The beauty of the space nourished by temperate climate is what makes this place conducive to live permanently or a travel destination to enjoy the many amenities of the Okanagan Valley.
From the balcony, I could see the Mission Hill Winery and Two Eagles at the Westbank First Nation aboriginal land.
The bell tower of the Mission Hill Winery is visible.
The history of winemaking in the Okanagan Valley began with Father Charles Pandosy. British Columbia was not a part of Canada when he arrived in 1859. It was in 1861 when BC became the sixth province that joined the confederate.
As a priest and a white settler, his mission is to befriend the aboriginals and be of service to them. He was an unconventional priest, became a folk hero and Patron Saint of the Okanagan.
I could see a partial view of the Okanagan Lake that is famous for its legendary tale of Ogopogo, Canada’s Loch Ness Monster.
For the men in our group, their mission is to play golf. The sound of ‘tee time’ at 6 am woke us up as they hurriedly jump out of bed to play golf. Early booking is the best way to get them out while the rest of us leisurely wake up with the sound of ‘fore’.
This is the 18th hole.
The men will text us to come out to the balcony and take photos of them as they fish out their balls from the water. Looking at their score card, the golfer’s term ‘handicap’ now make sense to me.
Here I stand admiring the vineyard of Quails Gate and the breathtaking view. On this open green space under the canopy of sky, my mission was to attend my nephew’s wedding that took place at Quails Gate.
This is the first time I attended a wedding outside a church.
As Catholics, the wedding is normally celebrated in the church presided by a priest. However, this is not the case. My nephew is a catholic and his bride is not. A commissioner pronounced them as husband and wife.
It really does not matter to me whether one has faith or not. What is important that the couple took their vows. That in itself is a blessing.
I must admit, I felt the presence of my God during the whole ceremony.
Beautiful captures, particularly the last one of you overlooking the scene – GORGEOUS!
Blushing, Joanne. My back is very photogenic. Thank you.
What a beautiful place to get married – love your dress and umbrella by the way. They go perfectly with the scenery.
Being married in a natural place created by God, I believe is the best place other than church. Thank you for the compliment on the dress and umbrella. I felt pretty wearing it.