18 ~ Sunday, July 22, 1990 - North Shore News TRAVEL There’s plenty to do at Hollyhock Farm CORTES ISLAND RETREAT OFFERS WORKSHOPS, DAY-LONG ACTIVITIES LIKE MANY North Shore residents, I’m more familiar with the popular southern Gulf Islands than their northern counterparts. I felt [ was embarking on a great adventure, therefore, when I recently journeyed to Cortes Island for a week-iong stay at Hollyhock Farm. My trip began at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. After sailing to Nanaimo, I motored up island to Campbell River, then took a 10-minute ferry to Quadra Island, followed by a 45-minute ferry to Cortes. Six hours after I started, I arrived at Hollyhock Farm. Lest you be wondering why 1 would travel to such lengths when we've got a number of interesting working farms here in the Lower Mainland, let me assure you that Hollyhock is not a ‘farm’ in the ordinary sense of the word. Although the facility does boast a prolific vegetable and flower garden, most of the growth that occurs at Hollyhock Farm is per- sonal rather than agricultural. Throughout the spring and summer, the 48-acre waterfront farm is the site of various pro- grams that range from singing workshops with Ann Mortifee to courses on drumming, dream- work, parenting, shamanism, meditation, mushroom hunting and surviving dysfunctional fami- lies. I had heard very positive Pegsy Trendell-Whittaker reviews of Hollyhock before I ar- rived for my writers’ workshop, and wasn’t disappointed. What first impressed me was the friend- ly hospitality of the staff, all of whom took pains to try to minimize that fish-out-of-water feeling that can afftict people when they're first exposed to new escapes people in a new setting. Since | had arrived early, just as the staff and guests were finishing their lunch, they offered to put a plate aside for me. | declined, steering instead for the beach with a good book. I regretted this decision later, at dinnertime. Good books will wait for you on the shelf, but it's not often that one has access to gourmet cuisine of the quality dished up by the Hollyhock kitch- en staff. They’re renowned for their homebaked bread, salmon din- ners, fresh garden vegetables and varied vegetarian dishes, but their trademark must be the tossed green salad that, with its pro- liferation of purple. pink and yellow edible flower blossoms, ____ROSEWAY TRAVEL __ special SUPER CRUISE savings for CRUISE HOLIDAYERS from CRUISE MASTERS of Roseway FUN & GOLF GROUP — Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Bermuda, Oct. 21, 7 days on ship inc. 4 in Bermuda with golf + 2 in New York Hilton. Free air, from $1730 U.S., $1485 non-golf. STAND BY BARGAINS -——— Princess Cruises, Mexico, Sept.-Dec., 7 days from $595 U.S. plus air L.A. return RARE SPECIALS —— Royal Viking Line Bermuda, July-Oct., 7 days, $1245 Cdn. inc. air. Barbados Series, Nov.-Dec., 10 or 11 days, $1595 Cdn. inc. air. CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR’S — Princess Cruises — various, including Mexico, Caribbean & South Pacific, from 7-14 days, with $300-400/couple Love Boat Savers, free air. Royal Cruise Line — Golden Odyssey Panama Canal, 12 days from $2950 Cdn., inc. air. Remember your $75 coupon trom Alaska Cruise Ship Guide PHONE 926-4344 106-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver (ground floor office tower) dresses up each dinner plate in fine style. Meals are eaten communally in the cosy central lodge that overlooks the water. After linger- ing over herbal teas, coffee and dessert, guests disperse to their workshops, the beach or one of the farm’s other programs, which change each week. When | was visiting, | had the choice of early-morning birdwat- ching (I didn’t quite make the 6:30 a.m. start, but heard later that naturalist George Sirk knew the local flora and fauna like the back of his hand), yoga, medita- tion and rows in the Harlequin, the farm's beautiful handmade and painted cight-person rowing boat. Workshops can be intense; ses- sions are usually scheduled for at least a few hours in the morning, afternoon and evening. While most workshops are five days, some run for longer and some are only weekends. Regardless of she workshop chosen, however, ticie is still free time available to explore the farm's beach, trails and garden, and, if you wish, the rest of Cor- tes Island. And at the end of the evening, you'll definitely want to head outdoors, immerse yourself in the new sunken hot tuo and watch the moon shine on the ocean. If you are travelling with a friend and can’t agree on a mutually satisfying workshop choice, you might want to con- sider Hollyhock’s retreat option. For a summertime rate of $75 per adult per day, you can take part in all the above meals and activities with the exception of the workshop sessions. Children's activity sessions — $28 per day — run during June, July and August, for kids aged four to 11, so all members of the family will get the opportunity to do what they enjoy best. Also available to all Hollyhock guests are bodywork and massage with local practitioners. The $50 per-session cost is a good investment, as an hour-long massage at the start of your vaca- tion is an excellent way to unwind SArEWAY ipa totic We bring * Eatons * Cloverdale Paint * The Brick Watch for our Safeway * SuperValu * Zellers i you miss any of these Distribution 986-1337 S denvered te seivcted areas analy > friday July 27 Real Estate Home Section. > sunday July 29 Shoppers Drug Mart ilyers call North Shore News "Phoio submitted WHILE MOST people travel to Hollyhock Farm on Cortes Island to fake part in various workshops, there is always time left over to enjoy the farm's other attractions — in this case, a salmon barbecue by the beach. and ease the transition from rat- race life to a slower paced way of living. schedule of workshops, lower-priced ‘‘Chop Wood, Carry Water’’ work retreats and fzes, call Hollyhock Farm at 1-935-6465. For a full Toot VOM F necntrTon meus WE ST VAMC OUYE a aa SUNDAY © WEDNESDAY + ERIDAY