Salt Spring Island in 2 hours :D

We had a little time to kill after our plane landed in Victoria on the Island and so we decided to ferry over to Salt Spring Island for a quick drive around.  It is a beautiful little island - and we could just imagine how it would come to life in the summer with the markets and artisan displays.  We picked up a hitch hiker and she gave us a quick snap shot of the island and her life there.  She rents a 400 sq. ft. cabin with a wood stove but she does not have a car.  If she has to get to town she just goes out to the road and waits for someone to drive by.  Like we did.  She moved there from Toronto several years ago and just loves the lifestyle and the community.

It was a lovely day for a drive in our blue Kia Forte rental car.

Eclectic Fulford Harbour where the ferry landed on Salt Spring Island

There was a little bakery behind this curtain.  We weren't sure what we were in for, but bravely went though the curtains into a very cold little shop.  Obviously not heated for a wet, rainy, and cold day.  The people that were behind the counter were dressed in very warm clothing with mitts and toques!  But alas! No cinnamon buns just very granola-y looking muffins :)  

Good for a meal later on in the day.

Another very interesting shop.  So incredibly chock full of stuff you literally could not turn around.  This was just the bead corner.  Everything else possible was for sale in this shop.

Lots to browse.... very, very old buildings painted wonderful colours!

We stopped in at a cheese farm.  We were excited that we were there just in time for cheese tasting.  But what we didn't realize was that it was a goat cheese farm.  ICK!!  We still tried a taste since this lady had gone to a lot of work on the presentation but it was still gag-worthy.  

My palette is just not that fine.

Ahhhhh..... green, mossy beauty

We drove to Ruckle Provincial Park.  Interesting history.

The park is actually the Ruckle farm preserved with this being the original home on the farm.

Brian saw this as we were cruising along and stopped 

so I could get a couple of pictures of these old guys.

We left the Island on the other side at Vesuvius.  

We will be back some summer to enjoy the markets for sure.