the moment. I can only let my grandfather know that I am thinking of them both. But I think it's hard enough on him that he can't do much for the situation. I think others hovering add to his strain somewhat. I think that trying to entertain from afar is all that I can do.



I thought I would head to Tsawassen to catch the ferry across to Sidney on Vancouver Island. But as I set out, I decided to go from Horseshoe Bay. I have never been north of Vancouver, despite having been here many times. Horseshoe Bay is the second ferry terminal to the island from the Vancouver area, and it cuts out having to go a bit out of the way through Victoria. Horseshoe Bay ferries head into Nanaimo, just a little bit up the island. So I headed there. I arrived just in time for a ferry, that was due to leave 15 minutes later. And there is a promotion on at the moment where fares to the island are about 25 percent off on the weekends. Bonus!!!



The ride across was pleasant and uneventful. I do like ferry crossings. One of my favourite authors, Jack L. Chalker, had a mission to take every ferry, at least in North America. He didn't make it, but he tried. It's so expensive now, though, or I would love to do something like that myself.



Once in Nanaimo, I scoped out a nice campground, got settled in (and no, they didn't require either a driver's licence or my credit card), and then had a look at places I could go tomorrow. I think I am going to go and check out Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim National Park. It should be interesting.

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Photos

Downtown Vancouver
Looking back at Vancouver it was a fond, yet somewhat sad farewell.

Coastal British Columbia
It was a lovely day to be on the ferry, crossing to Nanaimo.

Arriving in Nanaimo
It was brilliant sunshine that greeted the ferry as we arrived in Nanaimo.