On the morning of 11 August (Canadian time) we caught a ferry from Seattle to Vancouver Island (Victoria) and finally after 45 years of dreaming on my part, myself and the six spokes arrived in Canada. I was so excited (as was everyone). Checked into our accommodation at Worldmark Kingston and went to Fisherman’s Wharf for a lunch of fish and chips.
Once I get the code worked out for inserting photos you will be able to see some of the beautiful things I have seen …by George I think I’ve got it.
The ladies went to afternoon tea at The Empress … truly scrumptious. Their own blend of tea was superb and was accompanied by a starter of blackberries and Chantilly cream, followed by three tiers of deliciousness … finger sandwiches, mini croissant, pinwheels. Next tier … scones, cream and delicious strawberry jam. Top tier … a selection of small delectable sweet cakes. Beautiful setting and really made you want to lift your cup with your pinky extended.
At the Wharf there were lovely little houses moored to the Wharf … Real waterfront living.
While the ladies were afternoon tea-ing, the men were doing what men do best and visiting a licensed establishment. That night, back in one of our rooms, it was quite a boisterous bunch.
Next morning we had a 2-1⁄2 hour open double decker bus trip around Victoria, and including Cragdarroch Castle. It was another beautiful day, just suited to ride on the open top deck where the breeze provided a wonderful respite from the sun. It was a great opportunity to see the different style of homes and architecture of buildings. Apparently they have a lot of small earthquakes … too small to be felt, but the thought of them seemed to unnerve the bus driver a lot.
The visit to the Castle was interesting … Beautiful wood paneling and lovely stained glass windows.
The Parliament building in Victoria is a very impressive building - especially when lit up at night.
We all headed in different directions for a few hours and the hub and three female spokes, together with one intrepid male spoke, Mark, revelling in his feminine side, boarded another double decker for a visit to Butchart Gardens. I cannot say enough about this beautiful place - the colours, the flowers, the trees, the grasses and when you think it began life as a limestone quarry, it is even more remarkable. Everything was in its place and so neat. It was a long walk around when you stop every four steps to take a photo of something beautiful. There is a Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, Rose Garden and other themes, but my favourite was the sunken garden. Tons of soil were brought in by the late Mrs Butchart to liven up the soil at the base of the quarry and the sunken garden is a tribute to her vision and hard work.
Spoke Liz and I stayed for the illuminations. Originally as the lights came on, we started to think that “illuminations” simply meant that they turned the lights on. But as the sky darkened (which happens very late at night here), the full effect of the lights was seen.
Oh, there were water features, shapes, designs … There is not enough room for all the photos, so just a couple more …
If you ever find yourself in Victoria BC, a visit to these gardens is a must. Plenty of places for refreshment, a meal or a browse through the beautiful gift shop.
