Sweet Treats in Nanaimo

The Bastion, Nanaimo

I mentioned already that when we were in Victoria last time, we discovered the joys of the Nanaimo Bar. This is basically a layer of chocolatey, coconutty, biscuit base, then a thick layer that is something between a mousse and a set custard, all topped with a thick chocolate layer. The middle layer is often in a variety of flavours, and our favourites in Victoria were mint for me and peanut butter for Nic. They are rich, messy to eat, and the best ones are delicious.

They originate, logically enough, in Nanaimo, a town further up the east coast, so naturally, we had promised ourselves a trip there the next time, so that we could investigate – by which I mean sample – more of these sweet treats. Of course, that was all before we had decided to do this fitness kick, but a promise is a promise, and we were doing well with our diet at the time we were planning this, so figured we could afford to give ourselves this one.

St Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

If we’d have known then how badly we would stall on the weight loss in Victoria, we might have given Nanaimo a miss, but as it was, we got a bus here from Victoria, and settled in to enjoy fewer than we would have done in our old ways, (we did at least resist the deep-fried version,) but more than was truly sensible.

And the verdict from the Green jury, was that the first and last were the best. Top place went to our first bar, from Bocca Cafe, where the peanut butter and salted caramel versions were god, but the simple original flavour was excellent.

Smoky Joe's maple syrup and bacon Nanaimo bars

Second place was not actually in Nanaimo, but just outside town, in Smoky Joe’s BBQ steakhouse. Their maple syrup one has little bits of bacon added to the chocolate on top, and everyone knows that bacon makes pretty much anything tastier, but it loses top position for being maybe just a bit too rich. Half a bar would probably have been enough really, but we valiantly battled through.

9/11 wreckage, Nanaimo

Aside from its namesake chocolate bars, Nanaimo doesn’t honestly have a whole lot of attractions. It’s on the coast, which is nice, and it has a bastion, which dates from 1853, and was part of the old Hudson’s Bay Company fort. We didn’t go inside, but apparently there are exhibitions on the trading company, the armaments, and some of the belongings that the colonists would have brought over with them.

One imported item that we hadn’t expected to see in Nanaimo, was a piece of the World Trade Centre wreckage from 9/11. It seems that the local Fire Brigade wrote and requested a piece, and now have it outside their Station.

There are a few interesting shops, and a couple of decent places to go out, in particular, The Vault, which has reasonable food and great live music. We saw two bands there, and especially enjoyed one called Fever Feel.

Goats on the Roof, Coombs

We also did a couple of day trips out, most of which I’ll cover in separate posts, but which included a visit to nearby Coombs, which I’m fairly sure Nic included purely to see a place called Goats on the Roof which, you’ve guessed it, has goats grazing on its grass covered rooftop. He maintains that it was also to see the Old Country Market, but as that wasn’t overly exciting, I suspect it was all about the goats.

Goats on the Roof Old Country Market, Coombs

Grace United Church, Coombs

Court House, Nanaimo