Double Cove, lazy days

We waited at the Picton harbor, searching for an orange boat.

"How big do you think it's going to be?"

(We pictured a big, orange boat. Not so.)

Turns out 'orange' is also a good indicator that the boat will be small. And small it was. Trevor convinced us that our bags and selves would snuggle in, and we jetted off across the sound, to their little home tucked into the trees.

Lynn and Trevor had had a holiday "bach" (beach house) in Double Cove for 30 years, before retiring and deciding to build a home next to it. Bexie and I stayed in their old bach, and walk over for mealtimes and tea. The bach was still decorated from the 1970's and really awesome. We were excited to have a whole house to ourselves. I was especially jazzed by the wallpapered bathroom.

They didn't have much work for us to do. We were supposed to be painting the bach, but it rained the first day, so after breakfast and chatting, they let us just hang out in our bach, where we spent most of the day knitting and reading and doing yoga, and in the evening we lit the fire in our little stove, put on Bexie's honey-cinnamon-nutmeg face-mask and listened to podcasts. It's nice to travel with Bexie.

Trevor took us out on little explorations around the cove, to see other bachs, and to see blue cod and sting rays, and collect mussels from docks (to later steam for afternoon tea).


I thought these flowers looked like forget-me-nots (Alaska's State flower, of course) and was happy to see them.


The sun did come out the next day, though, and after some light cleaning, we were allowed to lay on the dock, and them go swimming. The water was full of jellyfish! But Trevor told us they didn't sting, and proved it by picking one up with bare hands. Still apprehensive, we initially screamed every time we'd bop! one on the head while swimming, but after not being stung, decided he must have been telling the truth.

Here's a jellyfish, on the right of the picture.
And a weka came to visit our home! They're like small hens with very sharp beaks, and apparently have a taste for WeetBix. It did accept this VitaWheat cracker that I fed it, though.



Before we left, we made an origami fish mobile for the bathroom. They emailed us later to tell us how much they liked it, and how much they enjoyed us staying with them. Bexie and I agreed it was really lucky to have a few easy days to just hang out in such a beautiful spot. The whole trip felt a little like staying with our grandparents, and I don't think we minded that one bit.