The first leg of my cross-Canada trip started today with a drive to Vernon. Amanda finally got to meet my Mom and we don’t have to drive to Calgary in one day. The drive over the Coquihalla was sunny and amazing. When we got here we all piled into my car to head down to the Italian Kitchen for good food and wine. This place is always packed but we managed to sneak in before the crowds hit. Finally the day was completed with a tasty pie. 

Something you may not know about me is that I have a serious thing for good pies. My Mom used to make some of the best pies when I was young and the love affair with the pie has blossomed ever since. When we were on the island this past week I picked up a delicious rhubarb and berry crumble in a pie shell from a small bakery in Ladysmith. Amanda claims I talked about the pie all day until finally, after our late night BBQ on Long Beach, the pie was taken out and sliced up. I took one bite of the pie, gave a quizzical look at the fork I was using, put the fork down and demolished the rest of the piece with my bare hands. Upon seeing this Amanda exclaimed, “the fork is only a barrier for the pie man!” 

Tomorrow we head to Calgary where I will stay for the next week since Frank Black, lead singer for the Pixies, is performing on Sat, Aug 9. On the Monday I’ll be continuing on to the east coast. 

If anyone has any leads on an exceptional pie shop in Calgary please share!