Sunday Farmer’s Market
Victoria, British Columbia (Vancouver Island)
The forecast called for rain all day, so we adjusted our original plan a bit; instead of hiking Mount Benson or biking to the Abyss, we indulged in a little relaxation - shopping and eating
We drove to the Nanaimo area and started our day at the Cedar Farmers Market; we walked by every tent to carefully choose our purchases - the vendors that lured us in with free samples got the best of us… we started with a bag of homemade apple cinnamon deluxe granola bars and an Orea donut made from a traditional recipe calling for mashed potatoes
As we made our second round, we agreed on food truck empanadas and a cupcake - we split the breakfast chorizo and beef empanada (sadly forgoing the chimichurri) and the bakeshop’s most popular salted caramel cupcake filled with a gooey salted caramel in the middle and buttercream on top … to die for - the empanadas got us excited to spend weeks in Argentina where they are a cheap and available staple of the country
We drove toward the city of Nanaimo and pulled off at another farmers market off the side of the road in search of BC cherries - at last, we found them! They were plump, sweet and expensive
Drove downtown and we’re surprised by the character of Nanaimo - we were hoping for a friendly, upscale coastal town, maybe a mini version of the big and busy Victoria, but it was a bit rundown and overcast with the clouds and drizzle of the day
We stopped at the seaside park to let Oslo stretch his legs and watch sea planes come in and out of the harbor - on the fishing pier, people were throwing out neon lines with crab traps stuffed with chicken drumsticks and cat food at the end of them… they’d drag them bag in, hand over hand, every few minutes and check for Dungeness crab
Got stuck in traffic on the way back to camp - we forgot that Sundays equaled weekenders heading back to Victoria and Vancouver
Made Mexican bowls (Matt turned it up a kitchen with goldfish crackers)
Had movie night - Marry Me
Campground: Malahat Mountain Meadows RV Park
