Chemainus (Day 2)

We had a day off today, after our long 8-hour shoot yesterday. We wandered around the town checking out all the cool artsy shops and cafes set in heritage buildings. Willow Street Cafe (http://www.willowstreetcafe.com) was probably our favorite. The building was constructed in 1935 and used to be the bank and post office, but it was originally built for the Freemasons. Incredible atmosphere and great customer service. Fabulous mochas and cheese scones as well.

Finished up the trip by visiting my favorite Auntie June in her little attic cottage just out of town. When we arrived she was in the process of boiling maple syrup from sap she'd collected from the trees outside.

Zoe the dog made us feel very welcome too!

Can't wait to come back and visit again!

Chemainus

Here we are in Chemainus, BC doing a video shoot for Caravaggio, a local choclatier that hand-makes all of their chocolates, fudge and roasts their own coffee (yummy stuff). Carolyn and Michael have owned the store for two years although the business has been here for 25 years.

We did a lot of product photography and of course we had to sample many treats that couldn't be sold once we'd handled them. Every time we were in the kitchen we couldn't resist digging into the huge box of Belgian chocolate chips that were just sitting there waiting to be melted.

Chemainus is such a lovely and quaint little town, full of character and charming little stores. The theatre is a huge attraction here although we haven't had time to visit. We heard people come from miles around to check out the stellar shows.

Went to a restaurant called Odika (www.odikacafe.com). It's an African-themed bistro; some of the yummiest food we ever had, and a warm inviting atmosphere. It's run by a husband and wife team and each table was personally visited by the owner/chef. Some of the best coconut prawns we've ever had, and the lamb burger was out of this world. They've only been in business three months but they've been busy since opening. You must check it out!