Gorgeous Gulf Island Retreats Soothe your Body and Soul

 by Nancy Snipper

Ever feel the need to heal in a tranquil place where the ocean is before you and the forest surrounds you?   I recently traveled to two islands in British Columbia to stay in two extraordinary bed and breakfasts.  Rooms were remarkable, and breakfasts went beyond the standard of eggs, toast and jam.   Their hosts have talents that help you unwind while cocooning you in comfort and serenity - not to mention the spectacular views you get to enjoy from your own big balcony every day.

Serenity by the Sea

Last year, I suffered a back operation with an unfortunate painful outcome. I needed a retreat where I could self-reflect, distress and reset. The first place I headed for was Serenity by the Sea on Galiano Island.  Luannah Livermore, its owner, is an internationally trained healer, who also happens to be a marvelous baker – among other things.

 

Cottages with rustic charm

 Knowing I like view variation, Luannah offered me the chance to stay in two different fully equipped deluxe cottage-like cabins that nestle in the forest. Lush views greeted me every day until I moved into the main building. Perched high on a rock, this reception area has a stunning upstairs room with floor to ceiling windows and a huge balcony overlooking the sea. I could hear the lapping of waves hitting the rocks.  I slept like a babe.  

Healing treatments

 I looked forward to receiving her healing therapies held in her spacious studio.  After talking about her plan for me, she led me to a bed made off amethyst crystals.  Using an ancient Hawaiian method of treatment and combining it with others. She also uses sound and laser therapies on your body that give off vibration frequencies that actually heal pain.  Indeed, every time, she applied them, my pain diminished. While massaging me for three hours, she continuously sang in the Hawaiian language to a CD playing in the background.   Her 25 years of studying (five with an Elder in Hawaii) includes Lomi Lomi Temple Style. This incorporates traditional Hawaiian prayer, song, life coaching, energy release and deep joint massage and deep breathing.  Body, mind and soul become integrated in her approach. Her hands were remarkably strong; her angelic voice and her directions to breathe deeply at certain key moments during her treatments deepened my relaxation and eradicated kinks.   When it was over, I felt an incredible surge of energy; my body felt renewed.  My spirit picked up.

Having traveled all over the world, Luannah has acquired a vast knowledge of healing therapies which she is eager to share with you.  Personally, I found her guidance to be beneficial.  She helps us locate in ourselves a way to accept and actually love ourselves. Esoteric as it sounds, she revealed that cells respond to good “frequencies” - that the messages we send them profoundly affect our emotions, bodily feelings – and this in turn affects how we relate to others.   She also spoke about embracing both the shade and light parts along with the incongruities that we have in ourselves, and that we can learn to harmonize. She guided me in strategic ways to do this, emphasizing aloha (love). Luannah aims to bring our lives into goodness and love.  “The world needs to be lovingly corrected,” she said, smiling.

I came away from the retreat looking ten years younger.  Most importantly, I learned more about myself - how I was hurting myself by focusing on that which is not productive to my well-being.  Certainly, my pain had greatly diminished; my ankle was stronger, and my walking was steadier. Yes, I still use my cane but not all the time now. Most of all, Luannah gave me a spiritual strategy to deal with pain, and that alone has helped me when a setback arises.

I wanted to linger longer at Serenity by the sea, not just because of her remarkable gifts, but her breakfasts were great! Those raspberry, strawberry crepes and delicate pancakes soaked in home-made caramel and chocolate sauce were out of this world.  I also joined her family for a home-made Peruvian-style barbecue chicken dinner, made by her husband, Juan Carlos.

Visit www.serenitybythesea.com

Email: info@serenitybythesea.com

Salt Spring Island and Armand Heights B and B

Leaving Galiano, I took the two-hour ferry ride to Salt Spring Island. Here the harbor and Ganges town were buzzing with people. Still seeking solitude, I traveled further north to stay at Armand Heights – a B and B located 1000 metres above sea level. My luxurious room gave a panoramic tree-high view of mountain and ocean. I loved it. The grounds comprised almost six acres of gardens with a flourish of over 160 hybrid roses and dozens of fruit trees and herbs that Irina, the Russian owner uses in her breakfast dishes and every meal she loves to cook.

 Irina Floreke, owner of this exquisite property wears many hats: she makes baroque style cakes and raises chickens whose eggs she sells at the Tuesday and Saturday Ganges markets.  She also makes dozens of different flavored fruit wine, using the fruit that grows on her property. Every guest gets a complimentary bottle in their room.  A home-made gourmet breakfast is delivered to each of the four rooms by Irina herself. She’ll even cook dinner for you if you ask her in advance.  Her borscht was brilliant!

 I came to know just how caring Irina is when on my last day I was determined to visit Truckle Park – at least a 30-minute drive from her place.  But I had not rented a car. This park is reputed to be the most beautiful of all the parks on the Gulf Islands. Irina went right to work; she arranged for me to get a ride there with a couple staying in one of the rooms who also wanted to explore this park.

 It was beautiful indeed with its coves and groves of trees that offered a solitary bench for gazing out to the endless blue of sea. She even wanted to know how I would get back and to call her.

Irina even drove me me to the market in Ganges, the main town, and it was here that she dragged me to her hairdresser, insisting that my hair definitely needed cutting. I appreciated Irina’s authenticity and frankness, but her hairdresser was too busy. I think she was more disappointed that I was. Clearly, Irina always puts her guests first. “I love working, but the most important thing for me is my guests. I want them to be very happy here.”  I certainly was.

Salt Spring is beautiful and welcoming.  Musician, Randy Bachman homes here as do many artists and creative if not maverick innovators. Parks, lakes, kayaking and festivals abound. This scintillating island has its own healing magic, and Armand Heights is part of it.

Visit www.armandheights.com

Email: reservations@armandheights.com

RIDM HAS CAPTIVATING DOCUMENTARIES OF POWERFUL IMPACT

WILCOX (Directed by Denis  Coté) ****

The film is really a reflective comment on all those who go wandering and never return. The film mentions two men in particular who left – one of whom committed suicide later on.

This film portrays a young self-sufficient man who wanders in Quebec’s countryside, finds places to shelter himself, engages with some very eccentric characters, know show to survive by basically finding fruit and lettuce grown in fields. This man is a drop-out from civilization; he is a hermit wishing to find his own freedom. There are moments of happiness and of sadness. If only we all could retreat into nature, observe that before us, while living the life of a nomad. Never having to rely on the curse of civilization as it is today has its rewards.

 The film is without dialogue, yet the silence with some electronic type sounds in the background gave lent its own special drama and calm.  We really felt the soul of this man, beautifully portrayed by Guillaume Tremblay.

Mont Saint-Bruno National Park Shows Autumn Splendor

I love this huge national Sépaq park with its network of trails that can be enjoyed at every time of the year. Signs direct you to the three main lakes.                                                    
A 27-km network of trails circles the following lakes: Lac Seigneurial, Lac des Bouleaux, Lac des Atocas, Lac du Moulin and Lac de la Tortue. A 3.5-km hiking trail, which starts at the Discovery and Visitors Centre, offers a more rustic alternative. You can also hike a shorter 1.5 km loop within this circuit.

This historical park is a must-see during the four seasons, and so I always head out there at different times of the year. Each time, nature seizes 

my senses in various ways. 

                                           Walking on the fallen leaves was fun

 Rocks with smooth slate-like surfaces to rest on

Lac des bouleaux, a place to ponder

The sites, smells and birdsong change, as does the ground beneath your feet. Gliding on snow, stepping on the sunny paths in summer, dodging wet parts in spring and walking on leaves in autumn, each season presents a special beauty. The lakes are highlights here. Enjoy the view. 

 


This lone boat on Lac de Bouleaux sure beckons, but it's used by the park in case of an emergency. 

canoe on Lac des Bouleaux for you to rent in summer

                   

                                       

So many photos were taken that day; but I chose a sampling to reflect the natural beauty of this Sépaq park. Thank you Philippe for making my visit  possible! I shall return.


 Read more about Nancy's experiences in the park:

MONT-SAINT-BRUNO NOW HAS DOGGY-FRIENDLY ROUTES

WINTER WONDER AT PARK-MONT-SAINT-BRUNO

PARC NATIONAL DU MONT-SAINT-BRUNO

Claire Guimond Shares the Baton with Mathieu Lussier as Co-Artistic Director

The brilliant bassoonist Mathieu Lussier made himself known with his performance Telemann’s Concerto for “flute a bec and bassoon in f major”. He is truly a virtuoso player and was perfectly paired to Claire Guimond’s marvelous flue playing. Their timing was perfect, most notably heard in the allegro movement. The orchestra seemed to come to life with this work. One must single out Vincent Lauzer. His recorder performance was spell bnding. Telemann would have been so pleased hearing how brilliant Vincent rendered his C Major Concerto. 
However, something seemed to be amiss with the  first three  previous works on the program – none of which were composed by Telemann, though the concert was titled Telemann in Paris. But all were influenced by him and lived during his time.

There seemed to be a the tenuous approach by the orchestra, It must be hard to conduct an orchestra while playing the bassoon at the same time. The other pieces seemed to suffer from a lack of direction. The usual crispness and sparkle were missing in the first part of the program, save for that Telemann Concerto. This lackluster delivery was not up to the usual standard of Arion. Were the under-rehearsed?

I also would suggest that if Mathieu is to talk between performances – and talk he certainly did, he make an effort to translate even part of his monologue, as Claire always used to whenever she had something to say (which usually happened before the orchestra started playing).

Mathieu Lussier

Arion’s musicians are brilliant, but this opening concert of the season did not reflect their enthusiasm and wonder. Maybe, it was raining in Paris during their Sunday performance, and Francoeur, Naudet, Leclair. Blamont and Rebel – the other composers on the program did not bring their umbrellas to shelter the musicians from it. 

Visit www.arionbaroque.com for the upcoming concerts.

Claire Guimond

On that note, it must be highlighted that the great Cliare Guimond received the Betty Webster Award, Congratulations, Claire!

                            https://oc.ca/en/betty-webster-award/

APRIL IN Autumn (Directed by Warren Sulatycky) ****

When April comes home to Toronto and catches up with her Sister Sara, she discovers in the garden an old metal box full of letters and a beautiful water colour of a rose. She bumps into an old friend of hers who introduces her to a gallery. One of the workers there is able to identify who did the painting of the rose, and so April goes to his apartment. She is certain this is the man whom her mother loved years ago, but the birthday party reveals otherwise. Sara has invited a homeless man to the party, and April is convinced this is the man. Mistaken identities seem to be happening here or is it? A lovely film with authentic performances, but the ending was disappointing.