As soon as D was finished work, we set out on foot to discover a bit of our downtown neighbourhood. We were delighted by the many bookstores and cafes. In fact we thought the two bookstores that we dropped in at were a couple of the best we have visited across Canada. Bookstores are kinda our thing. When we had a young family and were always broke, we would go on bookstore dates, where we would spend the evening browsing the shelves, making notes and then ordering reserving them at the library. Likely the oldest and most popular cafe was the Dutch Bakery where we didn’t linger but shared a Nanaimo Bar. Because? We were on Vancouver Island and just a drive south from Nanaimo, BC where the bar was invented. But in truth, I find every reason I can think of for a Nanaimo treat.

Victoria very much reminded us of our European travels. The locals do their daily shop from specialty to specialty store. They were wrapped in cashmere, Irish linen and smart looking hats. It made me want to buy a hat, which I did the next day (from one of their many wonderful thrift shops).

We headed home for a late lunch and then were picked up by a dear friend, formerly of our home town Winnipeg. He escorted us on a hop in, hop out tour that was magnificent. He had all kinds of stories and anecdotes to share with us.

The photos above were from his historic Parish Church in Saanich-St. Stevens. If he hadn’t escorted us, we would have missed it because it was at the end of a lane in the rural area of Saanich adjacent to a beautiful Indigenous property.

One of his stories was that when Harry and Meagan first made their escape from Britain, they stayed in a home just further up the road.

Every place I caught a glimpse of water and mountains (I am a prairie girl after all), I took a picture. Later when sorting through, I couldn’t really tell where I was, except for the four pictures above, which were the 360 degree view from Mount Tolmie.

As we toured the beautiful homes of Oak Bay and the Uplands, we often ran into deer that seemed quite content in this “urban” setting. I say urban in quotes because there were permanent residence communities but they were surrounded by pieces of forest and the ocean, so it didn’t feel urban all the time.

We walked a little at Cattle Point where the clever sculpture (above) was located. The sun was setting and we had dinner plans with more former Winnipeggers, so we ended the tour not because we had seen everywhere that Brett had on the itinerary but because we were all getting hungry!

We dined at a very old and popular Italian restaurant. D and I had baked spaghetti. But our friends who dine there often, chose nachos and burgers.

It truly was a perfect day-being in the company of old friends and seeing a city in our own country that we have long admired. We had both been to Victoria before, but felt like this was the first visit where we really got to know this amazing city.

Kath’s quote: The key to a wonderful life is never stop wandering into wonder.”-Suzy Kaseem

Captured this while when we slipped into a little shop on this day.

Love never fails

The day commenced with D at yet another remote work station.

I busied myself with laundry and leaving the house exactly as we found it (the Golden Rule when you are a Home Exchanger).

Then enjoyed the sun until it was time to head back to Victoria.

Once again, the journey was as wonderful as the destination.

We had lost count of the number of different beds that we had slept in. Oohh, poor us….

The weather had turned and was cool and rainy for the first couple of days of our stay. When the weather improved, we went on a whirlwind tour of Victoria. Either way, we never got to sit on their cozy outdoor space.

Do you remember my saying that everywhere I go, I find a favourite seat to perch in with my coffee, reading or journaling. The chaise lounge in the upper corner of this room became “my” place.

Even though the kitchen was beautifully equipped, we decided to order in that evening. What I really mean to say is….we decided what we had a yearning for and then D went out on foot to make that happen. Did I mention that there was a Craft Brewery that he was aware of in the vicinity?

We researched where you could find Victoria’s best fish and chips. We were thrown off by Trip Advisor and D ordered at Red Fish Blue Fish instead of heeding a friend’s advice and checking out Barb’s. Deemed “the best fish and chips in Victoria for 40 years”, how could we have been swayed? Red Fish Blue Fish’s were good but I prefer fish and chips with pickerel that I can have at the lake, much, MUCH more!

We discovered that their entertainment choices included Apple, so we cozied up for a Slow Horses marathon. That came very close to what we would have done had we been home. And that is the way we like to travel.

Kath’s quote: “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow.”-unknown

Love never fails.

The next morning, I went down to the water’s edge to experience the calm lake which reflected gorgeous images of the fall foliage.

We took a walk into town. There were beautiful creeks and ravines that we crossed along the way. I had not shopped a whole lot on this trip. In fact, until then, I had only shopped on the BC Ferries. There were a couple of little boutiques in the town where we chose some books for the kids and unusual earrings for me.

We were back on the dock by the time the sun started to lower in the sky. With no breeze, it stayed warmer for longer.

D lit an outdoor heater and fired up the barbeque. We enjoyed a lovely el fresco dinner as the sun set.

Kath’s quote: “Dining under the sky is a feast for the senses.“- Authour unknown

Love never fails.

We started the day in Seattle. Our wonderful hosts got up at the crack of dawn to get us to the early ferry.

We were blessed by a beautiful sunrise-like Seattle saying “See you again soon!”

Mount Rainier stood majestically in the distance.

The 3 hour journey went by in a flash and was a lovely way to spend a morning.

We were only in Victoria long enough to pick up a car.

The sights on route to our next destination were breathtaking.

But so was our destination. The weather cleared the further north on the island that we travelled. Our Home Exchangers had a beautiful little private beach, chairs and a dock. We were warned that we might want to clear off the otter poop. We celebrated arriving at our next leg in the journey with crisp white wine.

The owners of this Home Exchange had taste that matched my style exactly and it truly felt like home from the moment we arrived. We had hosted the owners, earlier this summer in Winnipeg.

Their home was on a hill across the road from the water’s edge. We made our way back up as the sun was getting lower, which at that time of year meant that it was chillier on the water.

This may be hard to make out but they had built a bar top and stools right by the hot tub.

These stairs ascended to the rear of the property where there was a platform to dine in the forest. The stair path also led to hiking trails which we didn’t actually get to.

This cozy corner was in one of the bedrooms where I spent my morning quiet time.

They had welcomed us to work on their current jigsaw puzzle but once again, I was stumped and didn’t have the patience for a single piece. But as they say “tomorrow is another day” and we were content to have a cozy supper prepared in their well equipped kitchen.

Kath’s quote: “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” – Julia Child

Love never fails.

The Iflands have long known that I am a lover of hearts. When I see a heart, I pause and take in the realization that I am loved. This image appeared on my breakfast table that morning.

There sure was a lot of love in that home. This is me with our Goddaughter Annalynn Joy.

And here is D with Theo and Anna.

We nipped home for a quick lunch after church and then headed downtown to see the sights.

We enjoyed our Executive Tour of Nordstroms, courtesy of Orion.

I included this picture of an Asian Food Court in the area. It was cleverly decorated with brightly coloured milk crates that I thought was so clever.

We had spent many hours at their famous market on previous trips, so we didn’t linger this time.

When we were last in Seattle there wasnt a lot to take in on the waterfront other than the market. The revitalized area was beautifully planned and executed.

It was packed with people enjoying a last glimpse of summer weather.

Perhaps the cruise ship market was the inertia for the investment in the waterfront.

Silas & Anna. This was my only pic of Silas, who was tremendously busy with his own artistic endeavours.

For our Thanksgiving dinner, Rebecca had made reservations at a fabulous Lebanese restaurant called Tanoor. I had never tasted Lebonese food before but it reminded me very much of trip to Israel years before.

The family were wonderful tour guides, pointing out buildings and landmarks all weekend. That evening, we stopped at a favourite place to see the city lights.

Kaths quote “I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.“-Oprah Winfrey

Love never fails.