Victoria and Butchart Gardens
May. 17th, 2006 07:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowanfTuesday we got up bright and early and walked along the harbour to a regular cache. I had a coin from Marky & Joani that is heading to Washington State and I wanted it near the ferries so it might hop right across. I also left one of my new travel bugs, Raggedy Andy.
I left Russell hanging at the hotel room and went shopping. I had seen a great Western shirt in the window of a shop over on Yates the other night when we went to the Odeon and I wanted to buy it. *pout* They wouldn't sell it out of the window though I could come back next week for it. But they did have a couple of others that I got. Walking back I also bought a funny ipod parody t-shirt as a Victoria souvenier. And some chocolates and gifts. I may not be a shopping Goddess anymore but I can still raise that aspect sometimes. :-)
At noon we had "afternoon tea" at the Empress Hotel. It was a lovely classic tea with a nice Assam (of course) and a tier of sweets and tea sandwiches. One never gets enough savouries in such cases for my taste. Well, except at the Savoy in London where you got to ask for unlimited refills and so could ask for another plate of sandwiches. But it was a fun (expensive!) lunch in lovely surroundings with great service. They gave us a tin of souvenier tea bags of their house blend which I will be interested to try.
Then we picked up our red mustang convertible rental car and headed off to Butchart Gardens which is as lovely as advertised. It was mostly tulips and bedding plants in this season. One would have to come back for the roses. It was a really hot day and I admit I gave the open gardens shorter shrift than the shaded Japanese Garden and such. After walking in the garden for hours we tried to get a couple of local caches but gave up. I hope we have better luck up on the Cowichan Valley today.
We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant and spent a lovely night together.
I left Russell hanging at the hotel room and went shopping. I had seen a great Western shirt in the window of a shop over on Yates the other night when we went to the Odeon and I wanted to buy it. *pout* They wouldn't sell it out of the window though I could come back next week for it. But they did have a couple of others that I got. Walking back I also bought a funny ipod parody t-shirt as a Victoria souvenier. And some chocolates and gifts. I may not be a shopping Goddess anymore but I can still raise that aspect sometimes. :-)
At noon we had "afternoon tea" at the Empress Hotel. It was a lovely classic tea with a nice Assam (of course) and a tier of sweets and tea sandwiches. One never gets enough savouries in such cases for my taste. Well, except at the Savoy in London where you got to ask for unlimited refills and so could ask for another plate of sandwiches. But it was a fun (expensive!) lunch in lovely surroundings with great service. They gave us a tin of souvenier tea bags of their house blend which I will be interested to try.
Then we picked up our red mustang convertible rental car and headed off to Butchart Gardens which is as lovely as advertised. It was mostly tulips and bedding plants in this season. One would have to come back for the roses. It was a really hot day and I admit I gave the open gardens shorter shrift than the shaded Japanese Garden and such. After walking in the garden for hours we tried to get a couple of local caches but gave up. I hope we have better luck up on the Cowichan Valley today.
We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant and spent a lovely night together.
