Sister Sojourn To Salt Spring

By Jane Cassie

“Pinch on a monkey tree,” I chant, while gently tweaking her arm. This kid-like prank immediately conjures up warm and fuzzy memories. It also reminds me of a saying that goes something like, ‘when you have a sister, you always keep a piece of your childhood.’ I smile, and realize how true it is.

We see the prickly puzzle tree when we’re parked in the ferry line-up at Crofton, a quaint community nestled in Osborne Bay on Vancouver Island. And over the next two days, while on Salt Spring, we escape our citified pace, and rejuvenate our ‘inner child.’

The Pajama Party package at Hastings House provides us with the perfect opportunity. Eiderdown duvets, deep soaker tubs, and posh accommodations, complete with pedigree service –what more could two ladies on the loose ask for? How about turn down treats at sunset, a wake up muffin bag at sunrise and an assortment of goodies in the afternoon? Top it off with a head to toe massage, infused with the essence of lemon-grass and you’ll discover two silky-smooth sisters who smell better than Mom’s meringue-topped pie.

The lush twenty-two acre getaway overlooks scenic Ganges Harbour and cobblestone pathways lead to eighteen getaway havens.  Whether it’s a contemporary hillside retreat or, like ours, one that’s swathed in early 19th century décor, this property, rated as one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World exemplifies the height of opulence.

Taking centre stage is a Sussex-style manor, built in 1939, by the founder, Warren Hastings. “It was fashioned after his family’s 11th century home in England,” we’re told by Hazel, the resident manager, after checking in. “The hinges for the doors and windows were made by a local blacksmith,” she informs, “the fireplace stone was quarried from the surrounding land, and planks that line the floors were secured together with black boat nails.”

We enter the living room, where burnished fir gleams beneath scattered Persian carpets, and an impressive Inglenook fireplace warms the setting. Beyond, is an upscale dining room where meal time magic happens twice a day. Our favourite votes go to the herb-crusted halibut, sensuously seared scallops and the famous Salt Spring Island Lamb. Hmm Yum!

These and other gastronomic delights are also specially delivered to our suite during our stay. After private consultation with renowned Chef Marcel Kauer, the three course meal, accompanied by a fine bottle of bubbly is presented with the same polished service. And while the fire crackles beneath our vintage stone hearth and casts a rich glow over wood beams and hand-trawled walls we dine in decadence while clad in our flannels. Although somewhat reminiscent, it sure beats any pajama party that I recall!

Although we both qualify as true blue foodies, and consume everything on our plates like good girls should, the last thing we need are extra Rubenesque pounds on our aging rumps. You’d think with so many activities at our fingertips, there’d be no need to worry. We could cycle sun-dappled roads that bisect pastoral meadows, paddle rugged shorelines to check out watery-eyed seals, or dive beneath the deep. As well as being BC’s most southern Gulf Island, Salt Spring is a sprawling twenty-nine kilometers in length, and from its craggy bays to Mount Maxwell’s summit, it’s chock full of adventurous options. That’s, of course, if you’re adventurous.

We, on the other hand, choose to do none of the above. Instead of putting our well-padded duffs into action, we rev up our comfy sedan. Even though the walk from Hastings House to Ganges town centre is a breeze, we don’t want to miss a moment. It’s market day, and the heart of Centennial Park is pulsating!

Every Saturday morning from April to October over a hundred artisans and farmers congregate to sell their goods. This event is like a magnet for my sister who’s been connected to the art world all of her life. As well as running into old acquaintances at Hastings House, she seems to know every artisan and their dog on Salt Spring. And after checking out this well-attended shopping spree, I’m pretty sure the crafters outnumber the canines.

Tables, shaded by colourful umbrellas, border the parkway and host everything from bead work to bokchoy. We sample sensuously sweet fudge, savor locally made goat cheese, and get personally pampered with a lavender scrub. “All you have to do is rub and rinse,” we’re told, by the Soap Works owner, as he massages the heady granules onto one of my sister’s hands. “And voila – a new you.”  The instant transformation is quite miraculous as her dry scaly limb turns satin. My sister quickly purchases a packet of the product –I’m sure, with the intention of scrubbing more than just her other hand.

With gifts wrapped in newspaper and goodies in saran, we shoulder our way through the crowd. Then, just as we’re ready to leave, it catches my eye –the familiar floral pattern that I’d seen years before. I may have even witnessed its creation. Poised beautifully at a nearby stall, next to other hand made heirlooms, is one of my sister’s original hand-painted vases. It was a phase of her art career that I had loved. And though I had a number of her pieces during that time, I jump at the chance to own another – and what a steel of a deal it is!

The string of bargains and vendor stalls carry on after we leave the market place. Roadside stands dot many a hillside along our island drive and brim over with everything from bright floral bouquets to the garden’s daily pick. Most are unmanned, and operate by a trustworthy honor system –a refreshing change from our commercialized big box stores!

While cruising along the country roads that are fringed by farmlands, we giggle and gab and discuss everything from people to politics. We stop to check out schooners that bob in Burgoyne Bay, retrace the steps of time while peering into St. Paul’s Church, and discover a park bench that overlooks Swanson Channel. And it’s from this ringside seat in Ruckle Provincial Park where we enjoy an awesome show.

It’s not a film that’s staged or rehearsed, nor a play that uses any props. But it features a cast of first-rate performers. Long legged herons and sun-basking cormorants poise stoically on the craggy shore. Excited gulls squawk overhead, then bomb-dive towards their bounty of prey. And two curious seals pop up from the deep to take a big bow. But the height of excitement comes when the first signature dorsal fin slices through the sun-glinted waves. It’s followed by another, and then another. And directly within our view, the Orcas arch above the water’s surface, then dip beneath, and all with divine synchronicity. The splendor activates my digital. It creates a sense of awe. And as we relax in silence side by side, another familiar saying comes to mind. ‘Although we were born sisters, we grew up to be friends.’

IF YOU GO:

Hastings House
160 Upper Ganges Road,
Salt Spring Island.  B.C.
Tel: (250) 537-2362 
Toll Free: 1-800-661-9255 (Canada and U.S.A.)
info@hastingshouse.com
http://www.hastingshouse.com/

BC Ferries
1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779) from anywhere in North America
*BCF (*223) from your cell phone on Rogers or Telus Mobility Networks
http://www.bcferries.com/res/
http://www.bcferries.com/

Photography by Jane Cassie

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