Bandshell and Fish Market, Sidney, BC, 2018

Song of the sea

Sidney British Columbia and Sydney, Australia, separated by 12,444 km of Pacific Ocean, share a similar colonial history and, it appears, architectural affectations.

Yesterday, my wife and I took a Sunday drive out to the BC seaside town on the Saanich Peninsula, stopping for lunch at the Rumrunner Pub.

Over Steak, Mushroom and Guinness Pot Pie, we watched sailboats slip by on Haro Strait, sails lit by the afternoon sun— yes, sun, that blinding orb we feared lately had gone for good!

The location affords one of the most compelling views of of 3,285 metre (10,778 ft) Koma Kulshan (Mt. Baker), in Washington State. The great volcanic summit, which I climbed and skied in my youth, still hid in cloud, but we used Google Maps on my smartphone to pinpoint B.C. Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands, also in Washington.

After lunch, we walked along the oceanfront promenade. I’ve been trying to find the right way to photograph the fish market on the waterfront for years. I took more snapshots to study at home (I think a long-exposure is in order), then made some photos of the nearby totem and strange sculpture, next to the bandshell.

I’ve watched concerts here, lounging on the grass in the summer sun, but yesterday was the first time it dawned on me, so to speak, that the humble little theatre pays humorous homage to the iconic opera house across the sea.

Bad note

Unfortunately, after I wrote this little blog, I discovered that the photos I made yesterday were not up to standard (somehow, I turned off RAW captures). This afternoon, I raced advancing clouds back out to Sidney … but they won out. The image above was made just as the sun lost out to the grey blanket that once again covers the coast.