Thomas wants to explore a beautiful stretch of
coastline in his new BMW Series Convertible.
Alice wants to go whale watching, and I’d like
to surf. All no problem – if you live in Vancouver
on the Canadian Paci c coast.
After a short consultation over cappuccinos
and croissants, the plan for the weekend takes
shape. We are going to shop for a picnic in the
deli market on Granville Island. This covered
market will be our rst stop for fruit, cheese
and pastries. The picnic spot, Vanier Park, is
close by and there’s a beautiful view of the
city skyline.
Afterward we plan on driving to Vancouver
Island and the old colonial town of Victoria.
The Paci c Ocean and Dwayne Strong’s Kite
Surf School await us there. Should the drop-
top mood take us and if the weather is ne,
toward evening we will cruise on for some
whale watching at Broken Islands.
4:30 p.m.
With any luck you will spot whales from the beach.
Three people with weekend bags and
a picnic basket travel comfortably in the
new BMW Series Convertible. Most
of our smaller items t in the practical
compartments in the instrument panel
or in the nets on the backs of the front
seats, as well as in the trunk. Even with
the roof down, the . cubic foot trunk
space is suf cient for three medium-size
travel bags. With more luggage, the
Convertible’s through-loading function
would serve admirably. The picnic basket
ts on the empty space on the rear seat.
Only the kiteboard is rented on-site, as
the Surf School on Vancouver Island has
very decent setups. The constant south-
east wind does not go unused.
It’s too late to make the return journey
today. Sooke Harbour House still has
rooms available – and with a bit of luck,
Alice will see her whale while she is
enjoying dinner on the restaurant terrace.
