A few days in Kelowna.

So what happened while we were visiting in Kelowna.

Thursday arrival in Kelowna and dinner with family as shown in the last post.

Friday morning Linda, Bid and I were off to do some shopping and then have lunch at a local winery.  Visiting a winery was on Bid’s bucket list and the Okanagan is full of them. 

Linda decided that Grey Monk was a good choice so off we went.

It is a bit of a drive as we were heading back towards Winfield and Lake Country on Glenmore Road.

The winery is up above Okanagan Lake but you couldn’t see the lake at all today because of the smoke from the fires. By the way my camera was acting up so I had to use my little IPhone to take pictures.  Still haven’t decided what to do about a new camera.

           

Inside the lobby there is a wall of awards that the winery has won. 

         

First off….a little wine tasting by Bid and Linda who are both confirmed wine drinkers.  I don’t mind a glass but beer is my poison!

                

                      Linda says all the wine is delicious!

Now we are on to lunch.  I had decided it was my treat today even over Linda and Bid’s objections.  I might add that even though the food was a bit pricey it was worth every penny.  We started with a crab and artichoke appetizer.  Linda and I had a curried seafood pasta and Bid had the duck leg.  We each had a glass of the wine that was recommended for each meal and it was very good.  Hot plates, good service and superb food….what more can you ask for.

         

Bid and Linda looking toward the lake that they can’t see.

        

We decided to take the wine tour and the lady in black was our guide.  We started by taking an elevator downstairs to the wine making area. 

                  

Stainless tanks for the wine.  They were just starting to start the fall season.

        

Oak barrels for aging the wine.  Prior to use they are burned inside and then used for a number of years.  Following that are often used to age liquor.

Lots of technical equipment.

All the paraphenalia needed to make good wine.  Very clean….you could eat off the floor.

I think Bid and Linda wanted to take all the oak barrels full of wine home!

This is where they make all the decisions about the wine.

Grey Monk was the first winery in the valley.  I didn’t bother with all the facts and figures as I thought if you were interested it is easy to find on the internet.  Besides….I’m a beer drinker!

Following the tour there was a little more wine tasting upstairs by Bid and Linda

Things got a little crazy at lunch when one of Linda’s friends called to say that her husband had experienced blindness in one eye and apparently has a completely detached retina.  Later that day they came for dinner and as the doctor had decided that he had to go to Vancouver for surgery Linda and Ian would go with them and help out. 

So…Saturday morning Linda and Ian left for Vancouver while Eric and I stayed to visit with Leslie and Bid on their last day in Kelowna.  Leslie, Bid and I went off to Costco for some shopping which was another thing on their bucket list and then we were home for dinner and some visiting. 

Sunday morning Leslie and Bid were packed up and ready to go back to Vancouver by 9am.  They will fly back to Scotland on Tuesday afternoon.  There was some moaning and groaning by Leslie when he weighed Bid’s suitcase and found it was overweight.  As his was under the alloted weight I guess he’ll just have to carry some of Bid’s treasures!  Their suitcases were jammed with gifts that Bid had made (wool rugs, jams, jellies) and also sweet treats when they arrived and now she was taking gifts home with her.  What a gal! 

Eric and Leslie have similar interests and really enjoyed eachother’s company.  Leslie is a welder by trade.

Bid and I also have similar interests as she is an avid gardener.  She is a ranger in Scotland and builds trails etc.

So away they went and we were alone. 

I was off to have lunch with my sister Anne who had the day off and Eric did…..?  Later I found he had washed the bugs off the front of the rig. 

That’s my sister Anne on the right and her daughter Adrian on the left.

Anne and I had lunch at a golfcourse restaurant in West Kelowna and although it was good it didn’t compare to Grey Monk. I had an ahi tuna burger and it was just okay.  Anne enjoyed her lunch.  A little shopping and a good visit and….another day done.

Monday morning and time to do laundry before lunch with my niece Adrian.  She was going to buy me lunch but I said that was hardly fair after I had treated everyone else!  Lunch at Milestones by Orchard Park and it was an excellent meal.  This is starting to sound like my Wednesday ladies lunch blog that I do in Mazatlan!  I must say that I enjoy most meals out in Mazatlan but not so much in Canada and the USA.  I always try to order something that I wouldn’t cook at home.  

Linda arrived back from Vancouver that afternoon while Ian stayed behind to help their friends drive home Tuesday through the Fraser Canyon after a successful operation.  They couldn’t take their familiar Coquihala route because the elevation could damage his eye.  Linda, Eric and I  had a lovely happy hour outside in the yard, dinner and nighty night!

Tuesday it was off to try and find Eric some new boots.  I’d scoped out a couple of shops in the mall and away we went.  The first shop had what he wanted but….not his size so we were off to try and find Mountain Equipment Co-op.  They have a new store not far from the Orchard Park Mall but it is hard to identify.  Huge grey building with giant doors and a sign that says “MEC.”  Not easy.  However they did have the boots in the right size so all was well.  Eric hates to shop for any clothing or footwear so this was a good thing.

Home to ready the rig for tomorrows travel, happy hour, dinner and bed.  On the road tomorrow.