Vancouver Island

It's hard to believe we've been here in Parksville, Vancouver Island, for two weeks now. Maggie and her sons Ben and Dan, and dogs Roger and Max, have made us so welcome we feel totally part of the family. Their wonderful house is full of personal treasures and surprises and I still don't know how many rooms there are.

It's so hot and dry at present we live mainly outside, lazing on the flower-filled deck or under the willows and chestnuts Maggie grew from seed many years ago. Food from the barbecue might be wild salmon caught by Ben or Canadian reared t-bone steaks that melt in your mouth, together with local-grown sweetcorn and salads to add a healthy touch. Deer come to eat the hostas in the garden, and raccoons fight under the trees, while eagles flap above the firs. Wonderful.

At night we switch off the house lights and stay outside to watch the sky; our fabulous stargazing has revealed the Milky Way, Jupiter, shooting stars and lots of satellites scurrying on their secretive missions.

Maggie has been a great hostess and a wonderful tour guide, and our local sightseeing has included the best beaches, waterfalls, harbour views, and even goats on a roof in a country village.

On his day off Dan drove us to the west coast of the island, where the Pacific Ocean stretches all the way to Japan with nothing in between. We stopped en route to admire a grove of massive Douglas Firs in a forest of red cedar (no wonder so many Canadian homes have beautiful hardwood floors), and the whole journey seemed to have a rushing river, soaring peak, or stunning lake round every corner. (Oh, and bear number 5 was round one corner, just when we'd almost got over the excitement of bears). We stopped frequently to walk some of the cliff-top trails and admire the glorious seascapes before having lunch overlooking a picture perfect harbour in the pretty town of Tofino. The wilder, surf topped sea of the west coast and long sandy beaches reminded us of Cornwall and the dogs enjoyed their run along the shore.

It's been so hot this second week our main occupation is wading. We go to the beach, wade into the sea up to our knees, and walk around the bay, enjoying the breeze. Doesn't sound too exciting I know, but it's heavenly. There are herons and Canada geese to observe, amazing starfish that seem to be made of purple and pink velvet stitched with sequins, and tiny crabs scuttling round our toes. If we look up for a moment we see across the blue Straits of Georgia to the smaller islands and the snow-topped mountains that frame Vancouver.

If you're under 50 you should start filling in your immigration application immediately.

Vancouver Island has all the best features of Canada packed into an area about the size of Holland, with a similar population to Nottingham. What makes it so special and desirable as a place to live? - plenty of other places around the world have good shops, schools, services, nice communities. For me it's the awesome sense of staggering natural beauty that is around you at all times; everywhere you look you see mountains, forests, rivers, islands, ocean, the strong scent of pine clears your head, and the sound of crickets chirping deafens you. All that, and the promise of changing seasons. The people here even speak a language we're fluent in, sort of. More on that later.