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Saturna, Saturnina

We returned to small sleepy Saturna Island, a Gulf Island for the 10th time since 1993.

Coming to Saturna is a great escape for us that is like no other group thing we do, we abandon the city and head back to familiar and gorgeous Gulf Island where happy memories are concieved, delicious food shared, stories and secrets revealed and copius libations toasted. Hurry up and relax!

Day 1
Catching the 7am ferry is no easy feat but it means you arrive there in the morning, you drop off your gear in the cabins and have a whole day of going bamboo again – walking the sandstone cliffs, the windy meadow, now National Park designated, checking out Mr. otter, seals, eagles and downing more than your share from shear excitement. If its your first time I guarantee you’ll think of ways to buy a place there.

Day 2
This years foodie highlight for moi is the Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen smoked meat that Nicholos brought from a recent trip to Montreal! All one can utter is omg, omg, omg after tasting this miracle that was steaming all morning then sliced and served up on rye with mustard. Smoked meat, for all my friends! What could be better while on ‘our’ sunny beach where we planted our butts for most of the 4 days.

Day 3
Saturna has a winery too! We bought our first wines in 2001, those were meant to keep a couple years but now, their wines have really come a long way. They even sell them at the BCLiq. Newbies wanted to check it out so off we went. Saturna Winery is in a somewhat protected part of the island, an especially hot planting area is below the cliffs, its own little micro climate.

Check out this cheese assortment served on slate, an assorted appy platter along with a 2006 Saturna Vintner’s Select Chardonnay (Silver medal – 2008 All Canadian Wine Championships). Sitting outside, we indulge thinking maybe our friends were up on the cliffs behind us looking for wild goats that live on the island but we didn’t see them, ha.

That night fire pit shananigans went on allllll night where the sunrise was met by our two best soldiers.

Day 4
Half the crew head home on the 6am ferry. Crazies. The rest of us? We lounge, we eat, I pull out a forgotten bottle of chilly champagne and its beach time again! We hazily talk about the next time, next year, perhaps hitting the annual lamb bbq in July, coming off season, the fate of this spot and the cabins, buying property, the reality of working remotely…

I take what seems like some very final photos of this lovely spot and the cabins, not knowing if they will be available to us next year.