Day 15 - Nakusp BC: I'm turning into a ....

...a mermaid. Even sitting in the hot springs pools at Halcyon Resort, the raindrops were falling on my head. Hey! Isn't there a song about that?!! Nonetheless, it was glorious :-)

For the first time in 2 weeks and 7,970 km, there was no bum on the bike for me today !

Up at 8ish. Barb, Tom, Pam & I went for a leisurely breakfast at a funky little cafe up the street and then wandered in and out of the few stores that are on the main street of Nakusp. In a 'previously-loved by-someone-else' shop, Barb picked up a a ball cap that says: "Tequila makes my clothes fall off" ;-). And in another shop, she bought a motorcycle angel pin for me that I promptly pinned to my jacket - and am hoping like the dickens that I don't knock it off and lose it.

We hadn't made advance reservations for services at the Halcyon Hot Springs Resort 30 km from here because Barb was unable to get sufficient commitment from the women rally participants and we wanted to play it by ear - combination of how we were going to feel and what was the weather going to be. As it turned out, there were 4 spots available for 6 of us. France wanted only the hot springs pool, Diane had a manicure (although we thought her fingernails looked pretty darned good), Ann Marie and Lucie had massage and I chose a manicure for my tired and sore fingers. Sylvia, the wife of one of the Rally organizers, graciously and generously chauffered us to the Resort since Ann Marie, Lucie and Diane don't ride and France and I don't take passengers. Sylvia lives within 200km of here so she declined a a spa service as well. (I'll see Lynda when I get home for my own massage therapy and Catherine for a desperately needed facial. I should have started this the day I left but I finally picked up a tube of Penaten cream in Tofino - the diaper rash stuff that's sold in the baby section of a store. My skin gets SO dry from the air rushing through my helmet shield - this makes a good barrier cream. And 'yes', it's the clear formula.)

It was a bit of racket to get started at the Spa, between deciding who was going to have what service, negotiating rates, getting the spa specials/ packages worked out and paying for all the little extras (towel and locker). I guess we weren't paying enough for the services to have a towel and locker provided. The hot springs have different pricing: $16 for a full day and $11 for a dip but somehow we were going to pay $8. THEN, the receptionist got wind of our plan to have lunch and there was an offer whereby we could pay $20 and get a chit for the dining room which amounted to a $15 credit toward lunch and a $5 hot springs dip. The locker was a loonie every time it was opened. It was a pretty complicated scheme but we had a grand afternoon and I think everyone was pleased.

We started with a really yummy lunch: I had an appetizer-size serving of Avgolemono that was delicious. (Janet, we'll have to round up a recipe for this) And a small salad of arugula with grilled mushrooms, red pepper & asparagus, with toasted pumpkin seeds and 3 large, perfectly seared scallops - beautifully presented with a balsamic-reduction drizzle. Wash it all down with a glass of nice BC wine (I wasn't crazy about it on first swallow but it got better after sitting for a few minutes) and I was good to go - into the hot springs pool! There are 4 pools there: a small plunge pool (55 degrees), 2 hot ones of 100 and 105 degrees and a regular swimming pool. It was 'coolish' - at least it was cool going out into the air from a warm locker room and right out of a shower. I made tracks for the hottest pool and languished in it, with eyes closed and a big smile on my face - even when it started to rain. There was a light steam coming off the pool that I tried, unsuccessfully, to get with my camera. I had about 40 minutes in the pool before my appointment. I tried to do a complete plunge in the cold pool but couldn't manage much of one ;-)

Whatever the effect that hot pool had on me, twice I felt the esthetician pull my arm back toward her onto the table - when it slipped off the table while I slipped into neverland!

Once back in Nakusp, I trotted across the street to the grocery store for Pepsi (I've had only 2 bottles since I left home), bananas and fresh cherries. Oh yeah, and a big bag of Kettle chips - that I fully intend to share with the gang before dinner on Saturday. The Breakfast gang, plus Penny who had just arrived (and whom I had met last year at CFR), returned to the Three Lions Pub a few doors up the street. We ate there last night as well. My dinner last night ? Stuffed minature yorkshire puddings! 12 of them - they were like crispy cream puffs filled with lean roast beef and served with a little dish of gravy for dipping and a garnish of horseradish. We'd never seen anything like it. Yummy! Tonight was a steak sandwich and salad. I SO need exercise when I get home. I don't think I've gained weight but I'm getting soft! ok - softER.

There was a 'meet & greet' tonight to welcome people to the Rally and to gather people in one room to encourage introductions - as opposed to wandering about the parking lot which is standard Rally fare. It's interesting to put faces to all the Forum names I've been reading for almost a year (ExSki-bum; SockMonkey, Pegscraper, FastJoyRide, BearlyFlying, and so on.) And many recognize MEM as being the 'one from the East'. I'm probably among the first to disappear into my room, introvert that I am. I was in last evening by 2115h and it was probably close to that tonight.

I haven't mentioned smells in a few days. Yesterday, it was roses around Kelowna which reminded me, yet again, that my own Therese Bugnet roses are in full bloom right now. I know my sis is really busy with work these days but I'm hoping she'll snap a few photos for me. AND, I hope that SOMEone reading this will take a look for red lily beetles. I forgot about those little damners :-( . There are asiatics in every bed and I'm pretty sure that John isn't checking or picking. Today's smell was the sulphur of the hot springs !

Tomorrow's plan: Vintage Riders Breakfast at 0830 (qualifier is age 50 so I guess I'm in like Flynn), and a ride with France (who is a civil engineer living/working in Vancouver) and Doris Maron. Quick little trip south. Perhaps Barb and will go with us - and,maybe, Tom & Pam. In the afternoon, France is going to show me how to change the oil in my bike! Should be a great day :-) By the way, Sylvia pointed out a good little way to identify routes to ride. Going on north-south routes will generally give you freeway-style roads, straight and in great shape. Going east-west will give you the secondary roads that are twisty and winding as they go up, around and down the mountain ranges that run north to south. Makes perfect sense!

Stay tuned ....