More boats and pirates and. . .

My weekend was eventful, but goddamn I'm tired!

I returned to the Island to celebrate a belated Father's Day. After taking the ferry Friday afternoon and missing my bus (I had to find change and, of course, it was a huge hassle trying to do that at the ferry terminal) I finally got to my folk's place. J made tabouli and hummus for dinner, and mom put some pasta together as well. I ate until my legs were numb. J's dishes were excellent, and I was really impressed with the consistency of the hummus and the citrus tang of the tabouli.

The Tall ships Festival was in Victoria for the weekend, and I figured my dad would dig that scene. We both have an affinity for tall ships. There is a romantic quality to them, with their wide, white sails unfurled as they glide across the ocean. Also, there is strong camaraderie among the sailors, and I appreciate collaborative work rather than individualized, isolated kind. Unfortunately, the boarding tickets were sold out, so we couldn't step onto the vessels. We wandered the grounds looking at crafts, eating mini-donuts and corn-on-the-cob, listened to music from Venezuela and my mom, bless her heart, bought me a photo of one the ships sailing into the harbour; the very same ship featured in Pirates of the Caribbean.

We took the harbour ferry around the docks so we can have a closer look at the ships. We went under the Johnston Street Bridge (the blue horses) we approached the Ellis House dock, where a family was waiting for a ferry. The skipper informed them that another ferry would have to pick them up, since his was full. As he pulled away, the ferry began to violently shake, then in one loud convulsion the ferry suddenly died. We were beginning to float ashore, and the skipper had one of the passing ferries come about and tow us back to the dock. We had to wait for another ferry to pick us up. I figured, a daring sea rescue complimented the day's theme.

After eating at the Blackfish Cafe, my mom chatted with a woman in the bathroom who told her the large ships were free to board. Awesome! We climbed aboard the Mexican ship, and it was incredible: I stood at the bow and pictured myself in the middle of the Pacific, narrowing my eyes against the wind and wiping salt off my lips. We finished the day by watching Master and Commander, cheering on as The Surprise chased after the French. I came home yesterday afternoon, badly sunburned and exhausted, but it was worth it.

Tonight: Land of the Dead and homework.