Day 11 Western Adventure

Day 11

With the air only slightly beginning to cool, we walked to Wharf Street in search of Red Fish Blue Fish. The line-up from the cargo container in front told us we had found it – an outdoor restaurant with seating at benches facing the waterfront, serving fresh sustainable seafood (Chef was on Canada’’s Top Chef). We got in line and began chatting with the couple in front of us – comparing travel stories. Good timing -shortly after we arrived, the line was cut-off as they prepared to close for the evening.


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Todd and I both ordered the Halibut and Chips…delicious!  While the coleslaw could have been creamier and the tartar sauce had too much dill for my palate, the fish and chips did not disappoint. The halibut was fried in a light crispy tempura batter and the fries were done just the way we like them – crispy, well-done.  Todd also tried their Spicy Pacific Fish Tacone, a piece of white fish with pea shoots, lemon pickled onions and slaw wrapped in a tortilla shell ….. This is a must try eatery!

After breakfast this morning, we planned on packing up, then going for a leisurely walk before checking out. As Todd was packing up his camera gear, he realized the memory card to his Leica was missing. Without getting too panicked, we looked for it EVERYWHERE while continuing to pack.  Coming to the realization that it was going to either show up somewhere really bizarre or be gone for good, Todd began taking luggage out to the truck. I checked the blue bin in the room and upon his return, I remarked that the only place we hadn’t looked was the garbage………GUESS WHAT?!…. Todd must have set it on the paper plate we had meat and cheese on the afternoon before, piled the plates together, then one of us (probably me, as I like to keep things clean) threw the plates in the garbage.

Time for only a short walk along the harbour……, then did a leisurely drive along the coast around the city…some very expensive, gorgeous houses built along the coastal area with amazing view of ocean and mountains…..

 

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On our way to the B&B in Duncan, we stopped at two wineries. First tasting stop was Enrico’s Winery. We sampled the flight of 5 wines and purchased the Pinot Grigio and the Cabernet Foch, both good everyday wines. The owners of this winery are absentee owners – they reside on the island of Hawaii by Kono (nice!!)

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Next stop was Glenterra where the owner took us through tastings of the 4 wines he still had available. The passion for owning the vineyard and producing wine on the Island of Vancouver was evident as he chatted about his experiences over the years at this organic winery, both good and bad…, at the mercy of the weather. Glenterra also has a café with a limited menu of quality food using local ingredients, so we had lunch…it was DELICOUS! We split the Mediterranean Vegetable Strudel (roasted peppers, eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, feta, and rosemary wrapped in phyllo with maple balsamic reduction), Cubana Sandwich (pork tenderloin, avocado, crispy prosciutto, and garlic aioli served with a coleslaw), and the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake.

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One thing we have noticed eating out here  – wine prices are not ridiculously inflated on menus as in ON (same cost as purchasing at the winery/store, or slightly more – so different from the 2 ½ times more we pay when eating out in ON….).


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After such a filling lunch, we stopped at the supermarket in Duncan to pick up some food for a light dinner at the B&B (B&B is outside the city amid many trees – a Northern ON cottage-like setting). We are in a self-sufficient apartment with full kitchen, laundry machines, dining area, living room, bedroom (queen bed…..was getting used to the king……)..….Very relaxing… !

Day 7 Western Adventure

Day 7

…Last full day in Woodinville… After a relaxing start to the day lying in bed, drinking our Starbuck’s, and reading the paper, we headed out for our morning walk –down the Sammamish Trail 3.5 km and then back. Along the way we spotted a couple of interesting sights besides seeing the usual walkers, joggers, and cyclists. We saw four kids all around the ages of 5 to 7 running on the trail, being chased ? encouraged ?…by a woman speaking in loud, stern Spanish – both on our way down the trail and back again. We also saw a guy on his bike (not unusual) with a trailer (not unusual)……carrying his dog (funny!).

Our first winery to visit today was the renowned, Columbia Winery who are celebrating their 50th year anniversary. They and the Chateau St. Michelle, where we visited yesterday, were the first in the area and really brought wine to Woodinville. Columbia Winery was a huge disappointment. Although the tasting room is beautifully decorated and they sell a lot of different winery items, the service at the counter (or should I say lack of service), the cost for tastings ($15 for 5 scant tastings of premium wines regardless of a purchase or not), and the wines themselves (lacking in flavour, body, and complexity) made for a start we hoped would not signify how the day would go.

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Our next stop was Pepper Bridge Winery. It is a small tasting room with wines from the Walla Walla Valley. The woman was very accommodating and social. Turns out she lived in Santiago, Chile for a while (immersing herself in the culture, so she could learn Spanish). She also was in Mendoza (a place we have been) and Salta (a place we are going this winter). While taking about the regions in Chile and Argentina, we sampled 7 different wines – Viognier, Syrah, an ’08 Merlot, an ’09 Merlot, a couple of Bordeaux Blends, and a ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon. We opted to retry the last one (both knowing…….this was the one… with its full bodied, well-balanced, complex flavours of dark fruits). The bottle –is now our fourth to bring across the border will be cellared for about 8 years.

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Next to the above tasting room, is the tasting room for Mark Ryan Wines……..so while in the vicinity !… The woman serving was very bubbly as she chatted about the wines and the winemaker (his motor bike sits in the tasting room with only 5 miles on it –from driving it in the parking lot……he bought it, but doesn’t yet have a license…). Wines come from the vineyards in a couple of different regions in the State and the winemaker is a Pearl Jam fan, so a lot of the wines are named after Pearl Jam songs. We sampled 5 different wines and both really enjoyed the 2009 Dead Horse, one of the few not named after a Pearl Jam song (a Cabernet Sauvignon blend – hints of cocoa and vanilla beans with soft tannins…. – to be cellared for another 6 years). Bottle 5 of the allowed 4 to bring across the border tomorrow… !

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For lunch, we went to the newly opened Station Pizzeria. We sat in a shaded area on the patio and were warmly greeted by the hostess and server. We split a Caesar salad which was brought out on two plates, lightly dressed and not too intensely flavoured with an ultra-thin crispy piece of bread on top…, a perfect lunch salad. We enjoyed the Boedecker Pinot Noir Rosé (from Oregon) and split the Not So Classico Pizza – thin crust, perfectly baked in a wood-oven, topped with prosciutto, tomato confit, arugula, balsamic reduction, and chevre…..DELICIOUS!!!

After a short nap, Todd got on his bike and ventured out onto the Sammamish Trail. He was gone for about an hour, enjoying the peaceful serenity the trail offers. Then it was time to relax on the balcony before heading across the lot to the Barking Frog for dinner.