Day 3 began early ,up at 6 but head wakes you at 5 , coffee, bag packed and ready by 7.00 am for today we are taking a small 35 minute flight to Vancouver Island to explore another part of Canada.As it was yesterday the smoke is still with and the possible air views don't exist but hay you can't have it all.We left watery runway right on time in the red plane in the photos at 8.00am. In these these type planes there is a real need to be lean as although it takes 12 there a onl y very l title seat to sit in. The time passes quickly and now we are Walking in Victoria the capital,and the harbour area is an area of beauty with its stunning old building and the flower arrangements that line the street,we will visit two these building, government building and the Empress Hotel, this a hotel where the high tea alone will cost you $75 Canadian per person so for ordinary people this just seemed I
A little to exspensive, but the inside was absolutely astounding. I will revisit the hotel a bit later for another story.
Time has come to move to our next part of this adventure,we will catch a bus, travel forty minutes out of town to the beautiful gardens of Butchard.
These gardens were established 100 years ago by Jennie Butchard and the flowers,plants and trees come from all over the world such as the Japanese Monkey Puzzle Tree.There four separate gardens,the sunken, the Rose,the Japanese, the Italian and the arrangement of all the flowers, plants and trees is something for the eye to be hold. We started our time at the sunken garden and followed the above. We walked,we sat,we ambled,we sat, we stroll, we sat until after near on 2 hour we we finished which seemed to fit right in my tour directors plan as it was now 12.45 and she had made a dinner booking for 1.00. So we were a little early that shouldn't matter we thought,but we asked to sit and wait to be seated which we did but as we sat,people were shown to their seats we thought should have been for us, this really start to get Shirley's blood boiling. As it turns out because we had booked a table we could not jump the queue.
Final right on 1 they came, we order , Shirley a chicken dish myself a ribeye beef burger both these dishes were fantastic but one that stole the show was a simple flat bread,it was outstanding,I hope the photo explains that was a photographer and foodies dreams, add to this two glasses of lovely Canadian wine and you know the world is in a good place. Unfortunately we a bit rushed as we needed to catch a bus back to the city by 2 so we could catch another to the ferry as we were not flying home. We arrived back in Victoria with a little time to spare and as those who have followed before it was e for a drink where else but the posh motel The Empress. I had a local dark beer which good , Shirley a Belevedere which a cocktail made from Vodka, Cointreau, Roobis,pomegranate and prosecco tasted great ,looked great ,powerful.
Bloody hell must race to the bus pick up . We get there on time, check in, join the line,get to the door and than came the word no traveller ever wants to hear " you are not booked on this bus",our reply,"you got to kidding here is our ticket ", his reply " if your name doesn't appear on my list you are not getting on my bus end of story". We thought catch a taxi, but no you must be on the to get on the ferry so the attendant booked us on the next bus that leave 2hours later, if Shirley was pissed off at lunch can imagine how she was now and worst then that I was pissed off but trying to remain calm. What do for 2 more hours can anyone think what should do, yeah that right back to the Empress and have another of the same.Its funny time seemed to go so quickly and soon we were heading back to get on the bus, we got to ferry after about 1 1/2 hrs and were told that our ferry was 15to20minutes late. Eventually we are on and heading home three hrs later we walked through the door. So as you can understand this has take 2 days to write and we have big day tomorrow. Love to all.
John and Shirley.