What better way to celebrate a new job (husband’s) and a new passport (mine) than with an impromptu weekend trip to Canada? Obviously we love to travel, so we set off to Victoria, BC to get the first stamp in my married-name passport and to spend some quality time together before our routine shifts with the necessary time constraints that come with full-time gainful employment.
From Seattle, it was an easy three hour boat ride up to Vancouver Island, where we disembarked, hit customs for that stamp and headed for Butchart Garden. I have been to many beautiful places in the world, and this was easily in the top five. Maybe even the top three. It was a cool, misty day, ideal for looking at flowers, and look we did.
After our tour of the gardens, we wandered around Victoria for awhile. We found the narrowest street in town, and we stumbled into a great restaurant with an ivy covered back garden patio for some oysters, mussels and drinks.
The next day, we went out on a whale watching tour and saw a mother and calf humpback, and we saw a different humpback breech (aka leap out of the water). We also saw lots of seals and some porpoises, and it was a beautiful day on the water. No pictures of the whales, because I was too busy being in awe of them!
After our boat ride, we walked around a different area of Victoria, to the houseboat neighborhood, complete with a little floating Mexican restaurant where we had delicious fish tacos. We took a big loop around a beautiful beach/city park and then got back on the Clipper to come home.
Our weekend ends today, with a trip to our favorite spot, Cafe Flora for a delicious breakfast followed by a visit to the garden center to pick up a container for our new Dwarf Variegated Pink Lemon tree (and some basil, because why not?). I did manage to injure myself en route, but now we’re home, and I’m laid out on the couch, elevating my leg, reading and blogging while husband prepares for his first day of work tomorrow. Despite the injury, I’m giving the weekend an A for outstanding beauty and fantastic food.