We left Parksville under gray skies, but no rain.

We arrived at the Duke Point terminal at 9:15 am. We’d made a reservation on the 10:15 ferry, which was a good thing, as it was no longer taking non-reserve passengers when we arrived. By the time we’d gone through the pay gate and been ordered into a lane, there was hardly enough time to step out of the car and wander over to the waterside, where we watched our ferry dock, before we were being ordered back to the car to prepare for boarding.

Then, of course, we waited while the ferry emptied and the crew prepped for the next crossing. It took about thirty minutes before cars began to be loaded into the belly of the ferry, and another fifteen before were we actually began to move. Once they start loading the BC Ferries staff are efficient, though, so driving into the ship, finding a lane and parking proceeded smoothly. We left the dock shortly after the scheduled departure time.

We stayed on deck most of the crossing, taking pictures and watching the islands slide past under the gray overcast. There was a sharp wind that tossed everything about – creating waves in the water, snapping the flags on the masts, whipping my hair away from my face, or into it.

Once we had docked, we headed back to Richmond to return the car, then cabbed It downtown to the cruise ship terminal for the next leg of our vacation, an Alaska cruise. Vancouver doesn’t allow highways within the city, so the cab drove north along Oak Street, before picking up Granville to go over the Granville Street Bridge. Some of the changes at the southern end of Oak were shocking. Whole blocks of houses, not derelict by any standard, were standing empty, bought to be pulled down so a condo townhouse complex could be built. The area had once been one of single family homes for middle income families. Perhaps the new development might still be so, but with less square footage and far less green space.

We made the cruise shIp terminal with plenty of time for boarding and when we found our way to our cabin aboard the Island Princess, we discovered that our luggage had preceded us. Which was a relief when I met our next door neighbour whose luggage had not yet arrived.

Excited for the next adventure to begin we set out to explore the ship.