Victoria Home Exchange Adventure

Welcome Annetti.
You are hunkered down about a mile from where I live. I am just off Oak Bay ave between Richmond and Foul Bay.
For cheap household items, there is a Zellers and Sears in Hillside Mall at the junction of Hillside and Shelbourne.
You call 28C cool, while we are sweltering.

Thank you, Icthecat. We wandered a lot today, and I might add we did NOT drive, walked everywhere, now we are exhausted, but overall much pleasantner exercise than what I get on the treadmill at home. We really did not do very much, but those who have followed our experiences last year will remember that we are truly slooow travelers. We woke up late, unpacked, and had some cereal, could not find a microsafe bowl for oatmeal, so I cooked it in an oversized saucepan which meant continual observation to avoid burning and later scrubbing a pot. We had bought some blackberries yesterday at Yates, so sweet and delicious, much better than what we buy at our local farmers' market back home in So Calif. We then walked back to the Inner Harbor, the fifteen minute walk took us 25, but then we were of course, in no hurry. We had lunch at Re-bar's which I remember from previous recommendations on this Forum and in the Fodor's Guide Book. I liked it, I think more than my husband, but we both agreed that the food was clean and fresh tasting. I would return again. . . . to continue

After Re-bar's which by the way was very crowded from the moment we entered around 12:45pm, until we left an hr or so later. We then stopped at the tourist office to inquire about bus schedules and how to bus back to our home at the end of the day, not a much better choice than walking, so for now our feet will be our favorite non-polluting transportation option. A couple of guys who bicycle small taxis around the inner harbor tried very convincingly, but not successfully to drive us around the city. Sixty dollars aside, I just do not feel comfortable being transported by someone's bicycling. He knew every politically correct comment to make to get me on his side, from the non-pollution aspect, the money all goes to him, so he says, no corporate intervention (I wonder about that part!), they are often wearing t-shirts advertising different restaurants, however we still walked.

Thanks, Icthecat for the shopping suggestions. We could not find what we wanted at The Bay Store, Dollar Store or London Drugs, though we did settle for some pyrex dishes at LD, so if they don't work out, we now have another shopping idea.

We wandered into The Empress; the main dining room really feels like a foreign outpost, a perfect setting for a Masterpiece Theater Edwardian dining room. We checked out the English Tea (am I imagining it, but the $45 dollar tea seemed cheaper than when I checked a few months back?), however I doubt we will do it, since the overwhelming advice on this board does not recommend it, but will at some point try the Bengal Lounge buffet, which appears a popular choice here.

We stopped for some gelato, wish I could remember the name; I believe it was on Government street, owned by a German woman. Very good. Later we wandered over to the Parliment Bldg, but our stamina was wearing thin, we had our walk back and some household shopping to do. More later. . .

No, you're not imagining that the Empress tea was cheaper months ago. It's hard to get a read on what the price is as they change it so often, but it does go sky high in the summer.

Do go to the Bengal Lounge for their curry buffet - it's fantastic. I was there for lunch last month and I was so full, I didn't eat again until the next morning. If you want a nice tea experience, try The White Heather on Oak Bay Avenue but you must make reservations. Of, if you're going out to Butchart Gardens, they also have a lovely tea in the main dining room, but again make a reservation.

I don't know about other places, but the tea at Buchart Gardens was lovely. We went last month and sat in the Garden/atrium room (don't know what they call it). Reservations are needed.

Thank you, April. I was not imagining the changes.

Cruiserryyc, tell me is the food at the Bengal Lounge particularly spicy? Spicy is fine with me, alas not with my darling husband.

SusieQQ:Thanks. Others have echoed your commment about tea at Buchart Gardens. Thank you, too.

Well, today did not go as planned, not that it was in any way a terrible day, in fact it was a very pleasant, though not very exciting one. We planned to conquer the bus system today, however Victoria transit (VT)does not have a computer program to figure out routes, so we had to telephone. Our goal was to explore Oak Bay Village, have lunch, see the Marina and just have a pleasant, easy day. After getting through to a very pleasant clerk at VT, we were given a set of directions on how to bus to Oak Bay Village. We walked 2 blocks over to Fernwood and waited for the bus. They run every 30 minutes. We would then have needed to transfer at Yates. There was no shade and after 20 minutes or so, we reluctantly agreed to drive. So we set up our GPS (I don't think we could manage without it; neither of us can read a map) and about 5-6 minutes later we were at Oak Bay Village, hoping that we were parking on a non-ticketable street. We were! Everyone we asked pleasantly agreed.

We chose Octavio's for lunch, primarily since it was crowded. We had two pleasant, but unexceptional salads there.

We then walked down the street towards the beach and Marina. It was so quiet and hardly a person about. The houses are pretty and such lovely color combinations. How our Californian neighbors would blanch to see all the bright colors. I painted ours shades of green and maroon last September and everyone has been very quiet. Earthtones are the accepted colors in my neighborhood!! The neighborhood reminds me of where we stayed in Dunbar last summer, lots of flowers all in bloom, how that is managed I don't know, and lots of shrubs and trees. To put it in context for Southern Californians it looks much like Hancock Park or Bixby Knolls.

The Marina was very pretty with lots of different shades of blues. There was no wind stirring and we took a couple pictures with our new camera. About two minutes ago, I heard an exclamation, I think our new camera was just dropped. My husband will be very disappointed.

We spent a couple minutes admiring the GlenLyon Norfolk School and ended up speaking for a few moments to someone standing in the garden. She had been staring at an eagle in a tree and she pointed it out to us. Too bad, one of our more nature oriented friends was not with us, it would have made his day. She told us that the school was designed by Rattenberry(spelling?); this had been his home and of course, he was the architect for the Empress Hotel.

Icthecat: We made it to Zellers this evening. Thanks. We now have enough supplies for a few weeks at least.

BTW, we think it is pretty warm during the day, too, but it does cool off at night, thankfully, I might add. Is this typical weather or can we expect it to be like this throughout the summer?

If you do have to cook Oatmeal the 'old fashioned way' then filling the empty pot with cold water means no sticking-trust me I've never owned a microwave and most likely never will.

"I just do not feel comfortable being transported by someone's bicycling."

You're not the only one-maybe in a country where people are desperately poor and everyone uses them but $60.00!!

This is not normal weather for Victoria. We're having an unusually great summer!

You should be able to get a bus schedule from a bus driver.

The White Heather tea room has new owners but they say they will keep it the same. I hope so.

Hi again - The curry buffet in the Bengel Room has both really hot and more milder spice dishes. If your husband isn't into curry and/or spicy food; he can order from their menu. Something else you might like to do is take the Harbour Ferry Tour; also a great way to get across the Inner Harbour. Stop at Barb's Fish & Chips for lunch.
http://www.victoriaharbourferry.com/

Welcome to Victoria!!

If you want info re the Victoria Buses, check out www.bctransit.com/regions/vic and I think you will find out everything you need to know. It is a very user friendly website.

Thank you, April. The weather was perfect today, sunny and with a breeze that made you feel like you were in an air-conditioned room. We were able to get a bus schedule from the bus driver. That makes using a bus much easier.

Thank you, amygirl. Bc transit has been patient with us and we are slowly getting the knack of using it. Unfortunately, it does not have an interactive website where you can punch in your address and final destination. And an hello to SamSalomon.

Today started out in our usual slow manner. I doubt we were out of the house before 11:30am. That is an early start for us. We called BCtransit and found an easier way to get downtown without transferring and just doing a bit more walking. The bus still arrives once every 30 minutes, but we did a better job of timing it and were more patient. Our goal was to have fish and chips at Barb's as suggested by Cruiseryyc above, but I admit it, we were tricked by the long line at One Fish, Two Fish and ate there instead. It was fine, but not spectacular fish and chips, so we went back to the tourist bureau and NOW we know where Barb's is!

We then walked over to the Parliment Bldg and took the free tour of the building. (They depart every 20 minutes, so timing is not essential, at least not at this time of the year.) Unbelievably, Rattenbury (I, now know how to spell it), was only 25 and inexperienced when he beat out 65 experienced architects for the commission. It was a nice tour, only 35-40 minutes long and not filled with the usual statistics about how high the ceilings are or how many stones were used, etc, but with small bits of information that one can actually remember, such as the info above or that most of the materials are from British Columbia. Unfortunately, you only get to see a very small part of a very beautiful building. Around 4:30 or so we stopped on Johnson Street for some tea and pastry, and then searched for our bus stop. Not a very eventful day, but with uncrowded streets, relatively speaking from a Southern Californian perspective, perfect weather and a leisured style, we enjoyed another day in Victoria.

I do sometimes forget that I am on an island. Later, we returned by car to Zellers for some more odds and ends, and as we drove the streets, I admired again the beautiful arts and crafts homes, some so beautifully maintained and vibrantly painted. I am sure LA once had neighborhoods filled with these lovely period homes, but so much there has been razed. I am glad to see a strong preservation feeling here.

Used the bus again, this time to explore Chinatown. We took the "Hidden City" walking tour; it is a small pamplet put out by the Tourist Office. Prior to the walk, we went to J&J Wonton Noodle House for lunch, a recommendation in one of our guide bks. Not a beautiful place by any means, fairly functional and clean feeling, we had noodle soup and a noodle dish. It was fine, but nothing out of the way special, however everyone was pleasant and there were people coming and going all the time. It appears quite popular. We had to walk a bit out of our way, since the restaurant is on 1012 Fort and our walking tour began at Market Square. I may infuriate a few people for this, but I did not find the walking tour very exciting. The few details that were interesting were written on the brochure, the visuals did not add much. You really needed to use your imagination. I think wandering the streets probably would prove more interesting.

Afterwards, we were cold, we were not prepared for the drop in temperature from yesterday and had some musroom and barley soup (pretty good)at Green Cuisine, a vegan restaurant in Market Square. Also, had some vegan pastries, which were quite good, especially considering there were no eggs or butter in them. I liked the carob bar and my husband had a raspberry, ginger muffin which was quite good. The prices are very reasonable, too.

I was looking over a former thread and there was a suggestion to visit the Saanich Market/Peninsula Market on Saturday. How late does it stay open? Do we just take the main road toward Sooke and are there markers for the market? Any hints would be appreciated? Thanks.

I googled the Saanich Market and I came up with the Saanich Fairgrounds. Is the market held on the Fairgrounds? Does this address sound correct: 1528 Stellys Cross Rd.? Thank you.

The Peninsula Market runs from 9:00 - 1:00 every Saturday. You have the correct address, but may I make a suggestion...
The market at the fairgrounds used to be the only one on the peninsula so it was lots of fun. I went a few weeks ago and was hugely disappointed as there were not the usual many tables to peruse. I think this market has been outdone by the Sidney Market on Thursday evenings 5:00 - 9:00 on Beacon Avenue. It is lots of fun with most if not all the participants at the Peninsula Market in attendance. Fresh produce from the local farmers is available as well as lots of arts and crafts. (a good place to start your Christmas shopping) Alot of the shops in Sidney stay open late to participate in the goings on so there is LOTS to look at. There is street food of Lamb Sausage on a bun and I think Philipino food along with the usual hot dogs, hamburger, pizza, waffles etc.
I live near Sidney, so if you want to have a restaurant meal instead, here are some of my recommendations....but you should probably make a reservation:
Fish on Fifth for wonderful fish and chips -250-656-4022
Carlos Cantina for yummy mexican -250-656-3833
Sabhai Thai Restaurant for excellent Thai- 250-655-4085
Taste of Tokyo- Japanese- 250-656-6862 (if you are ever near Sidney on a Saturday evening, this Japanese restaurant does an amazing all you can eat buffet....probably a good idea to reserve for this too)
Bistro Suisse- 250-656-5353 yummy schnitzel, fondue etc

The hours are 9:00AM to 1:00PM on Saturdays fpr the Peninsula/Saanich Farmers' Market.

Thank you, Amygirl. Thank you for your suggestion about visiting the Sidney Market. I think we will try both. Also, thanks for the restaurant recommendations. I think I must have been posting the times for the Saanich Market without looking for your response.

Today, we visited the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. I wanted to see the Emily Carr Exhibit. Last year when we were in Vancouver, we tried to see some of her paintings, but there were few on exhibition. She was quite an amazing person, always exploring new ways to paint, she had so much energy to keep on going even without recognition and opposition for much of her early career. I, particularly liked her tree paintings. Although, there were not many paintings in today's exhibition (it was combined with work of her contemporaries), I still found much to admire and enjoy. We, also liked the Edo exhibit of Japanese Shogun. I found it interesting that the merchant class was at the bottom rung socially even though it was one of the wealthiest groups, even below the peasant. The museum is well-worth the time, just large enough to keep you interested for an hour or two without exhausting you. The Japanese garden is pretty, too.

From there we walked to Green Cuisine where we had an inexpensive lunch. Although, not high in ambience, the food, all vegan is good. I liked the roasted pepper soup, the rosemary bread the ginger cookies. I, even liked the vegan sushi, though strangely in a health food restaurant, it was not made with brown rice.

We just returned from Thrifty Foods where I queried someone on the plutot. I did not recognize it, the couple I spoke to told me it was a typical Californian fruit seen at all the Farmers' Markets. Ironic, that I come to Victoria to try a Californian fruit. I looked closer at the sign to see the word, California in smaller print at the top. BTW, we are enjoying all the local berries here, particularly the blackberries.

The Sidney Market as mentioned is well worth a visit and the town is very scenic and compact making for easy walking-not sure about bus access later in the PM though.

The Lavender store on Beacon St in particular has a hand cream that has to be tried to be believed an outstanding product for an excellent price.

Hi Annetti,
On your way to Sidney or Butchart Gardens, you should leave the highway and go through Cordova Bay. Stop at Matticks Farm, which has a number of nice shops, including a specialty BC wine store. Have the Raisin Scones or lunch at Adrienne's Tea Garden. My wife and I opened this restaurant in 1982, and ran it for 7 years before selling it. It still does a nice job, and it's a nice spot to stroll around the shops. Cheers, Al

Thank you, Sam. I, sometime forget, we have a car here in Vic, then return to our home away from home, and there it is, sitting in the driveway, looking very comfortable. It is a strange feeling sitting in our car during our home exchange, however, we have found it useful for shopping and it will work for visiting Sydney. We bought a GPS this past year, indespensible for us, and it has make doing those excursions like Sydney easier.

And thank you, too Whistler Al. We have been so involved with Vic, that I have forgotten Butchart Gardens. A blashemy to some, I am sure. We will try to keep Adrienne's in mind. We are to be here over ten weeks, so if we miss something the first time, there is a good chance, we will return again.

I am enjoying very much wandering the streets or looking out the bus windows here in Victoria. Every street is different, no two houses are the same or in the same hues. I love the colors and the old architecture from the twenties and thirties. I, also enjoy the fact that the skyline for the most part is sky scraper free, so few really tall buildings except for a couple of high rise apartment buildings.

Garmina (our GPS) failed us today, however it was still a wonderful day. The weather cooperated, just the right amount of warmth and cool breezes. We had an early start, by our standards, we were out the door by 10:30am or so. We were unable to plug in the Peninsula Farmers' Market on our GPS even using the address listed above. After several false turns and a few stops for directions, we found it. The countryside is lush, green and rolling. It was a wonderful drive even if we were lost, though the road we followed was twisty and slow going, but all the pretty farms made up for it. How nice to be close to rural areas 15 minutes or so from Victoria. Although as Amygirl above predicted, the tables were sparse at the PFM, we enjoyed the quiet strolling. Compared to our local Farmers' Market at home, it was quiet and peaceful, probably not to the liking of the farmers selling their produce. We bought some great blueberries and raspberries.

Then, as suggested by a Fodorite on another thread, we went to the Roost for lunch. Again, Garmina failed us; we were given directions at a shop, but missed the McTavish turn-off. Realizing we had driven too far, we turned down a side road to make a u turn. I was pulling out my cell phone to call for directions, when a police car drove by on the empty traffic-free road. I signaled for help and he told us to follow him and led us to the bakery. Very nice of him. We enjoyed our sandwiches, but were too full to take advantage of their bakery. The presentation was certainly enticing. It was a nice casual place; and they did a good job of making me feel I was out of the city. Someone there suggested we explore Sydney, but after hunting for parking on Sydney's side streets, we learned that there was a bike race today, so we opted to return another day. Amygirl, We saw the sign for the Thursday night Farmers' Market.

We returned home, parked our car, and took a bus to Douglas and Yates and strolled around downtown and the Inner Harbor. What a perfect day for being a tourist. I tried Roger's ice-cream, a "must" according to one of our tour books; I liked the Hazelnut chocolate very much.

We later had soup at Green's Cuisine. And then made our way home by bus. It was just a lovely, easy-going day in Victoria and I could not have had a nicer day.

annetti. In case you have missed the ads, the symphony splash is next Sunday on August 2nd. Inner harbour. The event starts at 2:00 but the symphony starts at 7:30. It ends at 10:00 with the 1812 overture and fireworks. Admission is by donation to roaming hat caryers. Bring a water bottle, but don't drink much. 40,000 people with portapotties in 80 degree heat.

Thank you, icthecat. I don't know how, but we have missed the ads. 40,000 people, I don't know. . .

Not a very busy day, but another very nice one. The weather again cooperated, absolutely perfect. We drove over to Sidney, without getting lost, parked our car (if you park 2 blocks in the residential area, there are no time restrictions, and I understand the police enforce the two hour parking limit) and strolled very slowly into town. We walked the pedestrian path along the Juan de Fuca Strait (I hope I have that right) and admired the view. The water was smooth, blue, and lovely with an occasional boat white against the blue. The scenery mesmerized me; I think you could have sold me anything at that moment. We found a park bench and sat there and admired the scene and occasionally walked the pedestrian path. Around 3:00 we noticed the Ampitheater was packed with people for an outdoor concert. People had brought lawn chairs. Sydney looks like a very nice place to live.

Annetti, the weather is warmer and dryer than usual.
Have your toured through the house that Emily Carr grew up in? It is open to the public, and a nice way to spend an hour or so - walking distance to where you are staying.
http://www.britishcolumbia.com/attractions/?id=63

No, Dar, we have not toured Emily Carr's home, yet, but it is definitely on our list of things to do. Nice to know it is walking distance, too. Thanks. I am starting to get a sense of where things are; I even directed a tourist to the Empress the other day! I should keep my mouth closed, I'll probably get lost tomorrow.

I can hardly wait to see what you do next.

We like Sidney too. From there you can take a ferry to Sidney Island, if that's your kind of thing. Nothing to do there but enjoy the sandy spit and walk the wooded and seaside trails.

April, I believe it was you that said there was some kind of dinner/admission deal at Butchart's Gardens on Thursdays. I may have a faulty memory on this one. I looked on the website, but saw nothing about it. Do you remember? Thanks.

Thursdays were the astronomy nights.

For the dinner deal (not on Saturdays), here's a link:
http://www.butchartgardens.com/images/stories/pdf/2009summerdinnerpackage.pdf
and more general info here:
http://www.butchartgardens.com/planning-your-visit/the-5-seasons/summer.html

Thank you very much, April. That is quite a deal. I spoke to someone today who said the dining room at Butchart's is very nice. Fodorites, do you agree?

I am so glad that so many people encouraged us to have a car. We have been able to get out of the city and see Vancouver Island. I must say that the Island's scenery does not disappoint. It is beautiful and lives up to comments I have read here. We drove to Chemainus, about an hr or so north of Victoria on route 1.

I am motion-sickness challenged, so we called the Chemaninus' Visitor Center before we left. They told us that there were some twisty roads and some hills. For the average person, this is probably not an issue, but for me it is, I took some meds. So, if you are out there reading this and are prone to ms, then the above is for you. I am always apprehensive before a trip like this, worry takes over, however the whole drive up and back, I kept exclaiming, this is fabulous. We drove mostly a one or two lane highway (route 1) bordered by tall and sometimes spindly alpine trees. It was so pretty, occasionally we saw blue water; it reminded me of Tahoe in parts.

If you want the town to yourself, then Monday is the day for you. There were a few people around, but it felt like a ghost town. There may be a totally different feeling on the weekend. Practically every restaurant was closed; the one we found open around 2:30 or so told us they were overwhelmed in the kitchen and that there was a 30-45 minute wait for food, even though the restaurant was half-filled. We ended up doing something, I hate to do, ate at the Subway, a place I connect with work when I am on the road at lunchtime and swear I will never eat at willingly any other time of the year.
Chemainus is famed for its murals, 41 in all, the tourist office told us. They add one each year. They are quite large, generally taking up the side of a bldg, and tell some historical feature of the town. Apparently, the town was down on its luck and came up with a way to rejuvenate it. You can see the city is still struggling with this issue, but the murals appear to bring people in. There are yellow footprints that you can follow to see the murals or you can take a tour. We opted to walk, needed to stretch our legs after riding in the car, but the sun was very warm, unless you found a shaded area, but those were not often available.

After lunch, we wandered for about an hour or so, viewing the murals and then ended up at the Twisted Sisters' Tearoom for iced tea and a bagel. We had the nicest time speaking with the sisters and a patron and the iced African tea just hit the spot on this very hot summer's day. Of course, the ride home felt half as long as the ride up. N asked me if I would recommend Chemainus, that is a tough question to answer. I think if you are in Victoria for a long period of time, like us, over 2 months, then it might be worth your while, but if you are here for a week or less, I would not put it on my list, unless you are extremely fascinated by murals. Of course, the town may have a whole other feel to it on another day of the week.

Just so you know, the dining room and the Blue Poppy restaurant at Butchart's are different things.

I went to the dining room years ago and got terrible service. Had tea there this past winter and thought it was just ok. I prefer the Blue Poppy.

Hi April, I looked at your link. The meal offered at Butchart's is in the Blue Poppy. I guess, I confused the issue when I said "dining room," not realizing there was another restaurant that could be referred to as the "dining room." So, does it now sound like a good offer to you?

Yes, the Island is beautiful. I'm sure you going to love Sooke, French Beach, China Beach, etc etc....

And on that thought, due to our heat wave, it is a perfect time to go to Tofino or Uculet area! It will be perfect there, usually it can be on the cool side.

I have never had a bad meal (or service) at either the formal dining room or the Blue Poppy at Butcharts. It really depends on what you want. If you are there in the afternoon, I highly recommend their Afternoon Tea - but you must make reservations. Since you're there for a few weeks, you really should try and get out there on a Saturday night for the fireworks - best you'll ever see.

Hi Dar, It would probably be a good idea to visit Tofino now, but we have a mind-set to visit after the kids go back to school, but if this heat continues, we may be persuaded to rethink this. Thank you, Cruiseryyc. I think we may try the Blue Poppy once it cools down. I hope very, very soon.

Today, in an effort to beat the heat, we opted to visit the Royal British Columbia Museum. It is fully air-conditioned and in some rooms, it was actually cold. The museum is deserves all the praise it receives. We took the 2:00 docent tour of the First Peoples Gallery. It lasted way over an hour and was a great way to see the gallery and not have to lean in and read the informational cards. I love having someone explain it all to me and with only 6 or 7 people on the tour, including us, it was a very comfortable way to go. The museum was in no way empty; I was surprised we had such a personal tour. She did a pretty good job, though I felt she had a problem with some of the political correctness she had studied. The display cases are well-done and the information was just the right amount. Afterwards, we visited the British Museum's special exhibit on the 2nd floor. If you live in Vic or plan to be here by Sept 30, you should see this exhibit. The displays feature artifacts from Prehistoric times,the Roman era, Islamic World, etc and are beautifully displayed. We had to rush through the exhibit since the museum closed at five. I asked a guide if the exhibit would be traveling to another museum, but apparently not. It really is special.

Afterwards, we decided to walk to Barb's and try the fish and chips. All the tour books rave about it. The walk is about 15-20 minutes from the museum and you can walk along the Harbor and through Laurel Park. It is a pleasant, easy promenade with benches and photo opps along it. I apolgize to Red Fish, Blue Fish above when I thought they could have done better, I felt we had better fish and chips at the less celebrated place. My salmon was dry at Barb's and the fries soggy. N concurred. I'll give them the benefit of a doubt and say, perhaps, it was an off-day, but I don't think we'll give them a second chance for a while.

It really is very warm, so walking tours are probably to be put on hold for a while. We'll have to rethink tomorrow. Any air-conditioned movie theaters out there?

It would be a good day to drive in the morning to French Beach and China Beach and a movie in the afternoon???

http://www.google.ca/movies?hl=en&near=sooke+bc&dq=movie+theatre+sooke+bc&ei=4NZvSqHAKI-MtAOZw_DzCA&sa=X&oi=showtimes&ct=title&cd=1

Thank you, Dar. I was kidding about the movie, but that was our respite from the heat when I was a kid. I have tried to talk my husband into leaving the city tomorrow, but he just does not want to drive anywhere. Yes, I suppose, I could drive, and may do it, if the heat continues, but I truly hate driving on vacations.

I wonder if the Emily Carr house is air-conditioned? We could do what Peg and Al did on hot days on Married with Children, set up beach chairs in the super market aisles, but maybe not. . . The heat wave will soon be over?!

I don't remember if the house was A/C, I remember the room with the video was comfortable, but it wasn't a heat wave like this!
Try the Sooke Potholes! http://www.sookepotholes.com/

I think the dinner package at Butchart's is a good deal, since it costs $28 just to get in. The Blue Poppy is a cafeteria style restaurant, but anything I've had there has been good. Their write-up doesn't mention dessert being included though. . You could always skip the package and just have dessert and coffee. Or drive into Sidney and have a sandwich or hot pie at Lunn's Bakery.

Beats me why some people like Barb's. The fish I had there was horrible.

Well obviously Barb's has gone down hill since I last ate there; thanks for the head's up, I'll stop recommending it.

Crusieryyc, The line at Barb's was relatively short yesterday around 7:30 pm, only about 10 people in front of us, though it was constant the whole time we were there, so they are not lacking for customers, however compared to Red Fish, the queue was much longer. It could be location, time of day, heat, or reputation waning. Who knows? Like I said above, it could have been an off-day, though maybe not, since April has not enjoyed it either. Both locations are pleasant places, outdoors and scenic, and of course location-friendly for tourists.

Although, the heat is unpleasant, I must say that I am still enjoying my Victoria experience. We loved Vancouver last year, but Victoria, the place of the moment will probably not take second place. I really love traveling in North America, although I love traveling elsewhere in the world, it is so pleasant to speak the language and access everything culturally. Also, I generally know the rules and don't make the faux pas associated with a different culture. And there is the added plus of a short flight or this time round having our own car. And the scenery and friendliness is pretty terrific, too.

dar: I'll give the Emily Carr House a call later this morning and post an answer re the a/c. Thank you.

Annetti, we just had some visitors staying with us here in Sooke, and they wanted to go swimming, so I took them over to the Sooke Potholes. They absolutely loved it and one of them commented that this was probably the most beautiful and memorable swim of her life! It wasn't horribly crowded, but that's because they went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend, when it can get pretty raucous. The campground itself is closed because they're doing some road construction there; I think they're putting in water mains or something. There may be some delays on the Sooke River Road because of that, but once you get there it's worth your trouble. The recommendation is that you drive ahead to the second parking lot, because the swimming area in that spot is the nicest. Also, you have to pay two bucks to park your car for the day, but the ticket machines only take "loonies" - one-dollar coins - so it's best to come prepared with change. Make sure you don't leave anything valuable in the car. There have been a few problems, although very often there are volunteers keeping an eye on the parking lots.
I had suggested bringing along a couple of folding chairs for our guests, but they didn't want to bother, and they were quite comfortable without them.
According to the Weather Network this morning, this is really the last day of the heat wave, so tomorrow things should be easier. Sooke is much cooler than Victoria anyway; we slept under two blankets last night!

Hi Meesthare, Sounds like a nice way to spend the day; I will run it by N, but I'm not sure he will go for it. He does not particularly like swimming. I can't remember if he has brought swimming trunks or not. Nice to know the heat wave is winding down. It was a lot warmer here in Fernwood last night, we did not even use a sheet to cover us ; I'm envious. Two blankets!

Speaking of changing weather, yesterday we were sitting by a maple tree and it got me to wondering, will we see signs of Autumn in late September? (We're leaving Sept 30th.) I, also noted a bush nearby that was blooming; I have the same bush in my back garden and it bloomed in May, so will I be too early to see some Autumn colors. I hope not.

I was in Victoria last year in late September and there were autumn colours, especially around the Ross Bay cemetery - I recall vividly the oranges of the oak and chestnut trees. You can see my photos, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robynobotica/sets/72157608212009820/

Yes, there are certainly colour changes in the fall, although nothing like what we had when we were living in Ontario. Mostly you see lots of golds and some oranges - not much red, though.

Annetti, if you do end up coming out to Sooke, there's a new restaurant that just opened right in the centre of town; it's called The Edge and it's really good. Their website isn't really up and running yet, unfortunately.
The Thai restaurant, Nut Pop Thai, is not recommended. It looks nice but apparently (we haven't been there) it's overpriced and the food isn't that great.

Thank you, Carmanah. The pictures are lovely; just what I am hoping to see. Surprisingly, Meesthare, we get some reds and golds in So Cal around late November, but you have to look pointedly to find those trees.

I called the Emily Carr House; no, it is not have a/c, but the person answering the tel assured me it is cool, so we will give it a try.

That should read: it does not a/c. . .

Annetti, if you are heading out to the Sidney Street Market this Thursday.......or whenever, be prepared for a walk as it is a very popular event so, park as parking may be a problem, but DO NOT let this be a deterrent to your attending this fiesta as it is magical!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, amygirl for the suggestion on parking. We have not made up our mind re tomorrow; I guess a lot depends on the weather and how depleted we are from it during the day. Which "fiesta. . is magical?"

We bused down to Douglas and Yale, getting better at predicting the bus' arrival and only waited 2-3 minutes in the hot sun. We, then walked down Government Street to the Emily Carr House. I guess it is about 8-10 blocks. The front of the building is a pretty yellow Victorian facade with carefully tended flowers in front. Admission is $6. One room was closed off for renovations. There is not too much to see. Hardly any furniture is original, though there are period pieces. I suppose you really need to be an Emily Carr enthusiast, very devoted to the details of her life, to find it interesting. There was a 40 minute video which was pretty good and fleshed out her life for me. I can't say the self-guided tour was worthwhile, at least not for me. Although, not air conditioned (we had been warned), it was not uncomfortable to wander through the rooms. It might be a good place to pick up some Emily Carr knicknacks and cards.

Afterwards, we stopped at Green Cuisine for some tea and desert, later finishing the day food shopping (this time with our car) at the local Thrifty's for some berries and peaches. N has been buying California nectarines here, says that they are better than what he buys at our local farmers' market and is wondering if the better stuff is shipped out of state!

Sorry Annetti I guess I got a little carried away with the written word when I said "this fiesta is magical". What I really meant to say was for you not to be deterred by having to park and walk a bit when you attend the Sidney Street market.

Annetti, you have experienced a bit of history - the hottest day EVER in Victoria! Maybe not what you were hoping for! Emily Carr house is quite a short visit, maybe I should have warned you. And it was free (by donation) when I went! Oh well! It's movie day maybe!

Thank you amygirl for the clarification. AND Dar as you would have guessed, it would not have been a loss not to experience the hottest day ever, however that might have meant missing Vic this summer and in spite of the heat, I AM so happy to be here. We are really enjoying ourselves.

I love Vic too. I've been lucky enough to stay at the Pacific Grand (I thought you were in that neighborhood too, but I was mistaken). I'd walk around Laural Pt, down the waterfront to Beacon Hill park, cut through the park, go back up the road back to the hotel. A great walk! But not on a record breaking hot day.

dar: We took part of that walk, through Laurel Park, the other day when we tried Barb's on the Wharf. It's very pretty and because, it overlooks the waterfront, not too bad, heat-wise. We are still figuring out how to spend the day. I checked the weather forecast and I hope that it is correct, because it appears that it will be cooler, though not cool.

Explore Oak Street Village. Visit Abkhazi Garden (very tiny) and admire the houses nearby. Stroll down Cook Street (picking up a drink at Moka House) to Dallas Road and just enjoy the waterfront.

Carmanah, Where should we start our walk? Cross streets? Thanks.

Abkhazi Garden is certainly small by comparison with Butchart Gardens, but I wouldn't call it tiny. My wife and I spent well over an hour wandering around and enjoying it--one is likely not to see many other visitors which makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

Another garden, certainly not tiny, which seems to be off the tourist route is Glendale Gardens on Quayle Road. A lovely garden, well worth an hour or two.

annetti,

When I was in Victoria last (last year in September), I stayed on Douglas and would walk down Fort Street to Cook Street... I'd head down Cook Street to Fairfield Road, making a detour to the Ross Bay Cemetery. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, but I loved walking through the side streets and finding these beautiful homes with gorgeous gardens. Later on my way back into downtown, I walked all the way down to the waterfron and took it back... one of my most memorable walks.

Thank you Carmanah for your reply and the suggestion. We left Fernwood before we saw the more detailed answer. I am going to sound repetitive, but we had another lovely day. The weather helped. It has cooled down considerably. We were pleased to feel the breezes, but we met more than a few Victorians who actually enjoyed the historic heat wave.

We started our visit at The Abkhazi garden, taking the 7 bus from downtown. It lets you off about a quarter block from the Gardens at Foul Bay Rd and Fairfield. If you have a little romance in your soul, you will probably enjoy the gardens a bit more. The couple who built the house and gardens had met before WW11, were in camps during the war, separated for 13 years and then met again and married. They built a small home on the site of the garden which I understand they designed; the former living room is now used as a small dining room, perhaps 6 or 7 tables in all. A lunch is served from 11:30am to 2:30 everyday and tea and dessert for an hour after. The prices are reasonable and the food, though there are limited choices, is very good. N had some kind of lamb dish and I had a very nice salad. The dining rm overlooks the garden.

Afterwards, like Laverendrye above, we spent an hour wandering the garden.It is immaculate with all kinds of small plantings (none of the names do I know!) and very colorful.There are several small ponds with goldfish and neon blue dragonflies skimming the surface for small insects. All the work on this very prettily landscaped garden is done by volunteers. We read that the gardens were recently saved (within the last 10 years) from a townhouse development and is now under a Conservancy, however there is still a mortgage, so I guess they can use the patronage. So if this kind of place that remotely appeals to you, go and visit. The entrance fee is $10, but it is such a pretty place and not at all crowded that you feel no one at your heels as you wander. It is all yours for an hr or so.

Later, we made our way back to town as Carmanah above suggested. The homes are interesting, lots of arhitectural mix, from very small bungalows to some large Arts and Craft houses.We saw Moka's on Cook Street but were not ready to stop for a coffee break. We arrived downtown around 4:30 or so, stopping at our favorite vegan restaurant, Green Cuisine, for a light meal and some dessert. I had planned on visiting the Thursday Sydney Market, but will have to put that on hold for a while. We are a bit tired from our day.

We're thinking of seeing the show at the Belfry in Ferndale. Anyone have opinions on the play? Thanks.

Annetti, you might enjoy tea at Point Ellice House one of these days. It's an old Victorian house that has been restored so that it looks much as it would have when it was lived-in. You get an audio-cassette self-guided tour of the place, and then you have tea in the garden. It's quite good. The garden itself has been planted with heritage plants and it's very pleasant.

Meesthare, I just looked it up on the Tourist Map. I had trouble placing it for a while; it is not clustered with all the other tourist attractions. It is in a part of town that we have not explored. It is also in the AAA guide. I never would have found it otherwise, so thank you for the suggestion.

Hi Annetti, just wanted to let you know that I'm thoroughly enjoying your reports from my home town.

annetti, glad to hear you enjoyed Abkhazi. I wasn't almost hesistant to recommend it because I can understand it's not for everyone. But I had a feeling you'd appreciate the subtleties of it.

When it's not so hot, you may want to give Craigdarroch Castle a visit. It's an old Victorian mansion and is quite fascinating if you're interested in local coal baron history. Victoria was settled by English and Scottish well-to-do'ers who came over here with the hopes of creating a prim & proper British society (only to discover that Vancouver Island is mountainous, forested and full of indigenous communities, not exactly a place where you can recreate England). But they tried. Oh, yes, they tried. Craigdarroch Castle really does a good job of preserving that whole era, and you learn about the Dunsmuir family who played a fairly prominent role in Victoria and Vancouver Island's colonialization.

Can you tell I studied BC history in university.

But Craigdarroch Castle would probably be sweltering, I can imagine. And it's not for everyone. Maybe save it for a rainy day.

In the meantime, with all this gorgeous weather, I hope you can down some medication and take the drive over to the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park one of these days. Say hello to Sombrio Beach for me. Remember - giant trees, lush rainforests, otters frolicking in the surf.

That was to say, "I WAS almost hesitant..."

Oh! As well, you will have to make it out to both Salt Spring Island and Galiano Island. It's a tad expensive to take the ferry over for a day trip, so if you can book a B&B for a night, it would be well worth it. Ferry schedules are quite limited, so it would be worth a reservation. You'll love it though - the Gulf Islands are special places.

Thank you, Cruiseryyc. I am enjoying recording it, too.

Carmanah, Thanks for the compliment. Craigdarroch Castle is on my itinerary; I was wondering if it would have worked on the recent hot days, apparently not from what you wrote. AND, I have been reading through my previous thread on recommendations of what to see in Vic and I still have Juan de Fuca Provincial Park on my list. I am still not sure about Salt Spring Island; it sounds like a lot of traveling for a day trip and I am not sure I feel like expending the energy of packing for an overnight. I am feeling very slothful. Perhaps, because we walked and walked today.

The weather has returned to delightful; all memories of those overheated days are just about gone. The sun was shinning today and the breezes were cool. Even for us we had an extremely late start, after 1:00, probably later.We decided to fill in the part of Dallas Road walk we missed yesterday. BC Transit failed us on where to transfer going towards Beacon Park. We spent at least a half an hour and about 10 blocks walking trying to locate the transfer point. Most people were helpful, but many said they just didn't take buses. It is not like Vancouver where the buses are crowded and you often cannot find a seat. We have never stood here in a bus (not complaining, just describing) and at the most the bus is only 1/2 to 2/3rds full. However, we eventually found the bus stop and took the 30 bus to Niagra, then started walking slowly back to the Inner Harbor, passing some of the scenery we had seen when we walked through Laurel Park and to the Wharf. It is a pretty walk along the water and probably took us several hours, hence the current fatigue.

On the other side of the home exchange equation, we checked in with E, our exchanger to see how she was managing. She e-mailed us about a few minor problems and we wanted to make sure she was comfortable. Another Victorian who loves the heat and is hoping for some hot weather in Southern California while she's there. Currently, a disappointing mid eighties. She encouraged us to attend the Symphony Splash as did one of the volunteers at the Abkhazi Gdns yesterday. She admitted she had never been to Butchart Gdns, which hardly surprised me, when I consider my husband a native Los Angelino never went to Disneyland until I suggested it to him some years after we were married.

If you haven't done it yet, since you're tired from walking, I think it's time to hop in the car and drive along the waterfront through the Uplands. This is an easy drive. You can start on Dallas Road around Beacon Hill Park.

You will wind up in Cadboro Bay Village, where you can either go straight and have fun getting lost - but remember, you're on an island so you can't get too lost, or turn left and follow McKenzie Avenue (might be called Sinclair to start) up to Shelbourne. Turn right, go straight and follow Cordova Bay Road through Mt. Doug Park (turning right again at the 4-way stop at Blenkinsop and Royal Oak Avenue) all the way to Mattick's Farm, which WhistlerAl mentioned. I'm not an ice cream fan but I like the raspberry rocky road ice cream cones there.

By the way, when you go to Craigdarroch Castle you might as well visit the Government House grounds at 1401 Rockland Avenue. I think the grounds are best in spring and they've been let go lately, but you can wander around there for FREE from dawn to dusk. Drive through the big gates and park for free. Around the back are trails higher up with views across the strait and a lower trail through the woodlands garden.

Annetti, Point Ellice House is definitely worth seeing but the area around it isn't so nice. It's in an industrial part of Esquimalt; it's hard to believe you're in the right place, when you get there by car. You can also reach it via harbour ferry, which might be a bit prettier. Either way, do have afternoon tea there; I think you'll enjoy it a lot.

Thank you, Meesthare for the additional info re the Point Ellice House. I have checked their website and asked about their afternoon tea, so we will get there soon.

We went with April's suggestion, two posts above for today's outting. Thank you, April. We were tired as April suggested and a drive seemed the antidote. N drove; I love being a passenger. I spend a lot of time driving in LA, or I should say sitting on the freeway. Driving is N's gift to me when we are on vacation. It was a very scenic route. We started at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria's Version of Griffith Park or Central Park, which deserves a separate visit one day. We then drove along Dallas through Oak Bay. Some of the homes, mansions actually, are quite enormous, and have private gates. They are quite impressive; tudor styles are very popular. We photographed a white art deco that could have come out of Agatha Christie's Poirot Masterpiece Theatre collection. We saw a sign for a wild salmon barbecue at one of the parks (can't remember the name), but it was such a pretty location of the beach, however we were not quite hungry enough, though later we regretted we had not eaten there.

Eventually we made it to Mattick's Farm and ate at Adrienne's where unfortunately the food underwhelmed us. I hate saying this, WhistlerAl, but since it is no longer yours, I hope you will not be offended, however it appears immensely popular, so we are a minority opinion. I ordered the smoked salmon which seemed lacking. It was only after I almost finished the sandwich that I realized that several additions like the capers, onions were missing. I mentioned it to the waitress and her response was that she would tell the kitchen staff. This is not the first time this has happened to us where a sandwich was missing an ingredient, it will be served, and nothing said. ( My husband ordered a turkey sandwich at The Roost and the swiss cheese was omitted. Like me, he ate his sandwich and wondered what was wrong and then realized it too late.) I have never seen tomatoes sliced so thin except at the subway or so yellow. On the plus side, the outdoor seating is pleasant and people were friendly. Also, the pastries looked very attractive.

After we arrived home, we took a bus up to the Inner Harbor and walked about. N loved a band playing by the water and enjoyed standing there and listening for a long while, meanwhile I investigated all the vendors. Especially intriguing if you are a dog owner were the coats and scarves for your pet. They were nicely displayed on stuffed dogs and the one dressed with a scottish coat and tie made me smile.
We had a bowl of soup at Green Cuisine, walked and browsed some more and took a bus home.

Laundry is mounting here, but unlike home, we will not be able to ignore it too much longer. We may need to reserve a morning or so for some household tasks.

BTW, what can we expect on BC Day? The bus routes will change to a Sat. schedule. Will businesses and restaurants be open? Also, any thoughts about the Symphony Splash tomorrow will be appreciated. I am shying away from the thought of 40,000 people!

I don't think your opinion is a minority. I was underwhelmed as well, which is why we just have ice cream cones at Mattick's.

The Symphony Splash can be fun or annoying. It ends with The 1812 Overture and fireworks.

Today was a rather uneventful day for us, though NOT for the local Victorians. It was Symphony Splash 20. They had wonderful weather for the event, just the right amount of sun and breeze. Everyone, tourists and locals of every age and description, filled the Inner Harbor. I have never seen it so dense with people. The lawns of the Parliment building and Empress Hotel, sidewalks, etc , were filled with people on lawn chairs and blankets. Streets were blocked off. It was a sad day for the horse and carriage companies ; not much business for them. People came prepared with coolers and food. Our home exchanger offered us rugs and chairs to carry to the event, but neither of us wanted to hang out for the entire day.

We arrived around two. There was live entertainment on a stage in the Harbor; and though we felt the energy and excitement, we could not summon up the enthusiasm required. It was fun to walk around, buy an ice-cream and appreciate the excitement, but it wore thin for us around seven or so, and we took an empty bus home.

Tomorrow is BC Day; I understand a lot of businesses will be closed or opened for just a few hrs.

I attended my first Symphony Splash tonight as a volunteer and spent the first 4 hours keeping people from climbing the huge old suquoia (?sp) tree and swimming in the fountain both in front of the Legislature building, and the next 4 hours picking up garbage (which alot of I am sure has been swirling around the area for a whole lot longer than tonight!) It was a nice concert, but I would NEVER camp out all day to get a good spot, and I don't think I have missed much for the past 19 years..........good idea to give it a miss!!!

Alot of businesses will be closed tomorrow, but you msy be suprised what is open as grocery stores, malls, touristy places will all be open.

I didn't know or remember that the Splash ended with Amazing Grace. We weren't there but could hear it and it was quite stirring with the bagpipes!

What's going on with the parliament buildings' front lawn these days anyway? It looks a mess.

Amazing Grace was the encore with the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipe and Drum Band joining the Symphony on the barge.
It really was quite something to hear.

As for the legislature lawn, I guess it must be a victim of the government cutbacks!

We decided to take Meesthare's advice and drive to Point Ellice House. Good thing we had the GPS, because we would have turned right rather than left on Bay Street. It is an easy two mile or less drive from Fernwood. The mid-Victorian house is located by the Gorge in what was once a suburban area, but now as Meesthare pointed out, an industrial area. It is a good idea to visit on a Sunday or a holiday, like today, BC Day, rather than during the week, since I understand from the guest book, that the recycling plant next door can be rather noisy, however you would never have known that today; the place was all tranquillity. The outdoor garden is lovely, and a perfect place for an afternoon tea or just a scone and tea. (The afternoon tea including admission which is $23 or tea and scone which is $6. Admission only which includes an audio tape is $6 and well worth the admission.

The audio tape is cleverly done with two voices of a female maid servant and a Chinese servant. It is an entertaining way to visit the house. Apparently, the O'Reilly family lived there for over a 100 years and the house became public domain in either the late 60s or early 70s. I can't remember. There is tons of documentation, letters, receipts, paper work, clothes from the family which I understand is atypical so there's lots of information on the house and the people who lived in it. The kitchen is full of period pieces (original) and the living room, excuse me, drawing room!, is very Victorian, extremely cluttered with every purchase the O'Reillys ever made it seemed on display. The audiotape explains that was the custom of the day. It must have been hell to keep it clean. We enjoyed it very much, more so than the Emily Carr House, but of course Emily Carr's home is visited not for its visuals, but because it was her home.

Afterwards, we stopped by Fernwood's Center, a small cluster of shops and a few cafes next to the Belfry Theatre and backed up to Victoria High School. We had passed the area frequently on the bus and I wanted a closer look. There is a small pub, very popular, and a coffee house, owned and run by the Fernwood Community. It, too seemed to have a regular clientel. Other than those two places, nothing else was opened today. Prominent is the Belfry Theater. Anyone know if the Belfry Theater was once a church? It is an interesting building.

After a break at home, we took the bus to downtown. It looked positively empty compared to yesterday. I felt it emptier than usual, less people on the street, however N felt it was business as usual. BTW, Amygirl and April, I must have lower standards than you, but I thought the Parliment's lawn looked pretty nice.

We had another light meal at Green Cuisine where we had a couple of conversations with some of the patrons. This brings to mind a comment on another thread on today's Canada board --Canadians' reputation for being reserved. I don't understand this comment, because I certainly never see it. I did not see it in Vancouver last summer, nor have I seen it in Victoria. People are pleasantly friendly and never seem to object to a conversation. I find conversing with people on the street or wherever it happens to be very comfortable and easy. Sometimes they begin the conversation and sometimes we do. People are far more reserved at home than here. AND, it is not because I am seen as a tourist that people are friendly, because we are often perceived as locals. I think this "reserved" thing probably goes back decades when BC was seen as very English. It is not true today or at least NOT to this visitor.

BTW, less I be misinterpreted, I think not being reserved a good thing, I like the friendliness and ease of the Vancouverites and Victorians. It is very pleasant.

The lawns... and our highways used to look better!

Anyway, it was also tranquil out at Butchart Gardens this evening. We decided to have something to eat at the Blue Poppy restaurant and shared one order of lasagna. It was quite enough for us as we're not big eaters and often share a dinner. That, with one cup of coffee, with our passes, came to about $14. So, if you're small eaters like us, the dinner package might not be worth it. Just to prepare you should you go there, the restaurant is open to the outdoors so there were a fair number of flies!

Evening is a nice time to go because it's not as crowded (but it's a different story on Saturdays) and many of the flowers seem to glow at dusk. Then the lights come on making for another experience. A string quartet was playing in the bandshell.

Today, we visited the much acclaimed Butchart Gardens, the number two tourist destination in Canada. We had a couple errands to do in the morning, so we started late which would have been our plan anyway, because, we wanted to arrive at Butchart's later in the day.

N and I went back and forth about whether we should eat at Butchart's. We had been talked out of the Blue Poppy, especially when April (above) mentioned the flies and N saw little on the luncheon menu in the main dining room to interest him. Remembering that Sydney was close by and that Amygirl had recommend Fish on First, as did a local Victorian we had struck up a conversation with a few days ago, we decided to eat there and go on to Butchart's later.

Fish on First is an unpretentious fish and chips place in Sydney. It is very popular and we waited a few moments to be seated. The food was good, probably the best of the three fish and chips places we tried in the Victoria metropolitan area. N and I split a double order of halibut, fries and a salad, costing us about $25.

We drove to Butchart's and according to our tickets, we arrived there about 1:45pm. The parking lot was about half filled. The weather was cool and slightly overcast, perfect to wander about. Contrary to some people's reaction on this board that Butchart's was nothing special, we both enjoyed it. It is a pretty place, flowers immaculately maintained and hardly a dead bloom in sight. I recognized a few flowers here and there and some scrubs. The varigated coleus had the largest leaves I have ever seen. The flower beds were huge. There were some enormous begonias that looked like roses without the thorns and when I tried to identify them, I was convinced I was mistaken, because I have never seen begonias so large as those today. BTW, if you have the interest for $3.50, you can return the following day if you show them your ticket. We MAY return tomorrow night to see the lights. . . I suppose we spent about 4 hours there, though I was told by Information, that we could see the entire gardens in 1 and 1/2 hrs. It did not feel that we lingered much, though we did take lots of photos. The time went quickly and we were not bored.

Our tourist duty is now done, we have seen Butchart's.

How right you are about fulfilling your "tourist duty", as Butchart Gardens seems to be the one and only thing people know about Victoria, and as a native, I must say that your home exchange experience would not be complete without taking in "The Gardens".
On Friday evening I met some friends doing their obligatory stop in a foreign country as they made their way back to Seattle on their cruise ship from Alaska. I met the ship and took them to Butchart Gardens and I must say I thought the gardens looked a little "droopy" which I am sure is from the recent hot temperatures. You mention, "hardly a dead bloom in sight", which I think Butchart's prides itself on as in the summer months you will NEVER see a garden worker in action. If you come back in the dead of winter they are very visable working feverishly to get everything ready for the next spring/summer influx of tourists.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Fish on Fifth, it gets alot of buzz here on the peninsula for it's good fish, and when ever I have been there it has always been yummy.
Another eatery in Sidney that I didn't include in my original list of gooodies was "Boondocks" at 9732 1st St. It is an unpretencious (?sp) pub style food that is reasonably priced and good!!
Am really enjoying reading about your Victoria adventure, as much as I enjoyed your Vancouver one. It brings a whole new light to things that the natives take for granted!!

Thank you, Amygirl for the additional restaurant. And you are right it is Fish on Fifth. I keep wanting to change its name. I wish I had a spell check on this computer, but it would not prevent the typos, grammatical mistakes, and other mistakes I have noticed after I press "submit."

We bused to Hillside Shopping Center for an errand and then feeling clever we bused onto downtown. We purchased a monthly pass ($82) per person and no longer have to search for change or buy packets of ten.(Monthly passes are good for a calendar month, so ours is good for August.)

We decided to try Il Terrazzo, an Italian restaurant just off of Johnson Street. It is highly recommended on Fodor's, both on the talk forum and in the guide book. We had met some people leaving the restaurant the other day, and they also told us how good it was. Even with all those acolades, I was somewhat sceptical, however it really did deliver. We both had a wonderful lunch there. I had a thin crusted pizza, tomato and basil, and N had some kind of chicken pasta thing. Both dishes were very good and the prices for lunch were very reasonable. It was under $35, though neither of us had wine. So, another stong recommendation for this very nice downtown restaurant with its pretty brickwall ambience. The portions are large and we ended up taking some of the meal home.

This evening, we decided to see Butchart Gardens at night. Because, we had gone yesterday, we were able to return the next day for a modest fee of $3.50 per person. We arrived around 7:00 pm, listened to a bluegrass band for a couple hours. After the band played, the sun was down and the lights began illuminating the garden. Once the band had stopped playing; there was hardly a soul on the garden paths. It is cool at that time of night, so be warned; we were glad we had our fleeces. The whole place takes on a different atmosphere at night. There are colorful fountains , almost like minature fire work displays. There was also a full moon in the sky floating in and out of thin clouds. The rose garden which hardly has any fragrance during the day was sweet and filled the air nearby.

We did not do anything too tourist-like today, just wandered around downtown, however locals may be familiar with Rheinland Bakery on Fort St right off Douglas. We had been in there several times asking for soft pretzels, but always too late in the day; they were sold out. Having done a home exchange in Frankfurt a couple years back, I became addicted to the salty soft pretzels sold all over the place, so when I saw a German bakery, I was hoping for the best. Alas, the one pretzel I bought, the last one of the day or so I was told was a poor specimen. It was stale and almost salt-free. They should not have sold me a stale pretzel. Very disappointing. Well, if all goes as planned, we are off for the Sydney Farmers' Market now. . .

Well, amygirl we made it to the Sydney Farmers' Market tonight. Left around 5:30 or so. Traffic was very heavy on the 17, it felt like LA, well not exactly since it did move along. This was the first traffic jam we have encountered on the Island. Parking was not a problem, we easily found a space which was surprising because when we entered Beacon Street, it was filled with people. Definitely more people and vendors than the Saanich Market. We wandered the stalls, looking for some fresh produce, but forgot about it, instead we looked at the crafts and all the people. It was a pleasant evening; we thought we would try Fish on Fifth again, but there was a line, so we decided it would be wiser to eat some of the food about to spoil in our refrigerator at home. We were surprised to see the traffic move slowly again on the 17 going home, but this time I think we saw the reason. There appeared to be a traffic accident nearby. We could see it from the road.

BTW, anyone out there have a favorite restaurant to recommend in or near Fernwood? There must be some nice spots that are not downtown. Thank you.

Well it's not near Fernwood, but Blighty's Bistro on the corner of Oak Bay Avenue and Foul Bay Road is a favorite of mine, you will need a reservation. Have you been to The Stage yet? I believe that's the name of it, it's a funky little place across the street and around the corner from the Belfry Theater.

Thank you Cruiseryyc for the recommendations. We will check them out. The Stage is in walking distance. It would be nice to have some place we could walk to for a meal or drive to without thinking about parking.

annetti,

Have you ever browsed the Chowhound Western Canada forum at all?

http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/57

There have been quite a few posts about Victoria restaurants, including this particularly-detailed trip report, here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642784

I was thinking that, while I know you like personal recommendations from posters here, Chowhound is the forum for real food-enthusiasts, and you really get a lot of interesting perspectives and recommendations you typically might not otherwise find. It's just a good resource and I find the views tend to be pretty accurate and honest for the most part.

www.dinehere.ca is also another resource, although I find the reviews all over the board.

Food for thought!

Thank you, Carmanah. I relied on dinehere last summer while in Vancouver. I had forgotten about it. I tried to use chowhound in So Calif a while back and found it difficult to navigate. I will try again, perhaps it is easier to use now.

We drove to East Sooke Regional Park today. Our GPS took us on a route that appeared different from the one we would have used, had we relied on the map. It was a combination of 14 and some other roads, none of whose names could I tell you, however it was a pretty route, though twisty at times. It is such a pleasure to be surrounded by all these tall trees and so much green. I can't tell you how much I miss the green living in Southern California. I grew up in the US Northeast and I continue to believe there is nothing prettier than tall. green trees with blue water in the distance. The scenery in British Columbia is so special. We parked at Anderson Cove, the only car in the parking lot, and walked for about a half an hour of a well-trodden path, never meeting another soul. The trees provided a lot of shade, many were fallen, and there was lichen on the branches. It was all uphill, or at least mainly uphill and led to the coastal trail, however I must admit that we never saw the coast and after about 20-25 minutes, we turned around, knowing that we had to walk back, even if it was mainly down hill on the return.

We looked for a cafe to have lunch, and saw a sign for Smoking Tuna in Beeches (?) Bay in a campground. We were apprehensive; in So Cal this might mean greasy hamburgers and soggy fries, however this was NOT the case here. The food was fresh and good and the setting overlooking Beeches Bay was very pretty. We had an interesting conversation with a young man from Nova Scotia here for the summer, although he likes BC very much, he said the West Coast was known as very "counter cultural" compared with his part of the world which he termed "conservative." We did not go into detail, so I am not exactly sure what he meant, however we love BC and are very pleased to be spending our summer here.If he means, casual, comfortable, and friendly, then he is right on.

I think he probably means counter cultural in the Mendocino, CA kind of way. Vegetarianism, environmentalism, artist enclaves, lots of activism, people living alternative lifestyles, etc. Nova Scotia, by contrast, is known for its rich history and maritime traditions, and holding on to that sense of place and past.

I'm so glad you found the Smokin Tuna! It really is in such an unlikely place - the middle of a trailer park. But the setting is gorgeous. Did you see the seals gathering around the people cleaning freshly-caught salmon on the dock?
It's actually Beecher Bay, and some of the signs say Becher Bay - I'm not sure what the right spelling is because half the signs say one thing and the other half say the other, and even the maps don't agree. Doesn't matter, though. It's a lovely spot. Too bad you didn't have perfect weather; it's cool-ish today and supposedly going to rain.

I've only ever known it as Becher Bay. According to a BC gov't website it was named for surveying officer Admiral Alexander Bridgport Becher but had been mislabelled on charts.

Also, our Sidney is spelled with an I.

Carmanah, I am sure your are right; he mentioned that he has seen a lot of "hippie vans" around town. I must have missed the sightings!

Meesthare, Of course you would know the Smokin Tuna. I agree it is in an unlikely place. It shows that no place is really off the beaten track. We missed the seals gathering, but we did enjoy the lovely setting and the nice meal, too so now we can refer ALL our friends to it, since we know the correct spelling.

Thank you, April. I am sure I would never have noticed that Sidney is spelled with an i. I totally missed that and I imagine quite a few more things.

We drove to Swartz Bay to take the 11:30 ferry to Salt Spring Island this morning. Parking was easy; it is "pay and display" and cost $15 for the day. We boarded the ferry as foot passengers. I think it was around $17 or so for the two of us for a round trip ticket. From Fulford, the Port, you can take a 20 minute shuttle bus to Ganges, the main town for $2. There was a large crafts' and farmers' market in the main square. During the summer, there is a fair every Saturday or so I understand.The ride, though short, gives you an inkling of how pretty the island is. Lots of rolling hills, pretty trees and some lovely old homes hidden behind overgrown shrubs, grasses, flowers, and trees. I can't compare having never been before, but the fair appeared quite crowded to me, in fact when we were ready to return to town, two shuttles ahead were full, and they had to call for a third shuttle, making us miss our ferry and then hang around Fulford for over an hour to catch the next ferry to Vic. Lots of pretty things to buy and admire at the fair. I was particularly taken with some fine wooden bowls by an Argentine craftsman. They were quite pricey, and probably worth it, but I did not subcumb, however we had a pleasant conversation discussing Buenos Aires. Maybe. . . I should have bought one on reflection. They were very pretty.
We came unprepared for choosing a place for lunch and all I can say is our lunch was not very good. I will spare the restaurant a bad review, unless of course pressed by Fodorites who want to know.

Well, I am kind of curious! We often have lunch at the Italian place on the waterfront at Grace Point - I can't remember the name of it. It used to be a Greek restaurant until a couple of years ago; we liked it then, too.
We've also gone to the Treehouse, right next to Thrifty's. Usually on market days, though, we'll content ourselves with buying things from the various stalls.
So, where did you have lunch?

Meesthare, It was not either of those two places. It was called Barb's Buns, I think. We did not test their culinary skills by any means. We both had veggie burgers and minestrone. Soggy veggie burgers and not very tasty soup, tasted like Campbell's. As I wrote above, we should have come prepared with some suggestions for lunch, although that doesn't necessarily save you from a bad meal.

I just saw your suggestion for "The Edge" in Sooke, somehow I must have missed it when you first posted it. Yesterday, I lamented as we drove around that I had not written down any ideas for lunch, but we were lucky with the Smokin Tuna. It really is a lovely spot; who would have expected such a nice place for lunch.

Hi, Annetti - hopefully you'll make your way out to Sooke again at some point. "The Edge" is great - they're open for lunch and dinner, but I think only for five days a week at this point. They're quite new. The chef was at Sooke Harbour House for quite a few years and really knows what he's doing.
I'd also recommend Point No Point, about 20 minutes west of the town of Sooke - wonderful food and terrific views.

Yes, Meesthare, Sooke is still in our plans. Thanks for the recommendations.

Today, we bused up to Beacon Park, taking the 27 from Douglas and Fort. Victoria Symphony was performing at the Park Stage, although less enthusiastic than my husband for classical music, it was an enjoyable afternoon. There were probably about 500 people or so when we arrived about 20 minutes late, however there were still plenty of seats on the benches, since many people had brought their own chairs. It was a very quiet and respectful group and they seemed to appreciate the free concert very much.

Later, we strolled through the very pretty park, admiring the flowers, saw a racoon run by us, and watched some Canadian geese sunbathing by a pool. There is a very pretty bridge over one of the pools, built in the late 1880s and designed to resemble a medieval bridge. It made for a very nice photo in the late afternoon sun. It was quite cool at times today; it had rained last night and occasionally, very occasionally, during the concert a drop or two of water would fall off a wet leaf from one of the trees as the breezes moved the leaves. Rain is forcast for tomorrow and I am not sure how we will handle this. . .

It was a rainy day, today in Victoria. As one Victorian said to me, it feels like November. It is a contrast from the historic high temperatures last week to very cool weather today, however today's forecast of 40% rain changed our plans. We had planned on a walking tour of Fernwood, the neighborhood in which we are now staying. There is a guide put out by the Victoria Heritage foundation that does walking tours of various Victorian nighborhoods. www.victoriaheritgefoundation.ca

Instead,we opted to try a new place for lunch and do some souvenir shopping. John's Place was recommended on a previous thread. It is in the downtown area on Pandora right off of Douglas, making it easy for us to locate. We had a few minutes wait for a table, unfortunately for N it was right next to the juke box. It did not bother me, but it did bother him. Growing up in the US Northeast, I am used to the diner-like coffee shop atmosphere of John's, but to N it was too noisy. Our food was fine. We had luncheon fare; I imagine it really excells for breakfast.

We, then walked around and visited some shops recommended by our guide books. We spent some time in Munro's, a very pretty bookstore, browsing. Books ended up being our major purchases of the day. I bought another book on Victoria and Vancouver Island. We ended up our day at Green Cuisine for a light meal.

Minor observation: Victoria and Vancouver are the only places I have ever been where people thank the bus driver. A nice custom to be sure, but not very common, however I must say that Vancouver's and Victoria's bus drivers have to be the pleasantnest and most courteous I have every seen.

It never occurred to me that people in other cities don't thank bus drivers. Perhaps we should not do that when we go to San Diego next month? We don't want to be pointed and laughed at.

In general, we find Victoria's restaurants pretty lackluster and noisy ones are a peeve of ours. We usually find relative peace (and decent food) in the parliament buildings dining room. Seriously. Sometimes they even put us in a separate room. It's usually open for breakfast and lunch.

Have you been to the Dutch Bakery yet? It's like going back a few decades.

Did you see the Sabre fly by today?

April, it's funny you mention that because when I first started to ride the bus in the 90's around Vancouver, I never noticed anyone saying thank you. And now it seems that 10-20% of passengers do it. I don't know where or how it started, but it definitely appears to be more common place.

I grew up in Toronto, and was taught to thank the driver when getting off a vehicle (bus/streetcar/subway if you're in the conductor's car). Not everyone does it every day, but it is done here. I think the drivers appreciate it. I know I appreciated similar thanks when I was a ticket taker - seeing over 1000 through my turnstile in a couple of hours was monotonous and it was nice to be thanked -- and bus/streetcar drivers have a much more challenging job, from a technical *and* public interaction perspective!

I've also seen this done in Ottawa, and do it wherever we travel....hadn't thought about people *not* doing this occasionally.

April, when you are in SD next month and you thank the bus driver, their jaws will hang open in surprise, so don't worry about any other reactions. I have never been in a bus in SD; most Southern Californians drive everywhere themselves, so maybe they'll thank you instead for the business. Actually, I have no idea how good or bad or indifferent the public transit is in SD, however SD is a very pleasant place to visit. Visit La Jolla while there, see the zoo if you're inclined and plan on a day in Balboa Park. The weather should be still be quite warm in September. I often think of Aug and Sept as our warmest months, but don't fear, there is a/c everywhere. Have a good time.

Carmanah, "the thank yous" seemed more prevelant to us than 10-20% last year. Perhaps, it was the time of the day we took the bus. We used to exit at the Dunbar Depot and it felt like 90% to us, perhaps because it was so unusual to us to even hear a thank you that we over estimated the times it occured.

Jaysfan, I suspected that this "thank you" business was not restricted to only Victoria and Vancouver. I try to acknowledge people with a thank you often, because I do think people need recognition that they exist, especially in jobs like bus drivers that tend to be taken for granted. On Sunday, when we asked the bus driver where to get off in Beacon Hill for the concert, she told us to have a good time and ended it with "take care." Now, that is very kind.

Today, the weather was perfect again, clear and warm. I thought we were in for a week of rain. We had planned to do the Fernwood Walk today, but we became intrigued with eating lunch at the Parliment Bldg (April's Suggestion above.)I liked the idea of seeing more of that beautiful bldg.

I tried to google the dining rm, but had no luck so we called Victoria's Tourist Bureau. They are great sleuths and are very patient about finding details for us. This is not the first time they have helped us out. After about 7-8 minutes holding, they were able to provide us details and a telephone number to make reservations. 250.387.3959 Lunch is served M-Th until 3:00 and on Friday until 2:00pm. They told us this was "a well-kept secret." We, also were told the same thing again,from a security officer at the Parliment Bldg, in fact the same words were used that it was "a well-kept secret."

You need to leave identification with security to enter the dining room. Good thing, I had my driver's license with me, I often don't bother to carry it when I am not driving. The dining room is elegant, with white table cloths and napkins. It only seats about 100 people. It is definitely quiet, compared to our meal at John's Place yesterday. N appreciated that no loud speaker was next to him. The food was good and very reasonably priced. It is not an extensive menu, but there are plenty of choices. It is a pleasant place to eat and would make a nice choice if you were touring the Parliment Bldg. They, also do breakfasts, but no reservations are required for breakfast. So, thank you again, April for a nice suggestion.

The rest of our day was pretty much concerned with mundane tasks, such as laundry, food shopping, replacing supplies, etc. Home exchanging is not entirely a free ride; there are some chores, though minimal that must be done! However, we did have a late desert at Green Cuisine (again!) and enjoyed watching a ballet troupe rehearsing in Market Square for a while.

Note to Cruiseryyc about Barb's Fish and Chips: I spoke to someone the other day who told us that Barb's changed owners about 2 yrs ago. Of course, this information may be incorrect, but if true it may be the reason the food is no longer as good.

If we take a bus in San Diego and thank the driver, I'll let you know what happens. As a matter of fact we're staying in La Jolla and have a day planned for the zoo and Balboa Park. I hope it's warm! The hard part will be believing it will be and leaving our fall clothes at home. We will be there in late Sept.

True, the menu at the parliament buildings is limited and maybe more so lately. I was disappointed that they took French toast off the breakfast menu. They also took poutine (which I didn't get to try there) off the lunch menu. Sorry - I could have given you their phone number. We often don't make reservations but it's best to phone anyway because sometimes they are closed for private functions.

Another thing you could do one day, if you haven't already, is take in some bird's eye views. You can drive up Mt. Tolmie, stop at the top, then go down the other side. Mt. Doug is a dead-end drive with a small parking lot at the end. If you're up for a bit of a hike, you can climb up to the viewpoint where markers point out various sights and you should be able to see some of the islands.

annetti, I think which bus you take (and where) definitely influences where you'll hear the thank yous - at least in Vancouver. I know the Dunbar route, which is on one of those trolley buses and it goes through the residential area. People, I find, are more likely to thank the bus driver on those buses. But taking the B-line buses, those large double buses? People just move in and out of those things as if they're on the skytrain. Likewise, when I used to take the bus out to Steveston to visit my parents, I found that the occasional person would thank the bus driver, but it wasn't the norm. Anyhow, totally random observations.

Carmanah, You are probably right about the route influencing the "thank yous," since we are usually at the end of the route and generally that's where we note them most often.

April, you will enjoy La Jolla; it is a very pretty town, but don't leave all your sweaters and light coats at home. Weather is never certain. This could be the year that breaks records for a cool autumn, and even if it is the usual warm September that we are used to having, it does cool off at night and you often need a light sweater. We had a San Diego trip planned last Jan that fell through, however I did post a query on Fodor's re restaurants that may or may not interest you. I brought it to the top. AND in NO way, was I reproaching you for not leaving us a tel no for the Parliment Dining Room. Thanks again for the recommendation.

It was perfect weather today for walking. We decided to take our Fernwood Walking Tour. It was a lot of fun; you see a much more on foot than you do from a bus or car window. We started at the Belfry Theater on Fernwood and Gladstone. It was built in the 1890s and was a Baptist Church until 1971. In 1976, it had its first theater production. It is a lovely shingled building. I understand that they only do Canadian productions there. Many of Fernwood's homes are older than I realized, many date back to the 1890s. There are Queen Annes, Arts & Crafts, British Arts and Crafts, Workers' Cottages and several Italianate Cottages. Some are in fabulous condition, others obviously need repairs, and a few look very neglected. The colors are interesting, often there are four or five colors highlighting trim, various shingles and gables. We did about half the tour, realized it was way past lunch and decided to buy some groceries and eat lunch at home. We have not eaten much at home except for breakfast, though we have bought food that has languished in the refrigerator.

We drove up to Market on Yates, where N wanted a few odds and ends for lunch. I remembered that Icthecat had recommended Sakura, a sushi place/market in the same parking lot. I bought some brown rice sushi and N bought the ingredients for his lunch, however the sushi (like Vancouver) is such a good deal, that I overbought and we ended up sharing it for lunch. It was very good and it was nice to have some sushi. I knew there was something missing from my trip. In a couple weeks, we move to our second home exchange and we will be a lot closer to this area.

When we went to pick up our car, we found that a huge van had parked next to our car, making it impossible or at least very difficult for N to get into our car, so I squeezed in and found myself driving on Victoria's streets. Not a very formidable thing to do! Driving here is very easy, and since practically every street is at right angles, I had no problem getting back to Fernwood.

After lunch, we bused up to Douglas and Yates, and walked over to the Dutch Bakery on Fort Street to investigate. April, above suggested it and I thought since her other suggestions had been so good, we would look it over. The menu noted that it had been in business since the 1950s and I suppose the decor is original. The place has a nice retro feeling to it; whoever thought one could be nostalgic for formica?! However, it appears popular and the prices are reasonable. The baked goods look attractive. We will give it a try when we have not just eaten lunch. Afterwards we wandered down Government Street, walked down a few side streets, noted another sushi place on Broughton Street that had been recommended earlier and took note. We have not yet tired of walking the Inner Harbor and the Downtown area.

Funny you should mention the cool weather in San Diego because just today someone said the same thing. Is it like San Francisco where the fog rolls in and in an instant it's bone-chilling cold? I may take my fall jacket anyway since we have to overnight in Seattle on the way back. Thanks for topping the thread about restaurants.

I didn't think you were reproaching me for not leaving us a tel #. Not at all. I could have mentioned about the photo ID though but have written about it here before and forgot this time.

You hit upon a peeve of mine - people who park too close! The other day there were several empty spaces all around our car but a taxi driver chose to pull up right next to us so I had trouble getting in. I can't fathom why anybody does that especially when it makes it awkward for them to get out of their own vehicles.

The Dutch Bakery might not be your kind of food but you could try it for dessert and coffee. For a good view try Vista 18 in the Chateau Victoria.

Since you like the Inner Harbour, I wonder if you've walked along the footpath that goes by Laurel Point.

April, I am NOT an expert on SD, have to admit that I have probably been there a half dozen or so times, but if the weather is anything like where we live (we are about 2 hrs north), it will bear no resemblence to SF. There may be a marine layer in the morning, sometimes lasting until 11:00am or so, but if the day is warm, it will be sunny very early. I doubt if you will find it in anyway, cold, perhaps, cool, but certainly not like SF. SD is reputed to have the best weather in California, if not in the US.

As for parking today, we were parked in a section labeled for small cars; it was a large van that squeezed us out. This kind of things happens to us frequently in California, where there is an enormous preference for SUVs, though this love for big vehicles seems to be declining forunately, anyway, I was not bothered by the close parking. Yes, we have walked the footpath by Laurel Point several times and have enjoyed it very much. Thanks.

Today, rain threatened all day. We decided to bus downtown, have lunch at Pagliacci's, an Italian restaurant on Broad Street between Fort and Broughton, and then complete our walking tour of Fernwood. We arrived at Pagliacci's quite late, around 2:00pm. The line was out the door and we waited for about 10 minutes for a table, talking a bit to patrons in line, who loved the restaurant and were regular customers.

We were seated in the corner, however the tables are very close together, so this is not a place for intimate conversations, in fact, because you are so easily overheard, the couple next to us joined our conversation. It was pleasant and they were not intrusive, in fact, they gave us some nice ideas for visiting Tofino.

The prices are reasonable, about $12 or $13 for a main dish and soup or salad. I ordered a brie pizza with carmelized onions and pecans. It did not work for me; I disliked it - it was way too sweet, however the salad was good and had assorted vegetables. N had a pasta dish which he disliked, too. But, our review should do nothing to ruin their business, the place is immensely popular. Perhaps, my pizza was an experiment and it just did not work. Afterwards, it was drizzling slightly, so we opted for some tea and dessert at Green Cuisine, took the bus to Fernwood. It was now raining, not very hard, but unpleasant enough to make us give up our Fernwood walking tour today.

BTW, I am always intrigued whenever we pass by the Armory with it crenelated roofs, parapets and its battle-like facade. It looks like it was designed as a 15th century castle prepared if necessary for a stand-off.It always attracts my attention by its size whenever we pass it. I will have to stop someday and look a bit closer to see when it was built and if there are any plaques on the building with information.

For years a friend and I tried to unsuccessfully to get into Pagliacci's for dinner; when we finally were able to, we ate our dinner then looked at each other and wondered why we had bothered. It wasn't all it had been cracked up to be. I know people love it and rave about it, but I know I won't bother going there again.

Sorry you're experiencing the rain, but BC desperately needs the moisture!

<<BTW, I am always intrigued whenever we pass by the Armory with it crenelated roofs, parapets and its battle-like facade. It looks like it was designed as a 15th century castle prepared if necessary for a stand-off.It always attracts my attention by its size whenever we pass it. I will have to stop someday and look a bit closer to see when it was built and if there are any plaques on the building with information.>>

You will find armouries in a similar style in many Canadian cities and towns. Between about 1890 and 1914 over 100 armouries were built across Canada under the direction of the Chief Dominion Architect, Thomas Fuller, and his successors. Fuller, who designed the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa (not the Centre Block which replaces Fuller's original which burned in 1916), designed many of these himself. However, I don't believe that the Victoria armouries were his design. One of the greatest of these was the University Avenue Armouries in Toronto, which sadly was torn down in 1963 for a very non-descript court house.

http://www.phmc-cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/en/image_519.asp

In other cities, some of the armouries have been converted to other uses, such as in London Ontario where the old building forms part of a modern hotel. Most, however, still house reserve army units.

Thank you, Cruiserycc. It is always nice to find someone who agree with your reviews.

laverenddrye: Thanks for the picture and the additional information. It sounds like the armory in Vic is still being used for its original purpose. It certainly stands out when you pass by it.

I went to Pag's once years ago but have never gone back either. It's just too crowded for me.

<<I went to Pag's once years ago but have never gone back either. It's just too crowded for me.>>

To paraphrase that great philosopher Lawrence P. Berra, "Nobody goes to Pag's anymore. It's too crowded"

April, for sure, the crowds are dense, but it was the food that put us off.

We were looking for a place to try today for lunch. N thought about Nautical Nellie's, a couple people recommended it to us, but I was convinced that its location on a main drag (not always terrible), its heavy advertisements everywhere, including the tourist maps, made it a poor risk, so N was convinced to forgo it and we did not try it. Any thoughts, Fodorites?

The weather was great today, up to this visitor's expectations, cool, sunny, and with a slight breeze. Perfect weather to complete our walking tour of Fernwood. Using the Victoria Heritage Guide was a great learning tool. I learned a lot of architectural terms, which I no doubt will forget, but it was fun to locate them on the bldgs as we walked. I decided that though I admired the love, paint, and restoration involved in some of the Victorian homes, I really do not like all their architectural details. I did like the Edwardian Arts and Crafts houses, some of the other Arts and Crafts' houses, the English cottages, and even the Queen Annes. I, also enjoyed all the original stone walls errected around some of the gardens. They are often irregular and occasionally have spikes of stones.The gardens are lush and lovely. If you have the time and inclination, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours/days.

It was almost 3:00 when we had lunch, and not having an original idea for lunch and thinking it was an in between time, we returned to Green Cuisine for a meal. It was only when we were walking downtown on Wharf Street and went to read the plaque on the Custom House that I realized I had lost my reading glasses. (BTW that is an interesting building standing on the waterfront completely alone from all other bldgs. I believe it dates from the 1850s.)
We retraced our steps hoping to locate my glasses and were lucky to find them at the post office. However, that search seriously cut into my ice-cream break.

Two more insignificant observations: There are a lot more convertibles here than in Southern California, perhaps because driving on the LA freeways is not an ideal way to enjoy an open car, or on the other hand, maybe I am imagining that I am seeing more? Second observation made by N: A lot more smokers in Vic than seen in Vancouver last yr. Again, we don't have any numbers to verify this.

I have been to Nautical Nellies a while back and the food was good, but nothing fancy. I cannot help but think over and over again of your awful pizza experience at Pags. If you are interested in pizza, please may I HIGHLY recommend
Pizzeria Prima Strada 105 - 230 Cook Street. (www.pizzeriaprimastrada.com). It is a little hole in the wall place tucked in the Cook St Village that I found about a month ago and their pizza's are about as close to true Italian as I have ever had. YUM, YUM!! As you will see by teir website, their menu is limited, but if my memory serves me correctly they do have daily specials other than pizza. I had their margherita pizza and WOW!!!

It is always interesting to read your comparisons to other places.

My opinion is that Victoria restaurants seem to rely too much on the tourist trade, yet they often sit there near-empty, dumping in loads of garlic instead of making better food. We get frustrated and just stay home. Honestly, we had better meals in Alliston, Ontario, a small town with only a few accommodation choices. So we mostly snack while we're out at Tim Horton's, bakeries, etc. I always liked the food at the White Heather tea room but as I said, it has changed owners and it can be noisy especially around lunchtime.

A former restaurant worker told me some time ago that one of the few places he would eat was Santiago's in James Bay, on Oswego St. close to the harbour. It's not my husband's kind of food though. Another, years ago, liked Camille's in Bastion Square for romantic dinners. I had heard positive things about Cafe Brio but I've never been there either. I'm not up on Thai, Japanese and Chinese restaurants.

For nice surroundings but maybe not outstanding food, you could try the Fireside Grill out in Royal Oak.

None of these ideas help for a lunch downtown. Last time my husband and I were downtown looking for a quick place to eat, we wound up getting a stir-fry in the food court of the Bay mall!

Thanks,amygirl, for the recommendations re pizza. Pizza is one of my absolutely favorite foods, although I seldom eat it, because the restaurants that make it usually don't deliver and I am not talking about service to the door, however we will definitely try the place on Cook Street. I did enjoy the pizza at Il Terrazo and it was not expensive for lunch; I think about $10 and it was large; we ended taking some home. I expected more from Pags with all the rave comments. Pizza without tomatoes and very sweet does not make it in my book, though I take that back because I do like pineapple, tomatoes, and onions on pizza! One of our best pizza places was a small hole-in-the-wall place we accidently discovered next to a bus stop in Frankfurt. A local told us it was terrific and it was. I searched for good pizza in Van, gave up after three tries. Thank you again. We will skip Nautical Nellies. BTW, I am partial to Margherita pizzas.

If you love pizza, I am SURE you will not be disappointed with Pizzeria Prima Strada.....what a find!!!! As you seem to find the Green Cuisine as your favorite stop, I am not a vegitarian in any sense of the word, but I have loved every meal that I have had there. I think it is a hidden jewel of Victoria!!

Just thought of somewhere else you might consider as a lunch destination.....The Noodle Box....they have locations on lower Douglas and Johnson St...www.thenoodlebox.net.
Wonderful, yummy, stir fried food prepared as you watch, but the portions will probably be more than you can eat in a sitting.....do not let this halt you as this food is FANTASTIC, but may need you to have a "doggy bag"

Amygirl, I am pizza-deprived in Southern California, too. I grew up in the US Northeast and there were wonderful places to go for pizza. Perhaps, in LA there are good pizza places, but we do not live in the city, and near us they are very disappointing, so when we travel, I am always on the look out. The best pizza we had, and for that matter, the best food, hardly ever a bad meal was in Buenos Aires. It was consistently wonderful and that's almost 5 weeks of eating in restaurants! We love Green Cuisine, as far as we know, there is nothing like it near us at home. It has never disappointed and their soups and pastries are great, especially when you consider that the latter have no eggs or butter. Unfortunately, their ambience leaves a lot to be desired, but it IS quiet. We sought out the owner the other day to tell him how much we loved the place. We, also bought their cookbook.

April, thanks for all the recommendations. We will be moving from Fernwood to our second exchange in about 10 days, and will be close to Cafe Brio, so I thought we may try it then. My husband and I have birthdays in Sept (one day apart) so we will be looking for someplace to celebrate. As the years have gone by, we have lost our interest in upscale places, and often have enjoyed small little places for our birthdays. I don't know what we will want to do this yr.

BTW, speaking of finding nice restaurants in strange places, N and I were driving through Nevada years ago, and on my mother-in-law's suggestion, we stopped in Laughlin. (Unless the town has changed, it was easily 15 yrs ago, Laughlin should not be on anyone's wishlist), we ended up eating in a wonderful Italian restaurant right next to our motel. Someone pointed out this small place (maybe seated 35 people); the owner had come to Laughlin to retire; he had owned an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, but I suppose was bored and opened this tiny place. It was wonderful and what a surprise in a town that is dominated by casinos and fast food places. It has probably long since closed down. So one never knows where one can find a good place to eat.

Reflection on Butchart Gardens: It is beautiful and lovely to wander about, but I wonder if it really merits a trip just to Victoria to visit. True, it is immaculate, not a weed to be seen and all the flowers and shrubs are perfect, but there are no exotic blooms or at least to my untrained eye, they look like the usual garden varieties that so many of us have at home, though in no way do mine look like Butchart's. Someone suggested to me last summer when we were in Vancouver when I lamented that we were missing Butchart's, they said that I had the Butchart Experience visiting VanDusen and Queen Elizabeth Gdns. Now, having seen both, I would agree. Victoria has a LOT more to offer than just a ferry ride to visit Butchart's.

I stand corrected on the Noodle Box locations, it is Douglas St. and Fisgard St.

Thank you, amygirl. I love noodles, they are a close second to my love for pizza. We are planning a farm tour today, saw it listed in our newest guide book, however when N saw the pizza place you suggested, he wanted to forgo the drive and try the pizza. It appears that there is some kind of special event at Pizza Prima Strada today, so it makes sense to defer gratification.

Today felt like Autumn, California Autumn; it was cool and overcast. We drove through Saanich (route 17a, I believe)to visit a few farms and wineries. Fifteen minutes outside of Victoria and you are in farm country. The area is very scenic with rolling hills, wineries, some beautiful suburban homes, and lakes.

We saw hints of BC Autumn to come - some of the trees' green leaves are fringed in orange. I was thrilled; I am hoping that we will see some Autumn colors before we leave Vancouver Island at the end of Sept. I know, I know - this is not fair if you are from BC, it means the beginning of the end of your summer.

We did not have any purchases in mind or an itinerary, just some fruit, maybe some wine, and a pleasant day driving. We stopped at Starling Lane Winery and saw tables set up for a wedding. It is a very pretty setting. I bought some wine as gifts, but I am not sure if they will make it home. We stopped at several farms for berries.

Although California grows so many agricultural products, it is not possible to visit farms easily unless you live in the Central Valley, I suppose. We occasionally drive to Oak Glen, about an hour away from us to visit apple orchards, but it is not an easy drive because of possible freeway tie-ups. Besides driving on a high speed freeway is not relaxing or attractive as driving through country roads. So a fifteen minute drive into open country is really a luxury. Driving and stopping at vegetable stands brings me back to my childhood when this kind of thing still existed in New Jersey. We enjoyed the day very much.

We, also stopped at the Roost for lunch: N likes their turkey sandwiches. They have a wood burning pizza oven operating Thurs-Sat and the pizza looks very nice, although we did not try it. It is a comfortable, easy place to have a meal, either inside or outside. It was probably our third visit.

The Roost is also a great place for breakfast (if you're out there that early in the day!).

Anyone know anything about the Victoria Public Library on Yates? We pass it frequently on the bus; it is on my list to explore. It looks to my untrained eye like something Francis Rattenbury may have built.

Thanks, Cruiseryyc. Never up that early, but it sounds nice. N wants me to make a correction about his turkey sandwich; he said it was kind of dry and he did not want to recommend it. Apparently, I had misunderstood him. (I think this is the only paragraph on the whole blog he has read! He happened to come in the room while I was typing.)

Another perfect summer's day. We decided to take a walking tour of Rockland (another neighborhood in Victoria) and combine it with a visit to the Government House Gardens. Finding it difficult to bus there, one of the buses does not run on Sun., we were obliged to drive. Parking near the Government House was fairly easy. There were no signs designated "residents only."

We spoke to a man washing the street signs, who gave us a little introduction to the area. It turned out he was a local resident with neighborhood pride; he pointed out his house. He, also, suggested that when we walk through the gardens, that we go to the back of the house.He said that many people think it is not permitted. Later we were told that this area was open to the public only recently, about 4 years ago.

The neighborhood is very pretty, lots of mock tutors and huge mansions, some dating back to the 1890s. Although many are single family homes, some have been subdivided into condos and apartments. The landscaping is fabulous and I saw many of the my favorite trees. The Gary Oak (I hope I have that right!), a native of Vancouver Island was pointed out to us. It is an odd tree with lots of spaces between branches; it almost looks like a huge desert plant since it has so many barren areas. The woman who pointed it out to us is from England, though resident here since the sixties, she said it took her years to appreciate the tree and see it as beautiful.

We had called the Government House prior to our visit to inquire about tours; the CAA book mentioned them. It appears that they have been discontinued, however a neighborhood lady was walking in the gardens, who was very knowledgeable, took us in hand, and showed us around the garden. According to her, all the gardens are maintained by volunteers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each person or persons are assigned a specific area to maintain. It is very lovely and worth a stroll. The gardens (all 23 acres) are free and were not particularly crowded this Sun. I suppose people might combine the Government House Gardens with a visit to Craigdarroch Castle. We did not. We did pass the castle, but it looked crowded, so we thought we would put it off for another day. Besides, it was past 2:00 and we decided we needed food.

We took Amygirl's suggestion and went to the Pizzeria Prima Strada. (See above for website.) We shared a WONDERFUL thin crusted margherita pizza (what we call a medium pizza in California and certainly large enough for two) and a fennel salad. It is a casual place and fairly full for a Sunday afternoon. It is located in Cook Street Village. We will certainly return. Afterwards we wandered around the village, bought a gelato, and browsed. BTW, parking is somewhat restricted in that area, but if you park near the park, there seems to be no problem.

Another observation: There are bookstores everywhere in Vancouver Island. In every small clustering of stores, there usually is a used bookstore or a store selling new books. And we see so many people on the buses reading or in the cafes with books, too. As a reader, I am always sneaking a look at their titles. Some of them are pretty heavy going, too, for bus reading, though I suppose you get used to the rocking of the bus and can concentrate.

Assuming you mean the old library, I don't think it's a Rattenbury building but don't actually know who designed it. When I was a kid, my Dad would take me to the library. Out front was a blind man who sold candy grab bags for 5¢ or 10¢. In those days that was a fair bit of candy! Needless to say, I always looked forward to going to the library.

I wondered if you got to the car festival in Oak Bay today (Sunday). I also wondered if there is a shortage of volunteer gardeners at Government House. In July the rose garden used to be heavenly but now it looks bedraggled.

If you get to Hatley Park (and castle) it would be interesting to hear your opinion. I haven't seen it since they started charging a fee.

Most book stores have sale tables these days. Upstairs (steep stairs) at Russell's Books on Fort seems to have some pretty good prices.

Thank you, April re the library.

We did not know about the car festival in Oak Bay Sunday. We had thought about going to Oak Bay yesterday and just walking about,but changed our mind at the last moment.

Hatley Park was a new name to us until yesterday. What a coincidence that you mentioned it! We ran into a couple from Alberta at the Government House who had been there and recommended it. I found it listed this morning in the CAA guide, but not in any of our other guide books, anyway, it is now on our list of places to visit.

We drove to Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. It is set in Esquimalt's harbor. There was a naval base there from the late 1870s until the mid 1950s.It is a 15 minute or less drive from Victoria.

It is a pretty setting, the views over the Harbor were lovely, the water was very blue and serene. It cost about $8.00 admission for the two of us. There is also the bonus of seeing the Fisgard Lighthouse for the same admission cost.

The lighthouse, however, is undergoing extensive reservations and we were not able to visit it or even get very close to it. We could hear the machinery from a far distance. I was disappointed; I was more interested in the lighthouse than the fort, however we could see it in the distance and it stands out nicely on a hill for photos. N found the fort more interesting than I did; I don't enjoy looking at cannons and guns. Also, concrete fortifications are just ugly to my eye even when set in meadows with wild flowers. They just mean war, destruction, and pain to me.

There was to be a demonstration at 2:00pm to show how to load the cannons and rotate them, but the staff member was out who usually did the presentation. N was disappointed, he would have liked to have see it.There were just a few people visiting the site today and a group of 30 or so 9 and 10 year olds who were having a great time running up and down the hills. They were not in any way annoying, just enjoying the freedom of running from one place to another as nine and ten year olds like to do.

I did get one of the park rangers to show me a Garry oak and an Arbutus tree. I have a feeling that what was pointed out to me at the Government House yesterday as a Garry Oak was not the same tree I saw today. These trees today were much more profuse with leaves. There are small placards about the site, one listed seals, deer, and other wildlife, but except for some bumblebees, I saw none of them.

Around three o'clock, we decided we were hungry, N especially, so we drove back to Fernwood, took a bus downtown and after a debate about where to eat, we ended up at Green Cuisine, although we like the place, we both agreed we need to find a new favorite, perhaps when we change homes next week, there will be something close by that we will enjoy.

Where is your new location? Perhaps we cn help with a new restaurant to try.

Thanks, Cruiseryyc, for the offer. We will be about 5 or 6 blocks from the Market on Yates. It will be hard uprooting ourselves since we finally know our way around Fernwood, know the local bus schedule, the local market, and the cross streets, etc. and have adjusted to "our" home.

We have to start thinking about packing, and we have to make sure everything is clean and tidy for our exchanger when she returns home. We want her house to look exactly the same as she left it for us. A small price to pay for being in someone's lovely home for five weeks.

I didn't know about the car festival either, until later in the day.

The grounds at Government House do have a lot of Garry Oaks. I used to have a yard with 13 of them. They would get buggy and the leaves would become quite ratty looking but then a new set would emerge in late summer.

I think you call arbutus trees "madronas" or "madrones" in the US. Why there's a distinction btw the names, I'm not sure. It's the only broadleaf evergreen to thrive in Canada, and even then, you'll only ever see it along the shore by Vancouver, south-eastern Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands. You can tell them apart from almost every other tree by their gnarled branches and bright red park which peels back, like an Australia gum tree!

And by "park", I meant "bark"!

Carmanah, the placard at Fort Rodd said the arbutus tree is called a madrona, too, so you are quite right The Park Ranger pointed them out to me, telling me what you said, that I could identify them by the red bark, but I still had some difficulty since the tree was not close by, however I think I have the Garry Oak nailed now.

April, there may be Garry Oaks at the Government House, I am just not sure that what I saw was a Garry Oak when we were there. They were quite far away, whereas the ones we saw yesterday, we were standing underneath them and were able to see an oak leaf and an acorn clearly. The Park Ranger said the acorns are like catnip to the deer; they love them.

Not a real full agenda today. We took the bus down Yates and instead of exiting at Douglas, we exited at Quadra and walked down Yates. I wanted to see the Library on Yates - however, I was about 30 years too late. The bldg is there with the original lettering stating: "Victoria Public Library," but, the library has long since moved to a bigger and more modern location.* I have no idea what the building is used for now. The small plaque on the building's side notes that it was built by Andrew Carnegie in 1903 or was it 1904? It looks like Carnegie endowed a lot more libraries and universities than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Perhaps, he had holdings here, too?

We, then made our way to Government Street. Originally, we planned to do a walking tour of downtown Victoria, but we did not adhere to our plan very long. We had started our day very late, so instead we walked about and read restaurant menus. I did not have a preference on where to go; I told N to choose. After viewing about 5 or more menus, he decided he wanted to return to Il Terrazzo. It was probably the best decision since he loved his meal. Sometimes, the second time to a restaurant does not work, but he was happy. I enjoyed my meal, too. It's a great deal for lunch; the restaurant is pretty, was quiet, and not terribly expensive. We spent about $30 more or less including tip. We did not have wine.

We continued our walk, trying to find some small gifts to bring back that would pack well, browsing some stores we have missed, ate an ice cream, a Roger's chocolate, and hopefully got lots of exercise. We ended up with salads at Green Cuisine for dinner.

*PS I called a librarian at one of the branches and he said he would try and find some clippings for me about the library. I googled it, but could not come up with anything.

I did a little more googling and found that Andrew Carnegie was often called the "Patron Saint of Libraries." He built over 2,509 city libraries and university libraries between 1883-1929. One hundred-twenty some were built in Canada. Numerous libraries were built in the US, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Caribbean, and Fiji. Styles varied with local communities choosing the architectural style including Neoclassical (like the one on Yates), Early Baroque, Spanish Colonial, etc. Amazing what you can learn with the computer in just a few seconds. However, I never did find out who designed the Yates' Library.

I have been pondering your need for new lunch destinations and can offer these few.....

Quattro Stagione Cafe - 7060 West Saanich Road,Brentwood Bay
This jewel is tucked away in Brentwood Bay,you just need to find it!!! Open Tues - Fri 0730 -400, Sat 0800 -3:00,closed Sunday and Monday

For a bit of a drive with a million dollar view, take in www.malahatmountaininn.ca

Well that area is not as familiar to me as your Fernwood home, but I'm thinking that you will be close to Cook Street and I believe there are a few interesting restaurants along there.

Amygirl's suggestion of the Malahat Mountain Inn is a good one; especially on a nice sunny day. I actually stopped there a couple of weeks ago for lunch - unfortunately it was a cloudy blustery day so the view wasn't as spectacular but the food was good.

Thank you, amygirl and Cruiseryyc for your thoughtfulness. We love having more restaurant suggestions.

I believe there are three mandatory tourist excursions you must do when you visit Vancouver Island: 1. visit Butchart Gardens, 2. have tea at the Empress or at the very least have tea at Murchie's and; 3. visit Tofino if you can, otherwise you will have missed the most important sights in VI. 1 and 2 are essential if you are here for 2-3 days, Tofino is added for 4 or more days.

We may never do 2, not very much into Teas, but we have spent part of this morning and a good part of the late afternoon trying to find a hotel in Tofino. Yes, we were warned to book early. We waited too long and it was not easy to find a room. The ever-popular Middle Beach is entirely booked up for Sept.; weddings, we are told. However, after much telephoning, checking Fodorites' suggestions and cross checking with Trip Advisors, we found a place for mid September. Finding a hotel in Tofino reminds me of finding a place in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, both equally difficult.

I made a serious mistake (by most women's standards) and chose a hairdresser for a trim close to our Fernwood address today, rather than go with my home exchanger's suggestion. I thought it would be great to walk to a hairdresser. I will seriously regret this decision for the next month. Even my husband who never notices anything, said it was a bad cut; I feel like I have gaps of hair missing, though I probably exaggerate about the amount of pink scalp showing.

Thus, I have little to report in the way of excursions for today. However, I will compliment Thrifty Mart. We returned some rancid walnuts. (I would have thrown them away, however, not my husband.) The clerk doubled our refund, because they were rancid. Very unexpected. I have never ever had that experience in So Cal. Refunds are readily given, often without receipts, but doubling the refund puts a whole new level into good customer service.

Sorry to hear about the hair cut!
I had a nice experience with customer service in Osoyoos this past week. The item ran up wrong...if it is wrong, it is free! Went back a few days later, still wrong....lol, still free, thank you Jimmy Pattison (Buy Low Foods - he can afford it. The weather is going to be good, for now..enjoy. BTW, how can you compare Vancouver to Vic? I have friends that feel that Vic, and the Island is small, they are used to taking off to Whistler, or the Okanagan, or whatever, and feel limited on the Island...thoughts??

Hi Dar:

I never quite believe that I am on an island here in Vancouver Island. This may be, because when we travel, we always stick pretty close to our home exchangers' home. Perhaps, if we intended to take in Whistler and the Okanagan Valley from Victoria, we would feel the constraint, because we would be slowed down by a ferry ride. Also, Victoria has so much to offer: a sophisticated urban center and beautiful countryside minutes away.

When we were in Vancouver last summer, we intended to limit ourselves to the city of Vancouver and its environs, so we were not like the Vancouverites who work all year and want to get away for a weekend. In Vancouver, you can be out of the city quickly and not slowed down by ferry schedules. So if you are on the move frequently, living on VI would definitely slow you down if you want to visit Seattle or Whistler.

Because, I am in Victoria right now, I prefer it to Vancouver, but that is probably not fair since our trip this year is so different than last year's. We have a car now and last year we relied on public transit. I, always love the place I am visiting the most, except for the 5 weeks we spent in the Gold Coast in Australia, but that's another story.

It is hard to say whether or not I would feel limited living here; people love it and consider themselves lucky to be here. I think they are pretty lucky, too. I remember speaking to someone who worked with university admissions and she said that most of her students did not want to leave the Island for university, that they considered living here, "a paradise."

I just ran your question by N, who considered it seriously. He's watching a tennis match. His quick answer: he does not think he would feel constrained by VI. He said that there would be no difference in his mind between living here and Van.

Because,we are not in the habit any more of taking weekend jaunts from Southern California, our view might be somewhat biased. We used to travel up to Santa Barbara or further for the weekend, but traffic delays are so prevalent, we have pretty much given up on long weekends. Instead we focus on longer holidays further from home that don't involve driving the 405 fwy, so I suppose with that bias in mind, we just don't think of long weekends very much - so Vancouver vs Victoria for weekends is not in our mindset.

Thank you, Dar for the haircut condolences. N is now telling me, it looks fine, but I don't for a moment believe him.

Annetti, if you need a hairdresser recommendation I can offer one. It's not far from the Market on Yates. The folks there can probably repair whatever damage you feel was done by the previous salon; they're really good. Just post if this would be of interest.
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying Victoria; I think I was one of the cheerleaders when you were first contemplating this. We love it here and I do feel as if it's paradise. As I sit here enjoying this glorious morning, breathing the lovely clear air and awaiting the arrival of my daughter and her family this afternoon (all the way from New York City) I'm count my blessings, and there are lots of them!

Thank you, Meesthare. Yes, pls give me your hairdresser's name and place. I think I will have to wait a few weeks for repairs; she cut it very short. There's not much to work with.

Yes, I remember your previous comments. We are very happy with our time in Victoria - it has been a good choice for us; the weather overall is glorious. I checked the weather in LA yesterday, something I don't typically do, and the temps were the same, but the air quality I am sure was totally different. N remarks all the time how the blue the sky is here.

Enjoy your time with your daughter. Annetti

Thanks for your thoughts on Van vs Vic Annetti. I think I would love to live on the Island myself, as I love Victoria. Vancouver traffic is getting me down, it seems as I am trapped during rush hour (realistically from 2:30-7pm lol). Enjoy your stay!

Hey if it wasn't for the sales tax; higher cost of living; and the wacko politicians out there - I would have moved to the Island years ago.

Van's traffic can in NO way compete with LA's traffic. No matter what time of the day: mid morning, afternoon, or around 3:00am, a Sunday, or the middle of the week, can you count on smooth sailing. Everyone knows that if you have an appointment at noon, and should it be a mere 30 minute freeway ride away in "good traffic" that you must plan on doubling the time needed, otherwise your odds are that you will be late. I think cell phones were invented for LA drivers to inform friends and business acquaintances that you were "caught in traffic." At least in Van, you have the option of standing on a bus, reading a book or staring into space, rather than stopping and starting on an LA fwy. Coming from the East with a relatively good, though far from perfect, transit system, I was used to sitting and relaxing with a book or staring out a window on a commuter train. Gone are those days.

Speaking of traffic, we were caught in a mild traffic jam (for about 10 minutes) on Route 1 going to Hatley Park. I never did see what caused the delay, but as usual we were late starting and I was sure we would miss the last Castle tour at 2:00.(The web site was wrong; the last tour was 2:30.) Parking is not free ($1 an hour) and we hunted around for coins at 2:00, making us wonder if we would be late. Figure on at least 3 hours. Visitors share the parking lot with Royal Roads University students, so at first, we thought this was a pretty popular tourist site.

We bought tickets, $36 for the two of us which included the tour and gardens and the two rooms they call a museum. It turned out to be a packed house for the tour, about 35-40 people, however the gardens were uncrowded. The docent who conducted the tour, a middle aged woman, was energetic and did a good job. Even though, the rooms of the castle have no original furnishings and are used as offices, she was able to get your mind to bypass the vacant rooms or those filled with 21st century cubicles and computers.

It is always interesting to see how the "new world" millionaires recreated the old world in North America with enormous estates. The castle, built in the early 1900s, in a 15th Century fortress style, somewhat recalled to my mind, the Armory, on Blanshard. However, it is not red and is made of granite and covered with ivy. It also has an Elizabethan wing;I forget the third wing's architectural style.

The tour was entertaining and filled the hour nicely. Afterwards, we walked through the pretty gardens, more like English gardens with lots of flowers, wild grasses, and shrubs. There is also a Japanese garden, designed by the same landscape architect who designed Butchart's Japanese Gdns. After the tour, the crowd seemed to disappear and we had the place to ourselves.The setting is lovely, too, overlooking blue water.

When leaving the gardens we saw a female peacock with her beige colored chicks (for lack of a better word, I don't know the proper names for baby peacocks) following their equally beige colored mother. Brightly colored Dad was in the background. Suddenly the empty gardens filled up and out of nowhere everyone was snapping photos. Also, saw tons of Canadian geese which is no big deal to locals, but interesting to me.

My final evaluation is that it was a pretty nice day and worth the price of admission.

Annetti, the salon is called Gallery Salon and it's on Yates St. - I don't have the phone number handy. Renee, who does my hair, is just coming back from maternity leave and her hours are few and far between so I don't know if you'd be likely to get an appointment with her; her regular customers are taking up most of her available time, but you might be lucky. If you can't get an appointment with her, just about anybody else will do; there are 4 other stylists and they're all friendly and talented. I think you'll be pleased.

Thank you, Meesthare. I should have no trouble finding the salon. I plan on waiting until there's more hair to cut. I'm getting used to it; I can't say I love the haircut, but at least I don't blanch every time I glance in a mirror anymore.

Today was not a very touristy day. N suggested we explore Oak Bay Village again - I remembered reading that the Number 2 bus does a circuit through the area, however we caught the number 1 which also does a circuit through a lot of the residential area. We saw quite a few streets that were new to us. Not a bad way to see the area if you are without a car.
We really did not do much except wander in an out of stores; I had bought a new tourist guide a wk or so ago and it had these fanciful descriptions of the shops, making the area sound like a quaint English village. It had not felt like that the first time around, nor did it on a repeat visit. There are a couple of nice bookstores, a few interesting gift shops and a couple of tea rooms, however the area does have a sedate feeling. Does sedate equate with quaint? I don't know.

Tomorrow, we clean our exchanger's home, pack, do laundry, and prepare for our switch to our new quarters on Sun. We have enjoyed our stay in Fernwood. Just when you think you know your way around, are comfortable with the quirks of someone's home, it's time to leave. Five weeks went quickly, but it has been a good five weeks. We have been very lucky.

We are in the midst of cleaning, straightening up,doing laundry, and getting ready to move to our 2nd Victoria home exchange. Currently, waiting for N to wake up, so we can organize and do the last few chores together. Much is already done, so the last few tasks should be easy.However, we have a deadline to meet j and b tonight around 6, so we must get moving. We did part of the work yesterday, even had time for a meal at Il Terrazzo, N's current favorite. He was still pleased with his food. Later in the afternoon, we took a break from chores and walked over to Fernwood and Gladstone, opposite the Belfrey Theater and had some iced drinks at Fernwood's community run coffee shop. Very pleasant to relax, sip something iced,and read the local news.

Hi Annetti, I just came across your experiences this afternoon, and I've really enjoyed reading them. My wife and I live in Cowichan Bay, so we also have a "visitor's" perspective for a lot of the places that you are visiting. My wife's daughter works in the kitchen at Il Terazzo (her name is Kristy),

(hey, sorry for the original mis-post)

Hi Annetti, I just came across your experiences this afternoon, and I've really enjoyed reading them. My wife and I live in Cowichan Bay, so we also have a "visitor's" perspective for a lot of the places that you are visiting. My wife's daughter works in the kitchen at Il Terazzo (her name is Kristy), and I agree, Il Terazzo is a nice place to eat (paternal pride aside).

As a side note, Cowichan Bay is a nice place to visit, albeit for a short period of time (not meaning that in a bad way, just that there isn't much to do other than visit the seaside village).

Please keep the updates coming!

Hi Brick 13, Glad you are enjoying the thread. N loves the chicken dish offered on the daily special at Il Terazzo.

Well, yesterday evening we moved to our second exchange near the Market on Yates. Our exchangers showed us around their brightly colored and well-ordered condo. They leave this morning for their trip southward. It may take us a couple days to adjust, however the bed was comfortable, so comfortable that N is still sleeping. I hesitate to wake him, though he said he wanted to get up at 9:00am. No rush to get the day started. We need to get some food and a few odds and ends, not to mention unpack and get settled.

Hi annetti,
I have been following your trip and also ready the Vancouver trip report. I leave Thursday for a Pacific NW trip that will include 3 nights in Victoria and 3 nights in Vancouver.In Victoria, we will be staying in the James Bay area. Sad to hear the Sidney Thursday market ends in August, would have likes to go to that. Thanks so much for all the input. I am looking forward to taking you up on several of your suggestions!

Thanks, Amere. Enjoy your trip to Vic and Van as the locals refer to Victoria and Vancouver. I have been debating in my mind which I prefer, whatever, you are sure to enjoy your trip; there will be no debate about that. And, if you have the inclination, post a few sentences or a trip report.

Yesterday, was not real exciting tourist-wise, home exchange-wise involved some settling in chores. N discovered that he was allergic to something and felt miserable after waking up. The culprit was goose down pillows. It took us a while to figure it out, since none of the pillows were labeled, but after an exchange of e-mails with our hosts, that confirmed it, we went searching for synthetic pillows.

We tried Zellers, but their inventory probably has not been updated since 1973 - there were about three pillows on their mostly empty shelves. Anyway, Sears proved better, in fact it confused us with all the choices. We had to have a sales clerk explain it to us.

Another minor observation: Sales clerks seem to be much more available here than at home in major stores. Someone came over immediately and when she did not know the answer, sent someone else that actually appeared in just a few moments. Our local Sears seems to hire one sales clerk for an entire floor and he or she is usually not to be seen. We only sense his or her presence. Of course, the whole dynamic changes when you are looking for a washing machine or a vacuum and there is a commission, then there are plenty of salespeople.

Our next chore of the day was food shopping. We are gradually settling in, although N still has not unpacked. The new location is wonderful, though we miss Fernwood, but, it looks like we will not be using our bus passes very often and that we can walk everywhere. We are just a couple blocks from the Market on Yates. It's nice to know we can do more walking. The streets are not crowded, considering it is a downtown area, so using our car if needed is not going to be a problem getting in and out of the city.

We left at 2:30 or so for our visit to Craigdarroch Castle; because of the late hour, we drove. We found a space immediately in front of the castle. Ironically, we stayed 10 minutes, because of loud construction and debris close to the main entrance.

The front walkway was cordoned off and visitors (busloads of them) were winding their way through the yellow ribbons to the main entrance. Perhaps, we were more finicky, or just lucky that we are in Victoria for an extended period, but we decided we would return another time, when maybe, the renovations would be over and the crowds less dense.

We returned the car, and walked slowly downtown, looking for a lunch place; it was about three pm. We looked at menus, and noticed that the Blue Fox which yesterday had a line out the door at the noon hour was now about half empty. The Blue Fox, along with John's Place and Floyd's Diner are often grouped together as popular breakfast places. I understand that the Blue Fox's line goes down the street on weekends. We decided to try it.

The decor is attractive with brick walls, lined with pictures, including of course one oversized picture of a blue fox. There are about 15 or so tables, which accounts partly for the long lines, limited capacity. I queried our waitress on the origin of the name, and I am not sure I have it correctly, but the story she told me is the owner is from Sooke, lived on a farm as a child, and saw a blue fox. Don't take it as gospel that this the real story.

The food was good. We shared a very generous, (the eggs are from free ranged chickens) 3 egg, vegetarian omelette and roasted (or at least tasted roasted) potatoes. N said they were fried. We, also shared a large fresh salad. The omelette was good, but somewhat decadent and I am glad we split it. The salad eased our consciences.

We then wandered over to Russell's, a new and used book store, also on Fort Street that April above recommended. We had hardly begun browsing when the store reminded us that it was closing time. Russell's reminds me of the famous, but now departed Acres of Books in Long Beach,California that closed its doors in Autumn 2008 due to redevelopment. Acres is sorely missed. We have few good used book stores near us at home. We continue to be amazed at how many bookstores are everywhere you go in Vic.

It was now past 5:30, the wind was blowing, there was little sun, and I was cold. My thin sweater was useless, so we walked over to Green Cuisine, had tea and some pastry, relaxed a bit, did some shopping at Market on Yates and suddenly it is past 9:00pm.

Not too much to report today. We spent a couple hrs trying to figure out the laundry. The condo unit has a central laundry room with coin operated machines. Needing quarters we went to the local bakery, Bubby Rose, to buy some bread, hoping for quarters in change. She generously sold us a roll of quarters. Bubby Rose is an immensely popular place and I understand recently opened a second place, also on Cook street.

Later, most of our time was spent wandering around downtown, trying to settle on a lunch place. I don't know if it is just living in a downtown area, but we notice over and over so many homeless people on the streets. I am sure it is no different from home, but I imagine we are more insulated in Calif since we spend so much time in a car. I thought there was more protection here from Social Services.

We bought some hand carved moose Christmas ornaments at the Christmas Store on Government Street. I thought they would be easier to pack than maple cookies and candy which I brought back last year from Vancouver.

I used to be shocked when I went to Seattle and saw all the homeless people. But that was then and this is now. I don't want to turn this into a political thread so I'll just say we have inept governments. We didn't see this sort of thing in Quebec City.

As for Oak Bay, I think it used to be more British years ago and the stores were more interesting.

Ideas for the September long weekend: Saanich Fair and Classic Boat Festival.
http://www.saanichfair.ca/
http://www.classicboatfestival.ca/

Thank you, April for the websites.

I agree, I don't want to turn this into a political forum. I just thought people had more protection here, that your social services were better. Unfortunately, I expect and see this kind of thing in the States, but I did not expect to see so many people who are down and out here in Victoria. I don't remember this phenomena last yr in Vancouver, perhaps, I am seeing so much because IT is a downtown area. I don't know, but I will close the subject for now.

Overall, we like our new location; we like being able to walk and not rely on the bus. It's great to turn a corner and discover a new place.

Annetti, I second the recommendation for the Saanich Fair! We have friends coming to visit for Labour Day Weekend and that's definitely on the agenda. It's just wonderful.
If you do end up at my recommended hairdresser, let me know - I've got an appointment there on Sept. 18th in the morning so perhaps we'll see each other.

Without turning this into a political forum either (the BC government has been truly awful in terms of cutting social services over the past 10+ years, btw), Victoria and Vancouver also tend to attract a lot of street people due to its mild climate, more than anywhere else in Canada. While there are definitely many drug addicts and legitimate homeless people on the streets, during the day Victoria tends to attract a lot of people who panhandle/squeegee on the streets during the summer months as a lifestyle choice.

While there are lots of social services available; sometimes those in need don't use them. Old saying - you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!

Now back to travel - Haven't been to the Saanich fair in years but it would be well worth the drive.

I was afraid I would be opening a can of worms when I broached the subject re the homeless. Cruiseryyc,I'm back to travel, too.

Thanks, Meesthare and April, for the dates and reminders of the Saanich Fair. I am planning on it. Is parking a problem? Are there large crowds that will make it difficult and/or unpleasant? First day or second day - which is better?

Meesthare, my hair is taking a while to grow, I don't know if I will have anything to reshape by the 18th, however if we are near by, I can stop in and say hello.

Saanich Fair runs over three days - Sat. to Mon. It may not matter which day you go unless there is something in particular you want to see. If it's anything like the old days a lot of judging may still be taking place early Saturday, so things like the photography room might not be open right away. Lots of parking is available in a big field (don't wash the car before you go). As for crowds, I know you're not morning people, but it really is best to get there early. By the time you leave, you'll be glad you did.

I miss the Historical Artifacts Society's involvement for their old farm machinery and steam engines but you can see them, if so inclined, at their Harvest Fair Threshing Weekend, Sept. 19 and 20. You've probably passed their site a few times on the Pat Bay Hwy.

http://www.shas.ca/

I agree with what April says about getting there early. There is a huge field adjacent to the fairgrounds that they use for parking; if you get there early-ish, you won't have to park too far away from the gate. Otherwise you'll be walking for 5 or 10 minutes before you get there - not a big deal until it's time to leave, at which point you won't appreciate the extra distance!
In addition to the midway, the baking and other crafts, the animals, and all the other neat things, there is a great farmers' market there; this is prime harvest time and you'll be able to score some wonderful fruits and veggies. (Another reason not to have to walk too far to your car.) There is a row of ethnic food booths across from one of the exhibit buildings; they have good healthy food, better than what you'd find on the midway and more interesting than the stuff in the cafeteria.
It's a real old-fashioned country fair. They usually have an ice-cream eating contest or pie eating contest or something like that. There are some wonderful animals - llamas, donkeys, etc. as well as the usual farm animals. This may be my own bias, and I'm a city kid, but it's impossible to imagine anybody not having a good time there!

It is amazing how helpful complete strangers can be. I feel a sense of camaraderie through these last two trips from Vancouver and Victorian Fodorites, not to mention all the other people on this board, I want to say thank you today, to April and Meesthare, for the detailed info on the Saanich Fair. Now I have to convince N to move a bit more quickly that one morning so we can be there at a reasonable time.. He can do it, if he's motivated. . .

Our intention today was to take the Hillside/Quadra walking tours. (All these heritage tours can be picked up at the Visitors' Center.) We really enjoyed the Fernwood one. We took the bus to Quadra and Finlayson to begin the tour which starts at the Quadra Elementary School, however for several reasons, including the late lunch hour, we decided to walk down to Quadra Village , have lunch and then start the tour. The 3 or so block walk was extremely hot in the sun and there were no restaurants that looked inviting, so our plan fizzled, and when we saw a bus, we hopped it and passing the Dutch Bakery we decided to try it.

April had warned me that it probably was NOT my style of food, but I was overcome with nostalgia for the interior. A long soda booth and Formica tables, totally reminiscent of my high school experience. It was definitely a trip backwards in time, even the menu. I ordered a tuna sandwich, it was fine, but N ordered a turkey sandwich loaded with butter and mayonnaise, needless to say he hated it, however the vanilla milkshake somewhat redeemed the meal. The buttering of sandwich bread is a residue of sandwich preparation in the fifties and still very popular in some parts of England. (Do they do it in Oak Bay?!) I remembered numerous times in England having to remind them I did not want my sandwich bread buttered. However, the Black Forest cake looked wonderful and we need to try it sometime.

We walked around the Inner Harbor, wandered in to the Bengal Lounge at the Empress; the curry smelled and looked wonderful. We were told we could come whenever we pleased, that reservations were not necessary. We then wandered behind the Parliament Bldg which we had not done previously. There are numerous historical figures on the back of the bldg and there is a cairn to tell you who they are. Vancouver by the way stands on top of the dome. There is also a pretty little fountain surrounded by benches which were empty at this late hour. A nice place to sit and relax and enjoy the lovely late Aug weather.

We were pretty lucky to run into someone from the education dept outside the Parliament; he was pretty knowledgeable and shared some information with us. He, also, told us that the old Vancouver Library Bldg that has always intrigued me, has been empty for yrs and was designed by an architect with an H?, one of the three important architects along with Rattenbury in the early 1900s.

An insignificant fact known to Victorians, but not to this Californian. Roger's ice cream at the corner of Government Street and across from the Visitors' Center has only been around a year. Of course, the older more established Roger's Chocolates up Government street has been there for eons. I was fooled; I thought it a well established enterprise which of course it is, but I suppose the ice cream part of it is new or at least a new venture selling ice cream alone. Perhaps, ice cream was once sold at the chocolates' store.

Also, walked in Cafe Brio, a few blocks away from our current address. It is very pretty and looks like a lovely place to have a meal.

Another nice day in Victoria.

Come to think of it, I never eat sandwiches at the Dutch Bakery. Their milkshakes are pretty good though.

Roger's ice cream is overpriced in my opinion. I could be wrong but tend to think only tourists go there. Used to be a lovely china shop in that place. As for chocolates, I prefer Purdy's or Callebaut.

The curry buffet in the Bengel Room tastes as good as it smells! I was there for lunch in late June and thoroughly enjoyed it - didn't eat for the rest of the day.

Roger's ice cream has only been around for about 10 years; their original cream chocolates used to be fabulous when they were hand made, unfortunately while still good they aren't what they used to be.

I have been to Cafe Brio but honestly can't remember what I had or if I liked it!!! However I always remember the places that I don't want to go to again - and it is not one of them.

Cruiseryc, are Rogers Chocolates not still handmade? There was an article about them a couple of years ago in the Times-Colonist and it showed the present-day factory, where the chocolates were handmade and hand-wrapped.
I agree, though, I like Purdy's a little bit better.
Annetti, if you want really good ice cream, go to O Gelato on Government Street - a gazillion flavours and they're all wonderful. I took my daughter and grandson there the other day. They also have a branch at the Tsawwassen ferry dock and at the Coombs Country Store. Yumm.

Thank you, Meesthare for an ice cream recommendation. I love ice cream - it is definitely my favorite dessert. We will look for O Gelato. I had been wondering whether or not to post a query about favorite ice cream places; You must have read my mind.

April, sometimes when I wander the Inner Harbor and downtown, I wonder if there are any locals in the city. Everyone seems to have a camera or is consulting a tourist map or carrying tourist items. What amazes me is how consistently pleasant and friendly locals are (when you can spot them) about giving tourist directions or answering the same question they were asked last week or the month before. The overwhelming politeness and kindness shown overall to one another is outstanding.

Yesterday, when we were seated on a park bench by the fountain behind the Parliament Bldg, I noticed a woman come and sat down on a bench. A few moments late, a second woman, obviously unknown to each other,sat down; they acknowledged each other and smiled. It was so nice to see this; I hate to bad mouth Californians, but I bet 8/10 times you would not have seen this pleasant encounter at home. Perhaps, it is the big city, fast life pace at home, people just are NOT as friendly overall. It is especially interesting when you consider that Victoria is such a tourist oriented city, where one can get jaded and probably a bit annoyed after a while at having so many tourists about constantly. I remember how jaded the service people were in the Australian Gold Coast, but if you left that area, went to Brisbane, everyone on the most part was genial and helpful.

The locals just march through 'tourist row' or sometimes we go around it in the summertime when it's so full of people. I usually avoid walking on the harbour side of the harbour and driving along Wharf street until September.

I'm not a fan of ice cream but as I've mentioned before (I think), my husband's favourite cone is the raspberry rocky road at Mattick's. If you're around Beacon Hill Park you can stop in at the Beacon Drive-in for a soft ice cream.

I think you would like some of the food at the White Heather tea room. By the way, if you're ever wandering past the tea room in James Bay and think, "That looks like a nice little place to eat," my recommendation would be, "Don't do it!" Unless it has gotten vastly better recently, the last two times we ate there (granted it was years ago) it was horrible.

April, thank you the warning re the James Bay tearoom and the suggestion for the White Heather. We looked for the WH the last time we were in Oak Bay, but for some reason we missed it.

Our new home exchangers' friends, L and R, contacted us a few days ago. This morning they took us to Murchie's for tea and later on a walking tour of the city. We were with them from about 11 until 4:30. We wandered onto streets that we had never seen, into shops we did not know existed, and restaurants we had never read about. They filled us with local history. It was a pleasant day.

We returned to our condo around 5 or so and thought we would try Cafe Brio for an early dinner since we had not had lunch. We did not have reservations. They offered to seat us around 5:40 or so if we thought we could be out by 7:00. I was okay with it, but when we started ordering and asking a few questions and were undecided about our orders, the waitress told us that we needed to move more quickly so she could get the order in to the kitchen. We were reminded a few more times, and at this point, N felt we had made a bad decision to agree to be out by 7:00 so we left. Of course, just about every place we tried after that had a line out the door, but at least when we were seated, we felt no pressure to vacate our table early. We finally ended up at Ferris' Oyster Bar which was fine even if we had an half hr wait to be seated.

Annetti, you're right about the friendliness here. We live very close to Whiffin Spit and often go for walks there. Every time people pass each other on the Spit, they say hello and smile.
A friend of ours lives in Vancouver, and was in Toronto on business a few years ago. He went out for his usual morning run; his hotel was in a residential neighbourhood and he encountered a number of people on their way to work. He told us that when he acknowledged them they stared at him as if he were some sort of dangerous weirdo. It's nicer here!

Today, we visited the Maritime Museum in Bastion Square, housed in Victoria's former courthouse. The museum is immaculate and beautifully maintained. Admission is $10 and we were able to leave midway through our visit, have lunch, and later show our receipt to continue our visit. Although, it had been my suggestion to visit the museum, N enjoyed it more that I did. He, especially, liked the ship models, learning about the history of the province, the temporary Viking exhibit on the second floor (though the video was not particularly good) and the exhibit on the ferries and ocean liners. I lost him midway through the museum and when I found him, he was listening to a museum docent doing a birthday party presentation for some young children on pirates. We both learned a bit about piracy on the high seas. We had lunch at nearby Re-bar's which is also on Bastion Square. I like Re-bar's, but N is still mystified why it is so popular. He finds it exceedingly mediocre. The day at the museum absorbed at least three hours and we were dragging by the end of the day. BTW, there is a reproduction of a courtroom on the third floor.

Not much to report from yesterday. We awoke very late, realized we had few clean clothes and by the time we finished the laundry, it was past 3:00pm. This is the kind of day when you are glad you are in a home exchange, and NOT in a hotel. There is far less guilt in a HE when you spend the day doing odd chores, seeing the hours move by quickly, knowing you are too lazy to do much more than walk into downtown and browse for a couple of hours. Also,N felt a bit out of it.

Today, he was feeling better, but other than walking a great deal, we did little tourist-wise; first to Cook Village, about 7-8 blocks away, to explore the area a bit, perhaps have lunch and if nothing appealed, go back to town. On the way back to downtown, N decided he would like to return to the Blue Fox on Fort Street which was fine with me. I had the avocado wraps, nice and spicy, and with their fantastic potatoes; it was a great lunch. N had more salad than he could handle and also,helped me with my potatoes. The service is excellent.

However, I was not sure that I could handle N's dessert suggestion of Black Forest cake at the Dutch Bakery - unfortunately for him it was closed as so many places seem to be on Mondays.

We, then walked to the Empress Hotel, made reservations to have lunch at the Bengal Lounge for the curry buffet and finally ended the day shopping at the Market on Yates. N positively loves the organic chicken breast there; he reports that they are excellent.

Have just discovered your thread and have enjoyed reading it - always interesting for a local to see what a "foreigner" thinks! It seems you've had some disappointing restaurant experiences - "Stage" in Fernwood was suggested earlier so just wanted to urge you to try it before you leave - our very favourite place to eat - no reservations but if you go early, there isn't usually a problem. Not sure when you're leaving but the new Belfry season begins Sept 15th so an ideal evening out is early dinner at Stage and then the play.

welcome annetti, i've been off board since you arrived and have enjoyed reading your report and everyone's suggestions and comments.

its festival time btw:

the fringe festival is up until sept 6 w/ 50 odd one acts and standup tix are generally $9 or less and venues are scattered around town. if you google intrepedid theatre you'll see the program. i am billeting an actor from seatlle who stars in cherry cherry lemon, quite good as were : fruitcake; the highlife , today is all your birthdays and chris and pete. looking forward to the war of 1812 and 2 bon rouge , a very nice french restaurant a show of canadian music i believe

this weekend is also the wooden boat show on the inner harbour: moving ships cleverly disguised as fine furniture

i might have missed it when you were talking about point ellice house, but there is a sweet fleet of water taxis that cruise the inner harbour and go up the gorge as far as tillicum road bridge. one of the stops is glo a pub w/ good food on the water

a nice place to walk is the neighbourhood around harling point and the chinese cemetary off crescent road as it meets king george terrace past gonzales beach. their is a small beach on the east side of the neighbourhood

cheers
AndrewDavid

that's intrepid theater

Thank you, Janeog for your suggestion. I'll run it by N. Hello to AndrewDavid.

Yesterday, we walked over to the Craigdarroch Castle, a mere 4 blocks away. We love our new location - we can walk everywhere. We arrived around 12:30, a perfect time, we had the bldg to ourselves, hardly a tourist in sight. When we left around 2:30 or so, there were two huge tourist groups of at least 60 people waiting to buy tickets.

The castle's history is more interesting, at least to me, than the bldg itself. Robert Dunsmuir, a former coal worker, who struck it rich in the New World, commissioned the castle, but died before its completion. One of his daughters, straight out of an Edith Wharton novel, married an Irish Baronet, and gained a title. The castle has had many guises including a military hospital and served as classrooms for Victoria College and eventually the museum. It costs $12 to enter.

The walls are beautifully panelled with imported oak. Few of the furnishings are Dunsmuir-owned, but they are period pieces. There is still much renovation going on; the gardens are being restored. The house was built on a high hill and when you climb to the top, there is a nice view of the city. The castle is well-advertised in all the local maps and brochures and is, I suppose, one of Victoria' premier attractions. There was something lacking for me, I can't quite put my finger on it, perhaps, it was reading the history brochure put out by the castle that did it, the history (huge fight over the inheritance by widow and 2 sons) gave the place a melancholy air. Also, I am not an admirer of the Victorian/Edwardian furniture or bric a brac.

Later, we walked over to Market on Yates which is adjacent to the nearby Sakura take-out and bought some sushi for lunch. Around 6:00, we walked to the Inner Harbor; there were few people about. The sun was in and out, it was a bit cloudy, but the Harbor seemed to shimmer in the fading light. It was a beautiful sight and the few people about were doing the tourist thing, trying to capture it with their cameras.

Today, we took a walking tour of James Bay which begins and ends on Government and Superior Streets, passing the James Bay Hotel and James Bay Village. You can pick up the walking tour at the Visitors' Center. It was a pleasant,cool day, perfect for strolling; the sun was out and there was a lovely breeze.

Many of the homes are well-preserved and had a "heritage plaque" on them, testifying that they received a grant for restoration. They date from the 1890s through the 1920s and are beautifully painted with 4 or even 5 period colors to highlight the architectural features. The brochure notes features to keep an eye out for, street names and numbers are provided: we saw a mansard roof, dentil mouldings, a widow's walk (made me think of a New England Whaling town),fish scale shingles, elaborate brackets, gables, decorated barge board, etc. The houses varied from small workers' cottages to pretty Queen Anne Cottages, Arts and Crafts homes, and Tudor Revivals. Some were meticulously maintained, with obvious enthusiasm and hours of hard work, others showed that they were effort-deprived , occasionally, they were in the shadow of a mammoth 15 story apartment house. Some had lovely well-cared for gardens and others were a work in progress. The hours of labor must be immense to restore both inside and outside, because you can see a few "before" houses and if you have ever done any work on your own home, you know what kind of sanding and hard work these home must entail to get them in the exquisite shape so many are in.

About 3:00, we decided to explore James Bay Village for a lunch spot, a local confirmed what another Fodorite above, I believe it was April, that the James Bay Tearoom was not to be recommended. We decided to return to the Inner Harbor and try our home exchangers' recommendation of Pescatores, a fish restaurant on Humboldt opposite the Empress. We thought it was okay, but certainly not out of the ordinary. The service was pleasant.

Later, we shared an ice-cream, walked slowly home and did a bit of shopping at the Market on Yates. A very pleasant day in Victoria, once again.

These walking tours sound quite interesting.

Maybe the thing lacking at Craigdarroch was... landscaping.

Hi again - still enjoying your daily diary!! I have to agree with your thoughts on Craigdarroch - I have actually only been there once at Christmas time, but I didn't find it overly exciting or interesting. I wouldn't tell people not to go as others might feel differently about it than me, but it certainly would not be high on my list of things to do in Victoria.

April, you are probably right about Craigdarroch - I probably would have enjoyed it more if there were beautiful gardens. Eventually, there will be.

Cruiseryyc, I suppose you only know if these "attractions" are worthy, alas . . . until you visit them.

It looks like rain this weekend. Will this interfere with the Saanich Fair?

Nope the fair will go on even in the rain, probably will only be a little sprinkling anyways!!

Thank you, Cruiseryyc. I hope it only sprinkles a bit this weekend! If it rains, too hard, it will be difficult to convince my husband, a true Southern Californian, that he will not melt if it rains too hard. Anyone, who drives on Southern Californian freeways when it rains, will understand what I mean. To Californians, heavy rain is like a snow blizzard.

This afternoon, we walked to the Inner Harbor to see the Classic Boat Festival. The ships range in size from quite large to more modest, date from the 1920s to the 1950s. (If there were newer boats, I missed them.) A few were open to the general public to visit and we were able to walk on a yacht, which was quite luxurious. I know absolutely nothing about boats, but I can recognize pretty woodwork and there was plenty of it. The Inner Harbor was filled with people, more than I have seen in a while, no doubt crowded, because of the Labor Day Weekend. People seemed in a festive mood. After an ice cream on Government Street, some sushi from Sakura's on Yates, we made our way back home.

Our home exchangers e-mailed us that they have arrived at our home - they took a circuitous route, 12 days to Southern California. I hope they will be comfortable in our home. They seem to be full of ideas on how to enjoy themselves. They already have tickets to a TV show for next week. We, always hope that our exchangers are as comfortable on their end as we are on ours. So far, so good.

Sorry,but I am suffering from "annetti trip report" withdrawl. Hope everything is okay, and that you are just enjoying our soggy Labour Day Weekend.
Cheers,
Amygirl

Today, we went to the Saanich Fair. We were a bit apprehensive when we left since there was a downpour, but optimism prevailed. It rained most of the 20 minutes or so drive, but while we were queued up for parking, the rain stopped.

(For a complete description of the Fair, scroll up; Meesthare does an excellent job describing what there is to do.)

Parking was easy, due to many volunteers, I imagine they were volunteers, directing traffic. We entered through the amusement park/hot dog, ice-cream, fries, cotton candy section, truly a child's delight.There were tons of people out enjoying the day. We wandered around getting a feel for the offerings.

I especially loved the dog trials, watching various breeds, not just English Sheepdogs, but a poodle, too going through an obstacle course. The crowd was especially appreciative, when a distracted dog, came back and finished the course. There was loud clapping.

We, also watched a few large cows being auctioned off; it was a bit disconcerting to this vegetarian/occasional fish eater to hear the animal described by the number of one and two inch steaks the buyer would get when the cow was slaughtered.

We toured the poultry displays; I don't believe I ever saw roosters close up before, also saw some beautiful turkeys. Poor things, their days are numbered. There were a couple of for sale signs. We, also saw some huge pigs, ponies and horses.
We wandered the fruit and vegetable stands; they were beautiful, but neither of us wanted to carry a bag around.

Enjoyed the photos and art offerings. Some of them were quite original and deserved their blue ribbons.

We have never been to a real country fair, never with all the elements we saw today. All in all, it was a great day, and I thank Meesthare, April, Cruiseryyc,and all the Fodorites who suggested we attend. I, only wish I hadn't missed the ice-cream eating contest.

Thanks, amygirl. I just saw your note. There hasn't been much to report lately, just walking into town, around the Inner Harbor, admiring the Heritage Buildings for the umpteenth time, shopping, and enjoying scenery. Our time here is going too fast; I can't believe we have been here 7 weeks.

Hi, Annetti - I'm so glad you enjoyed the fair! You must have come in after we did; it was still raining a little when we got there.
We enjoyed watching the dogs too; we saw something called a flyball competition, which I had never seen before, but the friends we were with are poodle breeders and they explained it to us. The dogs were having a wonderful time and very eager to run as fast as they could along the course.
We bought lots of stuff at the farmers' market and then came home and cooked most of it.
Did you see the miniature horses and the llamas and alpacas? Those are our favourites, I think.

Here I was thinking maybe your husband did melt. I feel the same way about rain but nearly laughed out loud at your comment about heavy rain being like a snow blizzard... until I remembered the drive up the I-5 in Washington during a torrential downpour which was my 2nd scariest drive. The first was driving at dusk through the Rockies during a snow blizzard.

Seems we all went to the fair today and enjoyed the dogs. I got a funny photo of an alpaca and one of a snoozing pig with another pig's foot in its face, and picked up a handy Star Finder wheel at the astronomy table. Our car tires sure are dirty though!

Fall seems to be coming in really fast but it was such a great summer, I'm not complaining.

Hi there:
I'm a leftover fan from your Dunbar sojourn - I was posting
under a different name then (shhh!) but my sentiments re your
reports are the same as before - so enjoyable and well-written.

I learned a lot about my native Vancouver through the eyes
of an enquiring mind (grin) and I'm finding out so much
about Victoria that I never knew and feel quite guilty
admitting.

For years DH's company used Laurel Point for week-long
conferences and s.o.s went along for the ride. Most
enjoyable, but really never got to see more than the
section from Oak Bay to Ogden Point.

My fav. place was the Ross Road Cemetary preferably in
the middle of a rain squall - and in November this was
often the case! A wet walk then a hot tea back at the
hotel. Cozy.

We really got to enjoy the many restos in Victoria and
environs - if you want a splurge dinner the Deep Cove
Chalet does a mean spot prawn meal. And although I
know you have vertigo issues, Point-no-Point is a great
little place for lunch or dinner with an enchanted forest
walk down to a private cove. The road there isn't too too
wind-y so you may be just fine.

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us -
you write so well, and of course, the subject matter is
of great interest!

Mimi

Hi Meesthare, saw the miniature horses, but somehow missed the llamas - I was looking for them, too.

April, I noticed a lot of golden trees as we drove to the Fair yesterday. I know, I have been warned not to expect too much red, but I am looking forward to some Autumn foliage display.

As far as the rain goes in California, we are without rain usually until November or so and the oil has built up on the freeways, so when the first rain comes, the roads are described by the traffic DJs as being "slick and dangerous," hence the need for extreme caution. I think rain comes as a surprise every year to Californians and they act like they have never seen it before. Activities are curtailed and even school children will stay home if it is particularly wet outdoors. This is so strange to outsiders like myself who can remember back that my overly protective parents back East didn't even blink the first time their sixteen yr old took the car out solo on a rainy day.

Mimi - it looks like our responses overlapped. Thank you for the comments and the suggestions. I usually run Fodorites' ideas past my husband, and though he usually takes my lead, on travel at least, sometimes, he just is not interested. The restaurants look lovely; I'll see what he thinks. He was a good sport yesterday about the Saanich Fair, especially since it was raining when we left. In spite of his reluctance, I think he enjoyed himself, but I am so glad the rain stopped.

Meesthare and April: BTW, we had so much fun seeing sheepdog trials in Scotland one year. Our Scottish home exchangers found the venue for us. The locals really take the trials seriously. We were able to get a seat in the stands, otherwise we would have been standing in the rain that day, too, but we had a bit of trouble following the scoring. The locals who are very friendly normally, would not look up from their scoring pads to explain the intricacies of the scoring, however watching those beautiful dogs maneuver sheep was great fun.

This morning and early afternoon, we had to attend to some home issues; fortunately, a computer made it painless, but still time consuming. We then planned to walk in to town, get a light meal at Green Cuisine, and later in the afternoon drive over to Fernwood where we had arranged to meet our first home exchanger (for the very first time), return her key and generally compare our home exchange experiences. All our contacts up to this afternoon had been through e-mail and one telephone call.

Walking along Fort (near Cook Street), we discovered Sally Buns, so we switched plans, picked up a bun for lunch, stopped at Sakura for my sushi fix, and picked up some prepared food for N at the Market on Yates. It was great fun sampling all these ready-made dishes, not terribly expensive, and everything surprisingly good. Of course, when you are not paying very much, your expectations are lower. Still, I think the food was pretty decent.

We drove to Fernwood to meet our HE at the Cornerstone Cafe, but got caught in a tiny traffic jam. A Hollywood studio was filming a high school mini series about 50 feet from the Fernwood Inn. We had to wait in traffic, were even stopped on the sidewalk for a few moments before we heard the words:"cut."

We were a bit early and noticed that there is a farmers' market in the courtyard opposite the Belfry Theater. They were selling organic produce and it looked very nice; we bought a box of strawberries. They're there from 4:00 to 8:00 every Tues. I don't know for how much longer, but all the time we lived in Fernwood, we never noticed the market when we bussed by.

We were a bit early and waited about 10 minutes for our HE; she had said that she might be late, but was not. We talked about what we had seen: LA versus Vic. She had been to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach - we have never seen it. We have been to Butchart's; she has never gone. The list went on and we laughed about it. We, also talked about the culture here, contrasting it with LA. While I spoke about the incredible friendliness and civility, I see everywhere in BC; she agreed it was less visible in So Cal, but countered with how often she was invited into homes and shown around.
She offered to repeat the exchange again next summer, but that won't work for us, we are already committed to Germany for 2010, but we thought why not again in a couple years. We are having a very good time!

On the way out of the Cafe, it was closing time, one of the cameramen tried to enter. We met him on the sidewalk and he very kindly took some photos of the three of us, posing us a couple of times. So when the time comes to show our friends our photos, I kindly limit them to three or four, perhaps they will come out of their stupor when I tell them that this photo was taken by a Hollywood cameraman.

Annetti, yes the sheepdog trials are quite fascinating to watch. I saw them on Saltspring Island years ago.

It rained today until around 3:00; however, we showed our grit and ventured out. Our plans were thwarted to finish our James Bay walking tour, instead we wandered into shops on Fort. The selection defies my descriptive powers, generally they are independents, ranging from consignment stores, tea and epicurean delicacies, book stores naturally, small little restaurants and take-outs that you miss when walking quickly, coffee shops, antiques, jewelry, bakeries, shoe repair, clothing shops, eco-friendly products, a couple high end restaurants,yoga studio, beauty shops, and shops with merchandise I can't categorize. I could and have walked that street probably 50 or more times and I see something new each time. Around 5:00 or so, we made it to Green Cuisine where N stopped for hot soup and we shared a tea and vegan peanut butter blondie. We continue to be amazed that something so good has no eggs, milk, or butter.

Hi Annetti. We returned last night from our Pacific Northwest trip. For the Victoria portion, we rented a cottage in James Bay. A few places we enjoyed there: James Bay Coffee on Menzies - right across from the food store.Just down from there, the Bent Mast - pub style - good food and very relaxed with great history of the place. We also enjoyed the fish and chips at the James Bay Inn.

We had an amazing meal at Il Terrazzo - downtown. We did not have reservations, but ot there before 6pm so we were ok.

Another one we really enjoy was J and J Wonton Noodle House - a great local favorite! Here is the link; http://www.jjnoodlehouse.com/

We had afternoon tea at Buchart Gardens and really enjoyed our afternoon there.

A great spot to watch the sunset - Clover Point off Dallas Road. Hope your last few weeks are wonderful!

Hi Amere, Thanks for the follow-up. We've been to Il Terrazzo at least 3 times and have enjoyed our meals very much; it's our favorite Italian in Vic and our very second favorite all around. We have only eaten at J and J Wonton once, and were not overwhelmed, but now that we're 2 blocks away and pass it regularly, we have been thinking of giving it a second chance. It is extremely popular. So, thank you.
It sounds like you had a great trip.

After checking dinehere.com and rereading my Fodorite friends' advice, we elected White Heather in Oak Bay for our tearoom experience in Vic, today. The reviews were outstanding and they did not exaggerate.

Both N and I enjoyed our lunches/tea.Everything really did taste like it was made in-house. N, also opted for soup as an extra but they were uncertain about the price. When the check came, however, he was not billed for the soup. N told them they had not charged him; their response was that the soup was on the house. It is a pretty, little place,with white tablecloths,and maybe 10-12 tables, The service is extremely friendly and pleasant. Reservations are necessary. We arrived around 1:45 and left around 3:30 or so and there was hardly an empty table the whole time. Highly recommended, especially if you like the ambiance of a small tearoom. It was about $45 including tip. N was very generous with the tip!

I'm glad to hear that it sounds just as good with the new owners. They said they were keeping the same staff. The only thing missing then is the former owner's raucous laugh. Sometimes, if they're booked up or we're in a rush we just order food to go.

Annetti, I'm enjoying your reports! As a Vancouveriste, I lovet to visit the Island, but haven't had the chance to do so lately. Enjoy the weather for the next couple of days!

April, I suppose as a local, it's no big deal to get the food to go, but for a visitor, they would be missing the tearoom's theatre. Cameras were flashing; people were photographing the three tiered tea displays; and there was a birthday celebration going on, too. Everyone in the place clapped after the candle was blown out.

Thank you, Dar. The weather was wonderful yesterday. Really warm.

We had big plans for yesterday, but nothing materialized much. We both felt sluggish and just wandered around the outer edges of the downtown. We have never properly explored Blanshard Street, south of Fort, near the Royal Theater.

We wandered into Pink Bicycle, a new hamburger place that has about 10 or so burgers on the menu, including three different veggie burgers, halibut, salmon, seared tuna, chicken, and the usual beef. I enjoyed the Asian style seared tuna with a salad; N said his chicken burger a la Provencale was burnt and indeed it looked very, very black. The service was good and efficient. The man next to us was eating his hamburger, Castanza style with a knife and fork. The owner rushed over with a steak knife to help him out. Anyone, remember the Seinfield episode where George eats a candy bar with a knife and fork and by the end of the show, everyone is mimicking him? Anyway, this man was the only one in the restaurant using his silverware to eat a hamburger sandwich, bun and all.

Annetti,
I was sure somewhere along the way I read that you and hubby had booked a stay in the Tofino area to take in the wonderful west coast of Vancouver Island. Just now when I peruse your whole trip report I cannot find such a thread........are you planning such a trip, or I am imagining things??!!
Cheers, Amy

Hi amygirl, You're right; we had plans for Tofino. You probably saw a question I responded to on another thread about Tofino. We had planned to go next Monday, but over the weekend, I did something to my left leg, have no idea what, and am having trouble walking and am a bit uncomfortable, so we cancelled since there was a penalty if we cancelled in less than 7 days. I am hoping that my leg heals for a number of reasons, but we would hate to miss Tofino.

Not having any idea what was wrong, we went to the clinic on Yates opposite the Market, Saturday. This clinic had been recommended to us by our home exchangers. We had gotten there around 1:30pm or so, and were checked in and told to return in an hr which we did. The only odd thing in my mind is that the secretary never did any kind of pre screening, asking me what was wrong, since I may have had a serious condition. However that aside we returned at 2:30, saw a pleasant doctor, who gave me some sample medication and told me I did not have a blood clot which was on my mind. Anyway, I am waiting for the discomfort to abate and start moving around again. Meanwhile, yesterday was my birthday, and today is N's birthday, so we are not having much of a celebration. At least N is enjoying all the Tennis finals on the TV and I have been doing a lot of reading.

Sorry to hear about your leg... but Happy Birthday to both of you.

Thank you, April. When do you leave for San Diego?

On the last weekend of the month. I hope it's warm and sunny down there.

I think your chances of good weather are about 98% or possibly higher.

Not too much to report today. It rained intermittently most of the day. We wandered up Fort Street, ducking occasionally into some antique stores when the rain changed from a drizzle to a hard pour. We walked slowly; my leg has made a great recovery, but not perfect yet. We had lunch around 3:00 at the Blue Fox, split a wonderful omelette. Between the good food and the service, it really is a very pleasant place for breakfast or lunch.

We finally bought a couple t-shirts to wear back home; I have one with a bear and the words Victoria, Canada and N has one with a moose. I bought a t-shirt in Vancouver last year, but like the socks that get lost in the dryer, it has disappeared. I have a feeling it is somewhere in N's closet, but I have never found it. We stopped at Murchie's for some tea and dessert around 5:00, but they were depleted of anything interesting, so it was back to Green Cuisine for dessert and tea.In the marketplace we watched a crew set up a charity event for Cancer research. It was a fashion show and there were numerous young women practicing the catwalk.

Walking back to our condo, the rain finally stopped and there was sun in the darkened sky, the lighting was wonderful over the wet bricked buildings downtown.

Hi, Annetti - my hairdresser appointment at the Gallery Salon was postponed from today to next Wednesday - are you thinking of getting your bad haircut fixed yet?

Annetti - you haven't posted since last Wednesday; your avid readers hope everything is alright with you and hubby.

Yes, I've been wondering about that too.

So have I been wondering where Annetti and DH have been....sorry to hear of your recent health problems, and hope they are behind you now. It must be close to the end of your visit to Victoria which I am sure Fodorites both in Victoria and close by in the Lower Mainland and Washington State are mourning as you are such a wonderfull travel guide in the most unpretencfious way I/We look forward to meetimg you again on a Fodors Thread

Cheers,
AmyCirl

Maybe they went to Tofino after all?

Hi Everyone, I am still in Victoria. Our home exchangers' computer went down on us a few days back, and we have not been able to get it working again. Apparently, they were having problems with it before they left since we often had to turn it off when we were using it and then reboot. Anyway, we are sans computer now; I am writing from an internet cafe, after checking on our e-mail, so it looks like I will be filling in the gaps (or at least try to) when we return home to So Calif in a little over a week. Thanks for the concern.

It has taken me a while to return to this posting. It has been long enough that I have forgotten much of our last week in Victoria. I, do remember that we spent one afternoon looking for Merridale Ciderworks in Cobble Hill, and when that did not materialize we ended up driving to Nanaimo, seeing the old town and walking a bit on a promenade. It was pretty, but I'm not sure it's worth the drive if you only have a week or so in Victoria. I had hoped for some Autumn foliage, unfortunately I was out of luck.

Sadly, we never made it to Fodorites' favorite spot on VI, Tofino.

Several days were spent in our usual pursuits, walking and wandering the downtown and the Inner Harbor. We miss the walks on Fort Street now that we're home facing 10 weeks of mail, phone calls, and appointments. An insignificant observation, but one I've noted on all our home exchanges, that the amount of junk mail our home exchangers receive is minimal compared to home. The last day of course was spent packing, and cleaning.

We made our way home on Route 101 very leisurely, spending a week to do it. This would probably merit a trip report in itself. We spent 3 nights on the Oregon Coast; prices were down and we had several rooms with ocean views. As I've written above the Oregon Coast is spectacular and worth the time driving, even to someone like me who usually prefers flying to our destinations when it takes more than a day's travel by car.Probably our best meal of the trip was in Newport at the Local Ocean Restaurant. Excellent. We went there twice.

We were a bit apprehensive returning home, having done a double exchange, but all was in order, clean and well-cared for by our exchangers.

I'll try to sum up some of our favorite activities in my next post.

We ate at a lot of restaurants; we can prove it by our credit card bills. We, generally ate out once a day, usually for lunch, though lunch for us was often around three o'clock. Sometimes, out late lunches made it difficult to find a place. Many restaurants are not open for lunch at all or close around 2:30 or 3:00. But, we were late starters and with a late breakfast, we were often limited to choice by our late starts.

Not in any particular order, but some of our favorites included:

Blue Fox -- great omelets and potatoes. It's a small place and often crowded, but with our late hours (they close at 4:00 on weekdays), we were in luck and missed the queuing. Great service, too. You could not ask for more efficiency and friendliness.

Il Terrazzo -- N loved their chicken specials and I enjoyed their salads and pizzas. They are open for lunch, but close at 3:00. We were often too late to eat there as frequently as we would have preferred.

White Heather -- great tearoom. Good food, friendly service, and open all afternoon, however you really do need reservations. It's a small place and I think you might be out of luck if you just showed up.

Green Cuisine -- our very favorite vegan restaurant. I can't begin to count how many meals we had there. Very creative cooking, buffet style. Great pastries, too. They could use an ambiance update. Highly recommended.

Also, enjoyed eating in the Parliament Dining Room one afternoon, but beware you need reservations and will need ID.

Fish on Fifth in Sidney. (April, I remembered the i in Sidney this time. )

Minor observation:
Queuing for a restaurant. I find it uncomfortable, though I suppose if you enjoy chatting with people it might work, but it favors the restaurant more than the customers. Taking names and and calling names when a table is ready seems more customer-friendly to me.

My summation continues with some of our favorite tourist sites and walks. Again, they are in no particular order of preference.

High on our list were the walking tours of Fernwood, James Bay and Oak Bay. The walking tours are available from the Visitors' Center. Probably, enjoyed the Fernwood tour the most, perhaps, because we were staying in Fernwood and also, it appeared to us to have the greatest variety of architectural styles. Now, that I'm home, I signed up for a heritage walking tour for the next 5 Saturdays and am learning that LA has a strong preservation movement. The tour I am taking Saturday here in the LA area will visit bldgs from the early 20s and 30s. Fernwood has many bldgs dating to the 1890s.

Enjoyed walking on Fort between Government and Cook and also walking on Government. Lots of tiny shops and restaurants. There was always something new. We saw a deer in a vacant lot on Fort on our first or second day in Victoria; there was a camera crew set up, otherwise we probably would have missed it all. I, later learned the moment was captured on the evening news when the deer stopped traffic.

The Inner Harbor was great for people watching We loved watching the changing colors as the sun reflected off the water.
It was great having access so easily to the countryside, wineries, and farms in less than 15 minutes.

Eating out and trying new places was fun; in general we found the prices comparable to LA, but a better value. Restaurant choices appeared infinite.

Enjoyed Point Ellice House and the audio tour done from two servants' point of view.

Enjoyed wandering the Government House Gardens which are around the block from Craigdarroch Castle. I thought the latter over rated and over hyped. We did like Hatley Castle; lovely gardens, too.

Butchart Gardens are worth a visit, after all you would probably hate to admit you were in Victoria and did not go. We visited during the day and the evening. Particularly enjoyed the lights and the low density of people after 7 pm.

Sidney for the day was a pleasure, wandering the bookstores and walking the promenade. We returned to Sidney several times.

Loved Abkhazi Gardens both for its landscaping and its romantic origins. Lunch in the little tearoom was enjoyable and reasonable.

Recommendation for the Royal British Columbia Museum. Good docent tour. We were lucky to see the visiting exhibition from the British Museum. Also, a thumbs-up for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

N would probably add that he liked Fort Rodd and the Maritime Museum. I probably could pass on them.

Some positive and negative reflections on Victoria off the top of my head:

Positive first: It's a beautiful place, surrounded by water, green, lush, and filled with flowers. People are friendly and helpful. Eating out is a pleasure; there is a strong organic, fresh food ethic. The city is very walkable and bus rides are generally short if needed. You have quick access to the countryside and in moments you are riding through green farmland. There is relatively little urban congestion, consequently the air feels clean and the sky is blue. Driving is easy; rarely any gridlock. Lots of beautiful heritage bldgs to admire in the downtown and throughout the city. Although, a very popular tourist destination, it never gets in your way, or at least I never felt overwhelmed by it. Prices were reasonable and I never felt ripped off or that they were inflated. Considering all the tourists, the locals were polite and never seemed to mind helping us. I loved seeing so many readers everywhere I went; there were always people with books in their hands.

Negative: There is a large homeless population. Many of them are drug users and appear to be mentally unstable. The local paper says Victoria is trying to address the problems, but the numbers are large. It was surprising and disturbing. We discussed it briefly mid-thread.

Insignificant observation: Incredible numbers of tattoos on young people and more piercings than I can remember seeing in a long while.

I'll probably come up with a few more, once I punch "submit." Overall, we had a wonderful time and consider ourselves lucky, as we always do, when we get a chance to spend a concentrated period in a lovely place. We were indeed fortunate to spend 10 weeks in Victoria.

Glad to see you back online.

Victoria has been 'trying' to address the homeless problem for years. Nothing ever happens.

Thanks, April. I clicked on your name just now wondering about your trip to San Diego. I hope the weather cooperated and the locals were friendly and polite.

You're way more on the ball than I am. I haven't done a trip report yet but had better get cracking. We had a wonderful time in San Diego. I thought store clerks were friendlier than here, and people in general were very friendly and polite (except some who were a little impatient behind the wheel!). I can understand why you didn't want to drive on your holiday - I didn't either and dumped the rental car after only one day.

We stayed in La Jolla and really liked it there.

Weather was a mixed bag, from boiling hot to cool with a few spots of rain.

I love California.

April, glad you enjoyed yourself. Would love to read a report.

Yes, your remarks call for another observation. We saw no aggressive driving in Victoria. I suppose, it's because the roads are uncrowded. SD driving is probably not as unpleasant as the LA metropolitan area. Yes, it is the fatigue of driving here that makes us want a car less holiday.

Hi Annetti.
Nice to read your summations. You observed a lot in your stay here.

Our 'homeless' problem migrates here from the rest of the country. This is the only place you do not freeze to death outdoors at night. Victoria City itself is 90,000 people stradled with a problem from a country of 40,000,000. Federal / Provincial funding for infrastructure is hard to come by, and if it were easy to come by, where would you build the housing?

Most big cities around the world did very poor jobs of this by building large 'ghetto' areas.

The problem is not easy to answer.

Regarding
Insignificant observation: Incredible numbers of tattoos on young people and more piercings than I can remember seeing in a long while.

Fashions take a long while to reach this outpost. So we probably have the same proportion of 'proud tattooes' that LA had ten years ago.
We did not see a single facial piercing in London last month, so there is hope.

Hello Icthecat: I suppose, it is generational, but I can't see beauty in nose rings extended from the nostrils; and as far as tattoos go, I hope that the majority of them are not permanent, though I am sure that they are. We were sitting one evening by two young women at Ferris' Oyster Bar and the young woman diagonal to me was wearing a tank shirt. Her entire chest was tattooed and in the dim light, it appeared to be a very hairy chest. Not the look she was searching for, I imagine.

Thanks for your report - my sisters live in Victoria but I know more about it from reading your report than visiting with them.

Re: No facial piercings in London...London, England?...not my experience so maybe they're taking the rings out now? I saw them first there - now I'm horrified by what I see - why on earth does anyone want a ring in their nose like a bull? And I see more intimate piercings in the locker room at the gym.

That hairy chest description is funny - I have to think that all these people with so many tattoos are going to wake up one morning and realize they've made a very permanent mistake. They can be removed but it's expensive and painful.

Yes Morningglory,
That would be London England.
That is why I am hopeful the trend has past.

Those tattoos appararantly cost about $1,000 per square inch to remove. I do not know personaly. I imagine we will have a lot of 'wrinkly old tatooed women' around later.

Thank you, Morningglory47. I keep hoping that some of those tattoos are temporary, and will eventually fade away. Certainly, the enthusiasm for a particular design will be gone. There will be lot of business for dermatologists and plastic surgeons in a couple years. I imagine someone out there is trying to figure out how to minimize the pain and find an easy way to do remove the tattoos, because right now it is very expensive as Icthecat pointed out and involves several treatments to remove even one tattoo.

Dear Annetti.(Jan 09/10)
I spend the afteroon and eve reading this blog instead of packing for my one week trip to Victoria. Argh! But it sure was fun and I thank you for all the info. My hubby just told me:I'm almost packed