Due to work obligations, we couldn't leave Calgary until the afternoon of July 7th. We headed to Sicamous, about halfway to Victoria to stay at the Best Western and eat at Joe Schmuck's Roadhouse. It was 35ºC but their patio was shaded and an artificial breeze generator kept us cool. Most shunned the heat so we ate alone. Schmuck's deep fried dill pickles are great and so is their pizza. Glen also indulged in a sumptuous blueberry cheesecake.The next day we drove to Tswwasswen to catch the ferry arriving in the condo at supper time. After unpacking the cooler, we headed to Christie's. It's a tradition! We drank Philips Blue Buck, and shared some wings. I ordered the Gyoza while Glen had fish and chips. Although an Asian dish, gyoza never comes with chopsticks so I've started carrying disposable chopsticks in my purse. They came in handy as it seemed weird eating dumplings with a fork.
The next day was a flurry of activity as we prepared the condo for our guests. Geoff, Melissa, Elijah and Miles were in Seattle and would arrive that evening via the Victoria Clipper. They had a great time visiting the sites in Seattle but Elijah wasn't well. It was good they could come to a home rather than another hotel room. But first we had supper at the Flying Otter. After a 45 minute wait, we were all very hungry (Elijah napped during this time). Geoff, Glen, and I had the steak special (with shrimp) which was delicious and Melissa had fries and lettuce wraps. Miles had a plain cheese pizza off the kid's menu. Geoff and I drank Okanagan Springs Pale Ale while Glen had Hoyne Pilsner.
The next morning, Glen had to work so the rest of us walked to Gonzales Beach (see photo of Geoff and the boys). The tide was on its way out leaving behind very smelly seaweed. Miles called it the Stinky Beach and since its original name was Foul Bay, that seemed appropriate. We then headed up Foul Bay Road, a street that winds through a wonderful old neighbourhood.
Glen met us in Oak Bay and we drove to the Marina Restaurant for lunch. We thought we'd eat in the café but it was really just a coffee shop so went upstairs. Glen said I was becoming his mother in wanting to eat in restaurants with tablecloths. Not so, but it is a lovely place and the food is wonderful. We were not the only ones casually dressed and when they pulled out a kid's menu I relaxed.
Elijah was feeling better and even tried the calamari I ordered to share (it's the best). He had spaghetti while Miles had a burger. Melissa enjoyed a cocktail called For Your Eyes Only while the rest of us had OK Pale Ale. Geoff ate mussels, Melissa a burger, Glen enjoyed fishcakes while I had a delicious bento box. Dessert finished the meal and I even indulged in a pavlova. Glen's sundae was huge! While waiting for dessert, Geoff tested the app he's creating. It tells you the name of the surrounding mountains when you point your phone at them. We couldn't see Mt Baker but we knew where it was. Turns out the US Geological Survey database calls it Grant's Peak which is the highest peak of the mountain. Who knew?
Saturday was fish day. Geoff loves the Finest at Sea so we had to make a stop there for oysters, mussels and fish. Due to their lack of seafood, we ended up with 5 dungeness crabs and a $95 salmon fillet. The kids were playing in the playground with Melissa and Grampy but came with us as we checked out Fisherman's Wharf. Glen has always wanted the boys to feed the seals so bought a plate of herring and they did just that. Pretty exciting stuff! I was happy The Fish Store had oysters so we bought some to round out our feast.
Next, we headed to the Hudson Market. Housed in the old Hudson's Bay store on Douglas Street, this market is now home local artisans and food producers. It's interesting as the Hudson's Bay Company promised Victoria a public market in 1860 but that never came to fruition. Just inside the front doors is a huge Salt Spring Island Cheese boutique with tasting stations for cheese and jams. We bought our favourite cheeses and ended up with a free jar of jam. At the butcher, we got Melissa a steak as she doesn't eat fish (she made her famous gratin potatoes for us) then I spoke to a lady at Olive the Senses, an olive oil/balsamic vinegar boutique and learned Croatia doesn't export its olive oils (see Castles and Churches).
The kids are great walkers so we headed down to Bastion Square to see what the vendors there had to offer. Miles bought a shell necklace with a cat's face hand-painted on it. By this time, we all wanted lunch so headed back to the condo.
Sunday was a beach day, unfortunately, we awoke to fog. That didn't matter as the kids just wanted to play in the sand. So I watched them as Glen, Melissa and Geoff headed down the beach to find my letterbox. Turns out it was gone. It was the second one I'd lost that week which was kind of sad. Melissa caught a jellyfish which was the highlight of our morning.
Monday we headed to Beacon Hill Park so Melissa could find one of my letterboxes. Turns out it was also gone. The petting zoo beckoned and we enjoyed seeing all the farm animals although the boys didn't want to pat the goats. At the top of the hill, Melissa found a letterbox. The clues were horrible so it was good we were there to help. The boys then enjoyed time at the Beacon Hill playground.
In the afternoon, Melissa and Geoff headed downtown to stay at a boutique hotel (Bedford Regency Hotel) and we had a sleep-over with the boys. We took them to dine at The White Spot arriving just before the crowds did. The boys ordered milkshakes which they drank rather quickly which meant when Miles' burger arrived in a pirate ship, he was not hungry. It also had sauce which his grandparents didn't realize he didn't want. Elijah had macaroni and cheese and they both had ice cream for dessert. Glen had a burger (he swears they make the best burgers) and I had teriyaki chicken bowl. Glen's dessert was a huge chocolate brownie. The White Spot is a local chain that began 85 years ago when Nat Bailey began selling lunches to Vancouver tourists from his truck. Granville Island Brewery brews the beer we like, called Nat Bailey Lager.
The next morning we were off to play at Blenkinsop Mini Golf and except for a bunch of camp kids who were out of control, we enjoyed the game. Elijah told us it wasn't real mini golf as it didn't have a windmill. What a funny kid! Melissa and Geoff joined us for lunch. They had enjoyed dinner at the Bard and Banker and took our recommendation of the Shine Café for breakfast. Geoff declared his to be the best eggs Benedict he'd ever tasted.
Wednesday we all headed to Sooke. Melissa wanted to kayak and everyone else wanted to have fun on the Whiffen Spit (see Sooke, Puke & Spit). A horrid cold had me in its grip otherwise I'd have gone off with Melissa. As it turned out, the wind was up so she would need a guide (he was with another group) and they only rented two-seater kayaks. Next time! It was low tide at the Spit so we had a great time exploring all the tidal pools. There were thousands of baby crabs and sea anemones. Geoff treated us to lunch at the Stickleback Eatery where we sat on their lovely patio. Elijah and wasps don't see eye-to-eye (no one likes wasps) and so he spent much of lunch trying to avoid them.
The next day, Melissa was up early to go to Bubby Rose's Bakery for their famous cinnamon buns. They had discovered this place on their last trip and wanted us to enjoy it as well. What an incredible breakfast!! We then headed to the harbour and did a brief tour of the BC Legislature grounds before the gang boarded the Clipper to begin their the journey home. The condo seemed awfully quiet when we got home. As the washing machine cleaned sheets and towels, I napped hoping I would rid myself of the sniffles.
