The Globe and Mail

The two houses sit atop a craggy outcropping, high on a hill overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The larger is sited at the crown, offering a priceless vista with the snow-dusted peaks of the Olympic Mountains of Washington State as a backdrop. Freighters, battle-grey war ships, and a flotilla of pleasure craft ply the waters below. The smaller house also boasts views, especially of Mount Baker, the ice-clad volcano on the mainland. Kathleen Caird remembers spotting the houses while driving along King George Terrace some years ago. The stark but picturesque setting reminded her of Sandycove in her native Ireland, where a Martello tower houses a James Joyce museum.