So yes, we began the year enjoying our condo in Victoria next to the big, wet thing. I had had a pretty stressful December--I always devote too much energy to Christmas (note to self--not next year). Christmas was fun but on Boxing Day, we had to pack up all our Christmas decorations, put away our gifts, and pack for Victoria. We were up very early the next day, flew out of Calgary and were in our condo by 8:30am. We unpacked, bought groceries, napped then went to Christie's for supper. After sharing chicken wings, I had gyoza and Glen had fish and chips. Tip: Christie's gyoza dipping sauce mixed with malt vinegar is a taste sensation.
Rather than bore you with five weeks of 'we did this on this day then that on the next', I'm organizing this blog into activities.
Birthdays:
There are many family birthdays in January but the ones we celebrated in Victoria were mine at the beginning of the month and Glen's in the middle. I had been ill a few days before mine suffering some sort of stomach flu so the thought of a fancy dinner didn't sit well with me. All I felt like was dinner out at Christie's (I had a veggie pizza while Glen indulged in their yorkies stuffed with roast beef). However, we began the day with a session at the driving range (the golf courses were closed due to frost) then drove out to Tillicum Centre to see the new Star Wars movie in the afternoon.
Glen's birthday began with a round of golf (you see a pattern here?) then lunch at the clubhouse (with our friends, Janet and Iain). We had pea soup and half pastrami sandwich special since we knew we'd be dining at the Marina Restaurant that evening. You only turn 65 once and that is a cause to celebrate (Glen learned he got a discount on his BC car insurance so was chortling all day about that). He had his favourite liver paté while I had oysters then we both had the catch of the day, ling cod for Glen and trout for me.
As we were being seated, I told the hostess that because it was Glen's birthday, he should have the better view of the harbour. When we finished eating our fish, the server brought Glen a plate on which the chef had written Happy Birthday. It had a single candle and three chocolate truffles. Very sweet of them! It didn't stop Glen from ordering a creme brulée for dessert.
We were up early the next day to continue his celebration with breakfast at The Shine Café. We had planned to do this on New Years Day but they didn't open until 9:00 and we couldn't wait that long. Glen had their signature Eggs Benedict with roasted potatoes while I had their Nemo which featured smoked salmon rather than ham. I asked for Scottish potato scones which looked more like pancakes than biscuits.
Walking:
There were a few days of solid rain but mostly the weather was cloudy with showers and an occasional jolt of sunshine. This made walking a treat although we didn't get in as much as we'd planned. However, we did go down Fort Street so Glen could buy some cigars and several times made our way to the MokaHouse coffee shop via the grocery store. We also did the trip to Hillside Mall, checking out all the new townhouses being build along Shelbourne Rd. One day, Monica, a Calgary friend, invited us to coffee at her favourite place, Serious Coffee on Oak Bay Ave and we walked there to meet her.
We also strolled along the beach at Cadboro Bay. Originally we planned going to Willows Beach but took the scenic route and ended up on the wrong beach. There were two sailboat wrecks, one of which created controversy as its owners had abandoned it. It was rather unsightly but made for interesting photos.
Our only garden trek was to Beacon Hill Park. I wanted to re-plant a lost letterbox and see what was blooming (roses, primroses, and early rhododendrons). The peacocks were pairing up so we saw several tails displayed. On our way back to the car, Glen and a Iroquois native began chatting. He told us of his spirit animals and how he had spit at the feet of the Queen of England. He had fought in Vietnam and met more dignitaries than I can list. I began to think he was a bit like Forrest Gump. He probably thought we were gullible white guys and was laughing at us inside.
Golfing:
We wanted to experience winter golf this year and had the chance to do so several times. The Ridge at Cordova Bay is a well-drained and maintained course so playing there was fun although I had to bundle up. At one point, I had on 5 layers of clothing. Janet and Iain joined us and we had lots of laughs over the frustrations of the game. Twice we went to lunch with them at Bill Mattick's Restaurant in the clubhouse of the Cordova Bay Golf Course.
We also played Cedar Hill Golf course twice. The first time was a slog but we pretty much had the same score as in the summer. The second time, the conditions were worse. We had had a deluge of rain a couple of days before and it did not improve the course. I was up to my ankles in water in places and hitting from the fairway meant getting a muddy shower. We played with an older gent called Geoff who said we must create winter golf rules to make play enjoyable. He often drove his cart partway down the fairway to tee off and he'd move his ball to higher ground if it landed in a muddy patch. If there is a next time, I will not keep score, that's for sure!
Birding:
Diane and Tony often do a birding trip around the Gulf Islands on a BC Ferry and invited us to join their group. The first Sunday trip was cancelled due to high winds and rain. The second one was a go so we awoke at 5:15am to get to the ferry in time to join the rest, picking up Diane and Tony along the way. Glen was determined to get a senior's discount so told the ticket seller that he was 65. The man replied, well, I'm 60. After a moment's silence, I started to laugh. There are no discounts for seniors on the ferries on the weekend and rightly so. Our group consisted of 38 birders and I was the only one without binoculars. Glen had borrowed Tony's old pair. I figured I'd use my camera if I needed to see anything. It was a great day for the trip with no rain and little wind but cool enough for gloves. And we did see lots of birds, mostly in the harbour areas.
The ferry we caught, the Bowen Queen, does a circle route and we remained on board the entire time. First stop was Pender Island where we saw Pelagic Cormorants whose feathers were iridescent in the sun. Most of the cars left the ferry here. Our next stop was Village Bay on Mayne Island (we often buy Village Bay oysters here in Calgary).
As we were going into the narrows between Mayne and Galiano Islands, I wandered off to take photos of the ferry. A young crew member asked me if I'd like to see the bridge. He had two men in tow so I guess I was the token woman. He told us that only a few were invited up to the bridge so I had no time to alert the others of my luck (big mistake). It was an amazing experience where I talked charts (which they don't use anymore) and sailing with the captain. He had been in the Canadian Navy and since my Dad had sailed with the British Navy during the war, I felt a strong bond with him. I also learned a lot about the currents between the islands and how ferry system works.
As we approached the Galiano ferry dock, another ferry came up behind us. 'Traffic control' told the captain he must wait and let the Mayne Queen pick up a dangerous goods truck. This ferry does a dangerous goods run every Sunday and carries no passengers. The first mate took the Bowen Queen out into the main channel then brought her around. Then the captain took over to bring the boat into the dock. As he did so, I went out on the wheelhouse deck.
I saw Glen on the main deck and called down to him. If looks could kill! Turns out he had hunted the ferry for me calling my cellphone several times (for some reason my phone was acting up so I never received the calls). He was just about to alert the crew I was missing when I called to him. I spent a bit more time on the deck checking out the birds (remember that's why I was there), then went below to have a picnic lunch with Glen, Diane and Tony. I was so excited about my adventure that I think Glen forgave me. Not so sure about the others, though. I behaved myself on the trip back. Gotta love the magic of travel experiences!!
Dining:
My mother always says reading my blogs makes her hungry so having a section on food seems appropriate. To me travel is all about experiencing the food a region offers. I've already described a few of our meals but others are worth mentioning, too.
It's been several years since we had a meal at The Swans Brewpub. Diane suggested we meet them there so we walked down. It built up our appetite (Glen had prawn linguine while I enjoyed their veggie panini) and excellent beer (I had oatmeal stout). We ate on their covered, glassed-in patio under a very good heater. I actually removed my outer layers! Diane wanted to make us shepherd's pie (she is a fantastic cook) so we made plans to meet for lunch at their house in Gordon Head.
This seemed to be a theme for while dining with Janet and Iain after golf (chowder and smoked salmon bagel at Bill Mattick's), Janet invited us to lunch at their place. She served a wonderful seafood dish that still has my mouth watering. The reason for the visit was to meet her sister. Apparently, Grace thought we were 'invisible friends'. Although born in Scotland, Grace came to Canada to teach and met her husband, a native Victorian, and settled in BC.
The Beagle Pub has become a favourite haunt of ours in Cook Street Village. It's a cozy place to dine after a walk in Beacon Hill park. Glen had fish and chips while I ate a halibut wrap. The table next to us seemed to be a group of older gentlemen enjoying stories and laughs. One ordered apple crisp for dessert and reluctantly shared it with his companions. Glen decided he wanted one, too. Well it wasn't long before the old men kidded him about sharing with them. As we lingered over coffee, the group left. One had propped his cane near my chair and when he came over, explained they were all ex-RCAF, the oldest being 97, the youngest 80. They met once a week but had to have a walk beforehand (some had walkers in tow). He and Glen talked planes for a bit before his comrades called him over to re-join them.
What would a trip to Victoria be without a meal at Don Mee's? As usual, we filled our table with dim sum goodness, getting all our favourites and adding ginger beef and BBQ pork to the mix. We had enough leftovers for dinner and lunch the next day. Which was just as well as I spent the day preparing a lunch for Diane and Tony, making the base for sausage soup, the meat sauce for lasagna, and baking Italian lemon cakes.
Since I didn't feel like cooking supper, we planned an evening at Christie's with our floor neighbours, Ray and Cynthia. They keep an eye on our place while we are away and are very sweet people. We walked over to Christie's and thoroughly enjoyed our meal together. Glen and Ray had meatloaf while Cynthia had fish and chips and I enjoyed chicken quesadillas. During dinner we made plans to meet up with their daughters at Sue's new townhouse. We hope to move into a townhouse when Glen retires so were anxious to see an example of the newer ones. We fell in love with it!! So much room and so much light. Exactly what we need.
Tradition has it that we dine at airport The White Spot when we fly out of Victoria. Glen contends they have the best burgers anywhere and I love the light batter of their fish and chips. We had plenty of time before our flight so instead of sitting in our living room waiting to leave, we left. When we hit the restaurant it was very busy but we got a nice booth where I could easily stash our hand luggage. Just as we finished eating, the whole place emptied out. Glen asked the waiter if it were something we said. Turns out the young man was a native Islander and also served tables at a golf course which he said we should play.
Work:
It wasn't all fun, games and eating, of course as Glen had scientific papers to review, media interviews to give, lectures to create, and a conference to organize. I also did work on the conference website, knitted, and spun. Added to the normal tasks involved with running a household, Glen also re-grouted the master bath's tub. One day, I hope to lay a tiled floor in there. We keep promising ourselves this but the whirlwind that is Victoria sweeps away our best intentions.
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