Coombs and Cuckoo Italian Restaurant

There is a wonderful place on the way to Tofino called Coombs. Here you will find the Old Country market with goats on the grass roof (not in winter) as well as a plethora of shops and such. The Old Country market has a variety of goods from around the world and locally procured and is great to stock up on munchables on the way to Tofino and to stock up on gastronomic delights on the way back. The area is a place you could spend all day at but it means a late night getting to Tofino.

We also tried, on the recommendation of friends, a new Italian restaurant in Coombs called Cuckoo. Its past the Old Country Market on the same side, about 100 meters past. My wife and I each had a bowl of Minestrone and shared a Capricossa pizza (tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Italian prosciutto ham, artichoke hearts, black olives and field mushrooms. Since it was cold my wife had Vin Brule (hot spiced wine) and I had spiced cranberry cider (non-spiked since I was driving). The meal and interior reminded us of our time in Italy. We would definitely come again.

Here are some other pics of Coombs.

By the way, parking here is a nightmare so don't be discouraged. Just park and walk around. You'll be glad you did.

Coombs - Englishman River Falls

On the way to Tofino, we stopped off to see some salmon runs at Englishman River Falls. Unfortunately there were none here but it was a marvelous park that has a campground open int he summer. Here are some shots.

 Here's the lower falls.

 The trees in the lower falls are covered in moss because of the large amounts of moisture.

 Especially this one!

 Here was an interesting plant in the sunlight.

 Here's the upper falls. Quite a drop!

 The river from the upper falls going to the lower one. There's a walking bridge that goes across the water at the lower and upper falls.

 A final picture of the upper falls area.

Parksville - Robar'z

I saw a sign for a Garage sale and had to pull over. Good thing we did because even if we didn't find any used items we tasted and bought some delicious edibles from Robar'z in Parksville. They had breads and pastries and cookies of all sorts. We bought some savory buns, my wife bought a blueberry friande and I bought a millionaire bar made with dark chocolate, shortbread and caramel. Yum! Here's a recipe for it but their caramel and shortbread were way thicker.

Qualicum Beach - Gary's Bistro

For breakfast after staying at the Captain's Inn, we ate at Gary's Bistro.It is the kind of establishment that handles breakfast in the mornings, lunch at noon, supper in the early evening and a local pub late night. It also looks like it can handle all four successfully. A feature was a third of a classic car car, sliced lengthwise, hanging in the main area and loads of pics of classic cars on the walls. It looks like the main hub of a summer car show.

The breakfast was filling and tasty, with very nice pan-fried potatoes.

Qualicum Beach - Captain's Inn B&B

To spend our night in Qualicum beach, we chose the Captain's Inn for its proximity to Giovanni's Ristorante and not much else as we would only be staying there to sleep. It had a comfortable bed, and all the amenities including a kitchenette. A park was also nearby and had the nice sound of sea lions from the beach in the morning. Seriously, it was nice. The fellow there was polite and helpful. We would stay here again if in the area excepting that Tigh-Na-Mara (for the Jedidiah studios) , a short drive south, is the same price (with government rate with ID) and prettier. I guess it depends on how rowdy we get at Giovanni's!

Qualicum Beach - Giovanni's Ristorante

For Remembrance day weekend, my wife and I decided (as in years past) to spend it in Tofino. Unlike other years we wanted to drive from Victoria to Qualicum Beach and spend the night there. For supper, we decided on going to a place discovered in the spring, Giovanni's Ristorante.
We had as an appetizer the Carpaccio al Parmigiano (thinly sliced Filet Mignon with arugula, horseradish and Parmesan), which was delicious. I then had the spaghetti putanesca, as last time as it was so good and there wasn't anything that drew me away from it. My wife had the Vitello Funghi (veal with oyster and portabello mushrooms). We both thoroughly enjoyed the meal and would come again and again if in the area.

Remembrance Day in Tofino

This year, like last year, my wife and I are in Tofino for Remembrance day weekend. I hope that you take a moment today to thank those who stood up to bullies in the many conflicts throughout humanities existence.

Of course, for those who prefer not to, please note that some gave their lives or suffered physical and mental hardships for you to retain that option.

I'll be posting pictures and reviews of Tofino as time permits this week.