Thursday 27th
We are off to Vancouver today after a few very relaxing days. At Grand Forks there wasn’t a lot to do and it was very hot, and indeed expensive, to play golf. So we strolled round the town, had an iced tea, and generally relaxed. The motel was very nice, our own little patio with a grassed area beyond leading down to the river with its small sandy beach complete with table and chairs. There was also a swimming pool, though we never got round to going in, it seemed too much bother!
We came onto Kelowna on Tuesday, a large fairly industrial town with nothing to recommend it. The drive here was beautiful, and we kept stopping to take in the scenery. Greenwood was a lovely little town, unspoilt by chain shops and malls, very ‘Wild West’.


The Okanagan Lake has lots of wineries and cideries on its bank and we did some tasting and bought a few bottles.



We are staying in the most beautiful spot up in the hills above Kelowna. It is a B and B and the guest rooms, of which there are two, are in the basement. There is a large shared kitchen/dining/sitting room and a huge veranda on two sides looking down the valley. Again the forest fires have meant hazy viewing but this morning we have woken up to a clear day where we can really appreciate the view from here.

We decided against golf, again hot and expensive. We had a long walk yesterday morning before it got too hot, just up the forest road and back, ever mindful of the possibility of bears so we didn’t stray from the road:

Then came back to enjoy the veranda.



On both evenings we have had great company here – given the set up it could have been disastrous! The first evening a delightful young Dutch couple, and last evening a couple our age from Ipswich. We sat out both evenings till bedtime, chatting and enjoying the local wine. It really has been idyllic. Fabulous sunset too last night.

So it’s goodbye to our lovely terrace where we have had breakfast and onto Vancouver. It is cooler and breezier, and would have been a great day for golf, but the road beckons once more.
