Vibrancy of Victoria

Well my much anticipated Ferry journey to Victoria turned out to be literally a damp squib! Rain and mist for most of the journey meant limited visibility and obviously the Orcas stayed home! However it was most comfortable with catering delivered, if needed, to your seat, so Clipper I would recommend. It was within these climatic conditions that we docked at Victoria and I was somewhat disappointed with few services seemingly available like Taxis ( no Uber in Western Canada!) or ATM’s and me with no local currency! On arrival at the Union Club of British Columbia, where I was staying on a reciprocation from Muthaiga Club in Nairobi , where I remain an overseas member, I was confronted with quite a number of steep steps to the main entrance. As someone who has never managed to pack efficiently, I was left to negotiate these steps with two cases, alone, while very tired! Then, my room would not be ready for a couple of hours, so I began to question my decision of coming to Vancouver Island a day earlier than originally planned. Yes, I was cranky! My crystal encrusted jeans did not quite conform to the dress code of the Club, resulting in my getting some stern looks from the established members in the Reading Room! Time to change!

I found myself a pleasant little Farm to Fork cafe nearby called 10 Acres, the Bistro, and whiled away some hours over tasty chowder and caught up on some outstanding communications with friends. On returning to the Club a little earlier than told, I was shown to a lovely room with all mod cons, where I promptly collapsed on the bed for 40+ winks! On awakening, I felt decidedly more civil and ventured out to discover my latest port of arrival. Suffice to say, that I very quickly changed my initial opinion of the place and promptly took it to my heart.

The Club is in a super location right next to the Harbour so having found an extremely helpful lady in the Tourist Office I started exploring my location. There is a lovely Harbour Walk along the Marina where ancient sailing craft sit comfortably next to top of the range motor boats. On the pedestrian walkway, there is a reserved area for the native B.C Leewungen people known as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations to sell their indigenous wares. It seemed a bit incongruous that right above them a bagpipe player was belting out Mull of Kintyre! There was the ubiquitous market on the Harbour walk also selling Ceramics, Jewellery and natural beauty products. Here the music was Chris de Burghs’ Don’t pay the Ferryman! Ah well, catering for all tastes! The State Legislature looks out over the Harbour and is lit up at night with over 3,000 Led lights! Looks fantastic!

I wandered into the retail area and found an amazing Bookstore, Munros’, over 50 years old. When the owners retired, they handed over the shop to the employees. Reputed to be the busiest book store in North America, the manager/ owner had plenty of time to talk to me and talk books! It is housed in a former Royal Bank of Canada building, with 24 foot high ceilings and is decorated with fabric hangings depicting the 4 seasons and classical works of literature. Many Canadian and US writers works on sale, that never make it across the Atlantic, I could have spent a fortune, but sadly weight restrictions…..! A pleasure to visit. Next door is the famous Murchies Tea rooms from where the Queen gets her tea for her stay in Balmoral! Bewleys, eat your heart out!

I found a sister restaurant of that I had visited early in the day, called the Commons and boy was it rockin! Sat at a tall table alone, I had a great view of the restaurant, which was huge! Large trestle tables sitting groups of 12 , smaller tables in niche areas, music blaring, TV screens showing sport, very efficient serving staff darting about like they were on roller skates, it seemed the place to be. Quirky food, all sourced from their Farm, was delicious, even if the jalapeños nearly burned my mouth, but Kayla was most attentive to my needs and her suggestion of B.C local wines was excellent. It would not be a place for an intimate dinner as one could hardly hear one think, but what a buzz! Great finish to a day that had not started on the right footing!

Woke to the rain and dull sky, following morning, but headed to the Parliament building as planned for a guided tour. In my ignorance, I had not been aware that Victoria is the State Capital of British Columbia and it is here the State Legislature sits. A beautiful building, we had a very good comprehensive tour with some staging of the story of one of the Pioneering Women, Norah Cashman from Cork!

By now the sun had come out, so it was off to Buchart Gardens located about 45 minutes bus journey from Victoria. Driving through the suburbs with commentary from the driver, one got the feel of a very pleasant place to live. The Gardens were just stupendous! I spent 4 hours there wandering, sitting, contemplating and generally wondering at this feat of love created by Jennie Buchart over one hundred years ago and now being run by her great grand son. Originally 130 acres it was a worked out limestone quarry which had supplied her husbands nearby cement factory, Jennie decided to beautify it. And what an amazing creation it is. Now reduced to 55 acres, there are thousands of plants and trees, some in formal settings like the Rose and Italian Gardens, others like the Japanese and Mediterranean gardens more natural. Many beautiful sculptures, ponds and fountains are located throughout as are secluded sitting areas. I found one of these, amidst the Japanese Acers and feathery fronds and spent some contemplative time which was so calming.

I dined at the Club last evening to sample the atmosphere and cuisine. It’s a lovely traditional Club reminiscent of Muthaiga in Kenya. I met some members in the bar who introduced me to some more B.C wines, all of which were very palatable. Leslie from Victoria and Chloe from Taiwan looked after me in the dining room and I got both their life stories and aspirations for the future. Lovely girls made me feel most welcome. Travelling alone can be fun, but it’s the dining alone in the evening that can be difficult. Nobody to discuss the days happenings with and surrounded by groups or couples. So, it’s girls like Kayla, Leslie and Chloe who make the difference.

Well back to the packing, again, for my bus and ferry journey to Vancouver later this morning.

More to come…..