Following my attendance at back-to-back professional conferences last month in Salt Lake City and Seattle, we took the Pacific northwest opportunity to visit our son Andrew, who lives near Vancouver, BC.
From there we accepted an invitation to visit my second cousins Jill and Barry Bryan, who live on Vancouver Island. The last time we visited, we made the 6-hour trip from Andrew’s place via bus and train to the terminal, then on a huge ferry threading through the smaller islands of the Salish Sea to Vancouver Island, then another bus to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, where they live. (Seems funny that the provincial capital is not on the mainland, eh?) This time he rented an EVO car, and we cut 2 hours off the land portion of the commute.
On the day we arrived, their daughter Elizabeth opened her new restaurant, Emmaline’s, and we were very pleased to attend her premier. This is not her first restaurant: she had great popular success with her previous venture, Dock Lunch in Vancouver City, until she lost the lease on the building. Here’s a wonderful background story on the new venture.
We arrived at opening hour with Jill and Barry, and enjoyed the sparkling ambiance with other early patrons. The outside seating area and neighboring businesses were reflected in its newly painted glass door. For us, it was a relaxing, beautiful evening in a beautiful setting. For Elizabeth, it was quite different: I was lucky to capture her for the 1/500th of a second it took to take her photo.
Soon, we were happy to see that her eager patrons had filled the dining area and lined up out the door onto the sidewalk! And very soon after that, the owner asked (told!) her parents to go home—she needed the table! She brought her dad a piece of chocolate cake to go. And offered to bring more home—if there was any left at closing!
We gladly vacated, grateful to be able to share in her opening night. We wish Elizabeth and her business partners a huge success with Emmaline’s!
