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Making Memories in Victoria B.C. By Arlene Martell I love surprises – and this trip was packed full of them! It was a great weekend away and even though it was only 3 full days, it seemed longer and we got so much sightseeing done. We arrived at the condo after a beautiful BC Ferry ride through the gulf islands that border the west coast between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. The condo was the top floor overlooking the Victoria harbor and it was the first pleasant surprise. It had a beautiful warm living room with leather couches and flowing drapes, fireplace, TV, wonderful fully stocked kitchen with a chandelier, a beautiful claw foot tub and inviting beds. Up a few stairs and we had a private roof top patio all to ourselves. The trip was originally planned for myself, my sister Gayle, my mom and my sister-in-law Siohban. Just the four of us like most our getaways. On this trip my moms sister (my aunt) and my cousin and her daughter also joined us from their homes about 2 hours north of Victoria. The best surprise though, was my moms other sister from Edmonton, Alberta heard we were getting together and she flew in to surprise us. I have not seen Auntie Donna for about 10 years so we had a lot of catching up to do. So our party of 4 turned into a party of 8. I loved it. Donna is loud and full of life and energy. The life of the party.
Friday night we walked around the inner harbor browsing the vendors displays and live entertainment. As twilight came we had a relaxing horse and carriage ride through the city. The driver was super friendly and chatted to us as we passed the Empress hotel, Parliament buildings, the Royal Museum, the shopping district, Chinatown and the drive along the waterfront. It was so relaxing listening to the clip-clop of the horses hooves, wrapped in a warm blanket.
One full day was barely enough time to stroll through the magnificent gardens. The weather was perfect and so were the 55 acres of gardens – it is impossible to describe the beauty that surrounded you. Each path led you down a new experience with new flowers and unique gardens, trails, waterfalls, lookouts and the stunning floral show in every direction. We stayed for high tea in the conservatory lounge which was once the family home surrounded by the Italian garden. The tea was very elegant and delicious. The meal started with a wonderful berry trifle followed by a three tiered tray of delicacies such as sausage rolls, roasted vegetable and cheese quiche, 4 types of savory tea sandwiches, homemade sweets, truffles and a signature scone with strawberry jam and whipped vanilla Devon-style cream. It was a really special treat (see menu) for all of us we will never forget.
Victoria is known for it’s elegant heritage homes and gardens. We toured two magnificent castles and you can really picture yourself living back in the day of ball gowns and overindulgence. We toured two castles which was a huge highlight for me. The first castle was called Craigdarrough Castle built between 1887 and 1890 for a wealthy family. The castle was rich in wood, stained glass, painted ceilings and turrets. It was fully furnished with much of the original furnishings so we could travel from room to room and explore the building in it’s full glory. The second castle was called Hatley castle, a 40 room mansion, now site of the Royal Roads University. This castle was opulent and expansive with lush gardens and huge rooms. It was home to the son of the Dunsmuir family who owned the Craigdarrough castle. A beautiful location overlooking the ocean on 565 acres of lush old growth forest. Now if serves as headquarters for the university but also does tours, hosts magnificent weddings and was even the castle used in the movie X-men 3. A spectacular building with a history to match. The Shopping and the Food! No doubt. My new favorite treat is the Skor bar and chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick. YUM! Eight women cannot get together without shopping! We shopped (my sister is worse than me) and we had some great meals together. I made a special Spicy Thai chicken and fettuccine dinner one night and my sister made us stuffed French toast with whipped cream one morning. We had such a good time and ended up getting spray on tattoos at the Sunday market. I thought I could freak my kids out. All in all we really enjoyed our time together so thank you for letting me share it with you. Life is too short not to enjoy the people you love and have been apart of your life. I cannot buy these memories of our time together and will cherish the good times and laughs we shared. I can’t wait for a new adventure next year. All the best,
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Horse and Carriage Ride – A
Tradition Since 1903
The Butchart Gardens –
Breathtaking!
The Castles!
