probably, but not likely: Elizabeth and Catherine in Victoria June 2011

My French toast - C's porridge in back

Thursday June 9 - Flight from Hamilton to Victoria with a short stop in Calgary. Beth-Anne and Dom picked us up at the airport and drove us to Emily's apartment via the scenic route. As we got closer to Cook St. Village things started to look familiar. Emily is in Ontario thanks to her job, something we hadn't counted on when we booked our holiday. Settled in quite nicely.

Curried eggs for Beth-Anne

Friday June 10 - Beth-Anne had today off to help a friend prepare for her wedding so she treated us to breakfast at the Blue Fox, a very popular all day breakfast/lunch restaurant, as our welcome to Victoria. Catherine and I walked into the centre of the city , did some souvenir shopping and after meeting Beth-Anne mid-afternoon went to Murchie's for coffee and to shop for specialty teas to take home. Cath. and I had grilled cheese for dinner, sorted our shopping and had an early night.

.........................

Saturday June 11- Starbucks for coffee before walking to the street market on Moss St. Mmmm strawberry frappuccino. Had a good wander around, did a little shopping, ate lunch and then back to B-A and Dom's apartment (conveniently one street over from Em's) before heading off to do a grocery shop. B-A cooked a tasty pork dish served over rice. Nice balance .... she cooks he cleans up.

Little fang helping in the kitchen

Almost time to eat.


Beth-Anne,me and Catherine

..........

Sunday June 12 - Sleep in and then over to the other apartment for a fabulous brunch. Dom makes crepes according to his French Canadian grandmother's tried and true recipe, served with fresh strawberries, Quebec maple syrup and Black Forest Ham bacon. YUM.

Drove to Oak Bay to try and find the bakery Paul and I fell in love with but it was gone. Not a lot of the shops were open but we did find two bookstores to visit and while they bought I just browsed.

We dropped Catherine back at the apartment and I joined B-A and D on a run to their garden allotment and helped do some weeding and planting: tomatoes, peppers, Swiss chard and basil that had been purchased yesterday at Moss St. The spinach planted earlier in the year was ready for harvest so it was used along with the green beans with our chicken ( my recipe ) dinner. The only time I help with a dinner meal the whole holiday.

Good looking, great accent and he cooks!

.......................

Street corner near the Royal BC Museum

Monday June 13- On our own today with the kiddies back at work. We walked downtown admiring gardens, talking to strangers and wandered in and out of all the stores that caught our eyes ( there were many ). Stopped at Starbucks and I had another frappuccino, caramel this time having discovered the strawberry one had no coffee in it. There are coffee shops everywhere. No one seems to be without a cup in their hand in this town.

We walked a good 5 hours today. We must have had supper but not having written it down the memory is gone. Bet the kids feed us. We looked after our own breakfast and lunches and then let them spoil us the rest of the time.

..................

Tuesday June 14 - Having walked our legs tender over the last few days we decided to slow down today. After picking up a cold drink we headed to Dallas Road- Victoria's scenic oceanfront walk stretches from the Ogden Point Breakwater to Ross Bay- to enjoy the view and people watch.

Crows everywhere. We took over the bench.

Yes we are definitely here!

View looking left

Straight ahead

Looking over my shoulder. The large house on the left is a B&B on the corner of Cook St.

The iris in the garden at the front of the B&B


Colours I've never seen before.

Thanks to a short notice transfer Emily is back! It has been decided that she will stay at the other apartment and we get to stay put at her place for the duration of our visit. Out for a wood-fired thin crust pizza dinner at the Prima Strada Pizzeria, a restaurant that was just opening when Paul and I visited in 2008. It is just one of the many eating places within walking distance.