Mommy, it's over!!

Today is our last full day in Victoria. It's been a great holiday and one in which Glen didn't have to write a grant. Oh, he did do scientific and department head duties but he didn't write a grant. I can't remember a summer holiday quite like this.

Glen did have two items on his holiday agenda--play golf and scan the slides of our European trips of 1977 and 1979. He accomplished both, even scanning in his mother's slides from trips made to Europe in 1962 and 1969. All these slides have deteriorated so will require work to restore them but he can do that in Calgary.

My agenda was to eat in our favourite restaurants, see our three beaches at least once, golf, and get the beginnings of my sequel written. I've also accomplished everything I set out to do.

Today, we must ready the apartment for the remediation project that began May 1st. Most of the time we've been here, the construction workers have been digging out around the foundation to create a better drainage system. Mike Holmes would be proud of what they have done. They now have scaffolding up at the rear of the building and are draping it in green weatherproofing cloth.

We must remove all our window coverings and make sure the furniture is well away from the window areas. We've also taken down the pictures that might be knocked off their hooks by the vibrations. The noise of the workmen removing the stucco has me glad to be leaving. The dust they have created forced us to keep our windows closed and in the heatwave of the last week, this meant the condo got very hot. We made good use of our fans.

Now, we must sadly cry "Mommy, it's over!!"

Xavier's School for the Gifted

Several years ago, we visited Hatley Castle during the filming of the second X-men movie. We didn't see Hugh Jackman but he was in Victoria at the time. In the movie, the castle was called Xavier's School for the Gifted and we have referred to it as such ever since. Yesterday, we went to see its gardens.

Hatley Park Historic Site Gardens begin through wood gates to the right of the main entrance of the castle. We missed getting a map at the museum but the paths were well marked so that wasn't necessary. The Honourable James Dunsmuir, a successful coal baron and former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, bought the estate, some 650 acres, built the castle and worked on the extensive gardens. There are three formal gardens, the Italian, Rose, and Japanese gardens. The Bog Garden is a wild section of a salt marsh estuary and is an unique ecosystem in the area.

We spent two hours wandering through ancient trees, some over 250 years old, and enjoying the tranquility of the Japanese pond with its picture-perfect reflections. The Rose garden was behind stone walls reminiscent of the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden. The roses were past their peak but I was still able to snap a few pictures.

We watched a squabble between pea hens over their chicks--three or four brown ones and two or three white ones. A proud papa stood close by but didn't interfere. I guess they were all his children.

Next time we hope to do a tour of the castle's interior. Yesterday they were preparing for a wedding so some sections were not open to the public. We spoke to one of the gardeners and she said the bride's mother had been difficult. I guess the photos would be taken in the Italian garden as two gardeners were working to spruce it up.

Two pars!

Okay, I have never professed to be a good golfer but today, if you discount my horrid putting, I did quite well. I actually parred two holes and came in under 100 over 18 holes (on a par 3 course). The pars happen to occur on the same hole but still, I nailed them.

We were up early and hit The Ridges at nine o'clock with a group of the old gents ahead of us. There was a father and twin sons behind but they were all learning so it didn't affect us. Then a grandmother and her grandson started breathing down our necks (they skipped a hole) so we let them play through. They murdered the hole we let them play so it just goes to show you.

It took us 1.5 hours to play the first nine then we tackled the course again. Very few people were playing so we whipped through the course in an hour. I am slowly learning how far each club will take the ball should I hit it well. My pitching and sand wedge shots were right on so I was pretty happy with them. Now, I just have to get my putting down. I won't tell you the number of times I missed the hole by a whisper.

After golf, we decided to celebrate our first 18 holes as a couple by going to Rumrunner Pub in Sidney. It was a gorgeous day to sit on the sea wall and watch the boats coming and going from Sidney Harbour. At one point, an otter ran along the walkway which was a pretty neat sight.

There have been a few changes in Sidney since we were there last year, one being a new Ocean Discovery Centre. They had outside tidal pools so I decided to test out my Olympus camera. I had bought the camera because it could take photos underwater. I've been using it as a purse/golf bag camera so now was the time to test it. I hope to use it when we snorkel so this was the perfect test. I was thrilled with the results. Check out my Shutterfly site in the sidebar to the left to see the shots I took.

Grocery Shopping on Salt Spring Island

I guess you really know a place when the reason you visit it is to bring back the foods you enjoy. It is how we view our trips to Salt Spring Island. First, there is a 30 minute ferry ride from Swartz Bay on the tip of Saanich Peninsula to Fulford Harbour. Yesterday, we stood on deck to bask in the lovely ocean views and warm sunshine. A dolphin swam past and gulls followed us.

Then there is lunch. We've been going to tiny restaurant on the wharf for many years now. It has gone through several name changes but the food is always good. Their mussels and pizzas are excellent. So it was with great anticipation that we arrived in the town of Ganges at noon.

Much to our disappointment, the restaurant now serves Mexican fare and although we love Mexican food, it was not what we wanted. We ended up at the Shipstone's pub owned by the Oystercatcher Restaurant. We shared a bowl of fantastic Salt Spring Island mussels and then ordered their fish and chips after being told the crab and shrimp sandwich had not been prepped the night before. The fish was ho-hum and a bit overcooked so we regretted our choice. However, the beer was great--made especially for the pub by Granville Island Brewery.

Service was slow but it was a nice day to sit by the water and watch the boats and floatplanes come and go. After lunch, we stopped by Thrifty's and bought some kaiser rolls and potatoes for supper then drove up to Sunset Farm to pick up four packets of lamb sausage. Yes, they are that good. I bought some unspun wool for my weaving project as it is far cleaner than the wool I have. Now, I must find the time to spin it.

We headed back to Fulford Harbour where the ferry docks but made a stop along the road at Garry Oaks Winery. We love their Fetish red wine, enjoy their Zeta red wine, and usually buy a bottle of their white wine, Prism. We had no time for tasting but ended up sampling a lovely dry rose, Blanc de Noir, so bought a couple of bottles of that as well. We left with two cases of wine (one box not quite full) and a couple entering the winery was told they had sold everything to us. As it was, we had to ask for Zeta as they were only selling that to people who requested it. It must be cellared for three months and they didn't trust just anyone to do that.

As we were running late, we didn't have time to buy Glen's favourite cheese, Montana, at the Salt Spring Island Cheese company. We had bought their truffle goat cheese at Thrifty's last week so I guess we can say we enjoyed the company's products.

The day was hot, 26 degrees C, so we decided not to stand on the upper deck of the ferry on the way home. Instead we set the van seats back and I dozed while a cool sea breeze bathed my face. As we drove the highway between Victoria and Swartz Bay, the van's thermometer registered 31 degrees. I was glad the trip was short as the van no longer has a working air conditioning system.

The Ridge

We were out golfing again today with the weather perfect for it. Mists draped the ocean when we began playing but soon burned off. Mt. Baker was shrouded in cloud and barely visible. The Ridge is truly a lovely golf course. Besides, we qualify for a senior's discount so it is cheaper that Mt. Douglas.

We played as a twosome and had a couple of very funny men in front of us. They were just learning too so we didn't feel badly about taking a few shots to get onto the green. A retired couple followed us and she was very good. At the signature hole where you must hit across the water and down a hill, we got to talking with them. They were originally from Medicine Hat but had resided in Calgary near the Chinook Shopping Centre before moving to Vancouver Island. They now live near the Butchart Gardens.

Doug and Flo joined us as we played the last three holes and we had many laughs with them. She is a serious golfer and he was re-learning the game. They obviously had an easy fun-loving relationship so it was a joy to play with them.

We were going to do 18 holes but with shopping and laundry looming, decided to finish at 9. Glen shaved 3 strokes off his game and I was a stroke less than Tuesday. I also lost fewer balls to the water hazards. The ponds make the course beautiful but they also eat balls raw.

Swan Lake--the Nature Centre not the Ballet

Diane Taylor invited us out to the Nature area called Swan Lake to take a hike with her bird watching group. We aren't serious birders but I do have a 'life list' and love trying to photograph birds. There were about 13 women and 2 men, with Norma and Liz leading us on the paths around the lake. It was not named after swans but after Mr. Swan who farmed the area before the city took it over.

We saw many different birds including two varieties of swallows, towees, mallards, red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, robins, savannah sparrows, cedar waxwings, hummingbirds, blue heron, a bald eagle and a bullfrog. In all, our guides counted 28 different birds so you can see I have forgotten most of them but it was a lovely two hour walk.

Afterwards we had lunch at Diane's house, joining her husband, Tony, who had been supervising the building of their fence while we were doing the hike. They had refurbished their deck so we sat out and had a lovely lunch of salads, hearty bread, and cold chicken. While we dined an Anna's hummingbird kept visiting their hummingbird feeder. Pine siskins and chickadees ate at Diane's seed feeder so we could watch birds while we ate. The day was perfect for sitting outside and enjoying the company of friends.

Par 3--an exercise in frustration

The old adage that golf is won in its short game is so very true. We tackled The Ridge today and while it was a beautiful par 3 course, the holes were challenging. Glen's power worked against him and I have to learn more accuracy with my shots. It was a fun course, though, and the views were spectacular since it overlooks Cordova Bay.

The 6th hole is a killer as the green is a peninsula and the tee box up above it. I used my 3 wood because I did not want to lose a ball to the water. It arced out beautifully but landed in the drop zone beyond the hole. Glen had issues with his irons and despite taking a mulligan had to use the drop zone. In the end, I did lose a ball to the water as my wedge shot was too forceful. I have to learn finesse.

We hope to head back on Thursday to tackle The Ridge again now we know the lay of the land. The best thing was being able to play as a twosome and the women definitely outnumbered the men. Glen didn't mind as he says we must conquer our short game since the driving range really only works the long drives.

Golf--Never the Same Twice

We were up early today hoping to make an 8:30am tee time. Half the seniors of Victoria were at the course with us. Being a Thursday morning, I guess we shouldn't have expected anyone but retirees and vacationers. A group of five women arrived after us and were split so two joined us, Judy and Joan. They were good golfers but were there to have fun and not keep score. I was definitely not on my game but I didn't six-putt any holes so that was nice. I'm still getting used to playing on wet grass. The greens were very fast today due to yesterday's rain and several of my chips sped across the green and onto the other side. It was most frustrating. Glen was the only one who got par.

Judy and Joan suggested we try a 9 hole Par 3 course up the penninsula so after we finished golfing we headed up there to check it out. The Ridge is across from the Cordova Bay Golf Course and seems to be a part of a larger complex which includes luxury condos and Mattick Farm with its tea house, shops, and mini golf course.

Yummy, yummy

Anyone who has joined us for dim sum at Don Mee's, knows the yummy-yummy lady. She always declares with her sweet smile that her dim sum dishes are yummy, yummy. Today she told me which was her favourite. I have no clue as to its name but it was tasty.

We had sticky rice, two kinds of egg rolls, three kinds of shrimp dumplings, one vegetarian one made with walnuts, an eggplant-shrimp dish, cooked shrimp wrapped in seaweed sushi-style, a slimy noodle beef dish and ginger pork. We also indulged in sweet fish buns, sesame buns and egg tarts. It was a feast that filled the table and needless-to-say, about half came home with us to eat for supper.

We had actually planned on golfing today but it was threatening rain and Glen had a teleconference call which ran for almost 2 hours. By that time, I was 4 pages into writing my new book so didn't want to leave it. We had some banking to do downtown so I suggested we leave here around 11 and hit the BMO on Douglas Street then go to Don Mee's.

After lunch, we stopped at the Triple Spiral in Fan Tan Alley to buy incense although we didn't get the kind Glen has recently adopted as his favourite. We tried several stores with no success so headed home. By then, it was raining hard enough for Glen to put up his umbrella.

Dinner with Friends

Glen and I had a wonderful dinner last night with our friends, Diane and Tony Taylor. We met at the Marina Restaurant in Oak Bay for dinner at 7:00. Mt Baker was a little hazy but the view of the boats in the harbour was crystal clear. It always brings back memories of days spent at the Armdale Yacht Club in Halifax. I guess my boating roots run deep and I often long to be part of the boating scene again. Maybe sea kayaking will satisfy this urge or a nice cruise somewhere.

We started our meal with appetizers and I had a mountain of Salt Spring Island mussels. These were delicious and have ousted P.E.I. mussels from my favourites list. Glen had liver pate while Tony and Diane had chowder. There were several specials offered and Tony, Glen and I went with the halibut while Diane ordered the dungess crab. I guess because the halibut dish was popular, the waitress returned saying only one of us could be served the dish. I changed my order to the crab and Glen decided to have ling cod. Later he said he would be hard pressed to tell the difference between halibut and ling cod. The crabs were huge with legs a good 6 inches long and very meaty. I devoured mine. It was excellent and cooked to perfection.

Glen had creme brulee for dessert with coffee while Diane and Tony shared vanilla ice cream with mango and blackberry sorbet.

An interesting couple arrived while we dined. She was dressed like Marilyn Monroe and he looked like a 1920's gangster. We wondered if the new Johnny Depp movie inspired their choice of clothing.

We plan to see Diane and Tony this Wednesday when we join Diane on a birding adventure then see the renos on their house. Can't wait.

Par for the Course

Well, I didn't get 'par for the course' but I did get par on one hole--my first par ever. I also took 9 strokes off my game so I guess practice does make perfect. It was a beautiful day for golf. We arrived at Mt. Douglas (a 9 hole course in the shadow of Mt. Doug) around 9:00am as we wanted to golf when it was cooler. The course opened at 7:00 so some were finishing off their game as we arrived.

We got paired up with a father and son team who played about the same level as we do. I nailed my first drive -- it went straight and far. Of course, the hole was downhill from the tee box so the ball rolled further than I hit it but I'll take what I can get.

The 6th hole has a swampy water hazard which I was determined to miss. I had dreamt about this hole and how to play it. I hit with my 3 wood and it went straight between the swamp and a row of aspens to land within 10 feet of the green. However, I had issues putting that hole so my great shot was wasted. Glen's ball ended up in the water.

The hole I parred was the final one, a short par 3 with a bunker behind it so if you use too much club, you're out of luck. My 8 iron was good to me today so I used that and plunked it on the green.

Glen hopes to golf twice a week and perhaps toward the end of July, we'll tackle an 18 hole course. I came in under 50 today so I was happy.

Busy Day

We slept in today until 7:00am Calgary time which meant we were early birds here in Victoria. We had much to. First on the agenda was to go to City Hall and get a parking pass for our car so we can park on the street. The second thing was to buy a washer and dryer. Oh, and finish unpacking and buy groceries.

The people at City Hall were very helpful but essentially, our trip was a waste of time since we did not need a parking pass to park on the street. They only issue tickets if someone complains. You must then prove you live on that block. We knew there was plenty of parking once people left for work so moved our van to the street and parked the Ion in our garage stall. On Monday and Tuesday, they must do some work on the pipes in the garage so everyone must park on the street. Should be fun trying to get a spot.

We headed to the downtown Bay to buy our washer and dryer since we had gift cards for that store. We had got these using our Visa points. No one was shopping because it was before 10:00 so the salesman was happy to help us. We ended up with a mid-range Beaumark set which should do the trick. It has a bigger capacity than what we have now so that will help with washing towels and bedding. I'm sure the dryer will not sound like a screamng banshee when drying our clothes. That was annoying.

We were all done by the time the mall opened and since we had paid for 4 hours of parking, I suggested we find a place for coffee. We found a delightful spot on Bastion Square called Paradiso Di Stelle. It also sold gelato but it was too early for that. Next time, perhaps. And yes, there will be a next time as the Chai Latte was the best I've had this side of Steamboat Springs. Spill the Beans set the bar as far as I'm concerned. It's nice to know I now have a place in Canada that has the same style of Chai. It is the pepper that gets me--an acquired taste, no doubt.

We walked along Wharf Street enjoying the smells of the sea mixed with the food smells emmanating from the surrounding restaurants as everyone geared up for the day.

The afternoon was spent catching up on emails and of course, blogging.

There is no Highway like the Coquihalla

Yesterday we drove the Coquihalla and of course sang the Splendourbog song. Imagine our horror when we realized it had ceased being a toll road. An era has passed.

We began our trip at 6:00am. It was a lovely morning for a drive and fog misted above most of the creeks winding through the pastures. Cattle and horses were munching on the new green grass as were deer. We made several sightings in both the prairies and the mountains before the day heated up and the wildlife vanished.

The light on Cascade Mountain in Banff made the massive chunk of rock look even larger than it normally does. It seemed to punch the sky with its crags and snowy ledges. Castle Mountain, near Lake Louise, stood majestic against the bluest sky ever. Our first stop was the Castle Mountain lookout and would be the last bit of construction-free highway for many miles.

The road to Golden will be closed on Sunday so they can blast away more of the Canadian Rockies to improve the highway. We were lucky we didn't have to make the detour around that but we did pass huge earth movers and various other highway improvement machinery. Our next stop was Revelstoke where broke open the cooler and got out some drinks. It was around 10 but I was starving so I thought a drink might tide me over until lunch time. Note to self: Don't eat a normal breakfast if lunch is delayed by a couple of hours--eat more food.

Outside Revelstoke we passed the site of where the east and west legs of the railway binding Canada came together in 1885 --Craigellachie and the Three Valley Lake hotel. One day we hope to take Elijah and Miles to this hotel as it has a roundhouse, ghost town, and is very close to the Enchanted Forest.

We stopped for lunch and gas in Salmon Arm. This town sits on the edge of the famous Shuswap Lakes. The scenery is always spectacular but on a perfect day as was yesterday, the lakes were awash with boats, seadoos, and fishermen.

After you pass through Kamloops, you hit the famous Coquihalla road which links Merritt to Hope. Merritt, nestled in the Nicola Valley, hosts the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame although Calgary has won the right to house the memorablia. Merritt won't give up its Hall of Honour plaques so it will be interesting to see how this feud resolves itself.

We made excellent time until we hit Hope where a major accident had us stalled. We aren't sure what caused the accident but it involved a trailer and there were only police at the scene when we came upon it so that gives one cause to worry.

This delayed us about 20 minutes so our hope to get on the 5:00pm ferry to the island was dashed. However, when we reached Tsawwassen a sign said the ferry to Victoria was only 82% full so we sat in line praying we'd get on. By the time we got to the front of the line, only one car stood between us and the ferry. Then the pylons were tossed down and we stayed where we were.

The terminal's food court offers a wide variety of food but we both felt like pizza so had a couple of slices before they announced they were ready for boarding. We drove to the front of the ferry and knew we'd be the first ones off. The Coastal Celebration, a new ferry (2008) had a lovely cafeteria with front-seat views of the Strait of Georgia. Glen had to have 'ferry' ice cream so we could enjoy the crossing from these premier seats. Later, we went on the outside (top) deck and watched the navigation of the Gulf Islands. Funny thing was the front 6 seats were occupied by 5 people and each was reading a book rather than enjoying the scenery. Why choose the front seats if you aren't going to watch the passing scene?

We arrived at the condo and there was no visitor parking stall available so we parked on the street and had to haul our stuff up the elevator in about 4 loads. Taking the stairs down burned off some of that ice cream. The condo was very hot so I threw open the windows and started the fans blowing. The company working on fixing the building's envelop has created quite a mess of the apartment's grounds and I think we have lost some of our lovely rhododendron bushes.

We had a couple of beers, enjoying the cool of our balcony then went to bed. 10:30pm Calgary time. It had been a very long day.