I just returned from 5 days in a magical land called Hollyhock on Cortes Island. To get to Cortes Island, you have to travel up north from Vancouver. You can fly in about an hour or travel by car and ferry for about 7 hours. I travelled by car and ferry, so it was a long haul but worth it when I walked in to this magical garden…
I travelled to this magical land to take part in the 19th Annual Social Venture Institute. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. It was incredibly inspiring to spend 5 days with a group of social change makers. I felt so encouraged to see that there are people working hard to make the world a better place for generations to come.
While I was there, I gave a 5 minute presentation about my birth country of Zambia. It was a roaring success, I’m now considering a second career in stand-up comedy. I was afraid of public speaking, but it turns out I am hilarious. Who knew? Ha!
Since this is a food blog, I won’t get in to details about the conference (email me if you want more details). Instead, I will share some of the food and garden related photos I took around the property. I didn’t bring my camera, so these are all iPhone photos.
First of all, let’s take a look at the landscape. Whoa! Seriously, Canada…why are you so beautiful? I know it’s September, but it was warm enough for sunbathing during the day and some people even went swimming!
Next, let’s take another look around that garden! A forest of chard, flowers both edible and beautiful and a greenhouse full of peppers and tomatoes…I’m envious!
How do we feel about cute deer roaming around all day being cute?
What about oyster bbqs? Do we like those?
I will admit, this was the first time I’ve ever had oysters. I was very hesitant, but they were fantastic. I went back for seconds!
As you can see, the natural assets of Cortes Island are worth the trip. I didn’t even get any pictures of the meals at Hollyhock. They have a fantastic kitchen of hardworking ladies making delicious vegetarian food (and occasionally fish). As you can imagine, the produce is top-notch as it comes primarily from that mind-blowing garden. They are famous for their salad dressing. If you want to try a little bit of Hollyhock at home, you can get the recipe here.
I’m happy to be home, but I’ll be missing that little island oasis. *sigh*
