A Memorable Day! Gold Plus One!

As 'Gold Plus One Day', I think today warrants a few lines - and possibly a few pictures as well, if I can remember how to get them here....
I have just returned from a 'Gold Card Cruise' with five lovely ladies of a certain age - that 'certain age' being such that we all qualify for free ferry travel Mon. - Thurs. All we had to do was to flash our Gold Cards as we boarded the 'Coastal Celebration' (apt name, eh?) and we were on our way. Our 'cruise' was a continuous ferry ride from Swartz Bay (Victoria, but actually only a few minutes' drive from Sidney, where most of us live) to Tsawwassen (Vancouver) and back to Swartz Bay.
The weather was perfect for such a trip; sunny, but with a pleasant breeze to keep it from being too hot. However, most of the first leg of our cruise was actually spent inside, as we ate lunch in the comfort of the Pacific Buffet. Several trips to the sumptuous spread were taken by each of us as we sampled the varied offerings. Whenever we took a break from our chatting or sampling delicacies, our eyes were drawn to the spectacular scenery slipping by in an ever-changing vista of sailboats, islands, and even the ferry passing in the opposite direction. Where else could we have found a more scenic spot for lunch??
A quick trip to the Gift Shop, and another flashing of the Gold Card, and we were all set for the trip back, without even having to disembark at Tsawwassen! As 'Coastal Celebration' can be 'driven' in either direction, we headed to the open deck on the other end of the vessel (so that once again we'd be at the 'front') climbed one level up from the Pacific Buffet, and prepared for some serious relaxation (after the serious chatting and serious eating...) As I hope you'll be able to see from the pictures, some of us relaxed by playing Scrabble, while knitting, reading and chatting were popular too.
The day is not yet over by a long chalk - browsing around the weekly Thursday evening market is next on the agenda, followed by an outdoor movie showing of...? ....I'm not sure what the movie is, but the idea of a movie under the stars appeals, particularly as the weather is warm and clear.
Many thanks to those who phoned and/or sent birthday greetings today. All much appreciated, even though I know I haven't responded to each of you personally!