The overcast mornings of late today became a blue sky with low lying fog. In light rain we left Alert Bay and headed north for Sointula, a town on Malcolm Island. We crossed Haddington Passage at trolling speed, and were followed almost all the way into the marina by a pod of about a dozen porpoises.
Sointula is a Finnish settlement, since 1901. From the water you can see its distinctly European flavour – colourful square houses with thickly framed windows, each a little different from the last. We found a nice spot on the dock, enjoyed some hot onshore showers and laundry, then walked 2 km on an oceanfront road, passing by unique properties and homesteads, into “town”. Being Sunday, almost everything was closed, but we were able to order a couple of pints at the Whale Rub Pub.
Sointula is another one of those “secrets” of British Columbia. There is BC Ferry service here from Port McNeill, but the pace of life is pretty darn slow. It is, afterall, an island community of an island. Losing some of its Finnish purity, it is becoming a retirement community. I hope this place always stays a secret little gem tucked away near the Queen Charlotte Strait.
And tonight, we saw a rainbow! You can see its reflection in the water, too, in the last picture.
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