I’m weak in the knees for you …

Where on Earth do I start?  Well, I guess in Vancouver, where my latest adventure began.  It took me 15 months living as a resident of British Columbia before I finally made my way over to Vancouver Island.  I might forget some of the details, as I did a lot of living this weekend – but I’ll do my best.

Friday: Early in the morning, I hopped aboard the Canada Line to Bridgeport station and then Route 620 to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.  There was a special ten o’clock sailing this Friday – and, as it was not a regularly scheduled sailing, it was nicely deserted … well, from my perspective, not BC Ferries’ I’m sure.  An hour and 35 minutes later, after some sunshine and showers we docked at Swartz Bay.  This was as far as I managed to set foot the last time I took the ferry.  This time I was determined to make the most of the transit time.  An additional hour of bus travel finally brought me to downtown Victoria.

I was visiting my friend Leo, who recently relocated to Victoria from Ottawa.  As he had to work until the end of the day, I was left on my own to explore for a little.  I walked around the British Columbia legislature buildings taking photos, where preparations were underway for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to the city.  Next, I treated myself to a visit to the Royal BC Museum – Growing up in the Nation’s Capital, I didn’t realize that not many other cities in our country could boast the museums we have at our disposal in Ottawa.  Vancouver museums have proven to be a disappointment.   But, the Royal BC Museum exceeded both my lowest AND highest expectations.  It is a beautiful treasure of the city and my only complaint is that it’s exhibit halls are not larger.  After that, I walked over to The Empress Hotel and beyond amongst the stunning architecture which graces the various streets of downtown.  Shortly thereafter, I rendez-vous’d w/ Leo and we did some driving in his fancy new sports car.  We did some sightseeing around the shoreline, visited Gyro Park, the bunnies at the University of Victoria, and then went back to his apartment so I could drop my stuff.  For dinner, we made our way down to Chinatown (the oldest in Canada) and explored the shops, alleys, and eventually ate at the Fan Tan Cafe – which we both highly recommend for both taste and value.

Saturday: I might skim over the details – TRUST ME, the day was memorable.  We took the Trans Canada Highway north to Goldstream Provincial Park where our visit coincided with the return of the spawning salmon.  If you’ve never observed this in person, you’ve got to get out to see it for yourself – this amazing natural phenomenon is a powerful reminder of the preciousness of life and how lucky we are to be amidst such supernatural surroundings.  Next, we drove up to the summit of the Malahat – just in time for the clouds to clear, exposing on of the most majestic vistas I’ve had the opportunity observe with my own eyes.  On the way back we stopped at an adorable glass blowing studio – BGS Glass Blowing – the owners/operators are incredibly friendly and talented people.  Back in the Victoria area, we next headed westward on our way to China Beach – part of the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.  The drive was scenic and the beach was nothing short of spectacular.  Surfers dotted the shoreline and it was an amazing sight to observe.  Somehow, the alternating sunshine and rain didn’t dampen the day and we even drove with the top down some of the time – warming up with some Serious Coffee.  Back home we changed into comfy clothes and hunkered down with Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail.

Somehow, I summoned the energy to go out later Saturday evening with someone special for some sight-seeing around the city – From the twinkling lights of Victoria as seen by from above atop Mount Tolmie to those adorning the legislature building, the sights were nothing short of stunning.  We stopped at lookouts whilst weaving our way through the various neighborhoods which make up Victoria and settling at the Spinnakers Brew Pub to sample some of their in-house microbrews.  Completely unrelated to Victoria in any way, we watched Fanboys – if you’re even the slightest bit into Star Wars (as we are) you will love this film.

Sunday: We kept it local.  We at brunch at Mole downtown and then walked around downtown until the shops opened.  My favourite stops were Silk Road tea store (where I bought some tasty Japanese Sour Cherry green tea) and some hole in the wall Chinese bakery that sold Red-bean cakes (or sesame balls, if that makes more sense to you).  Then it was back to the mainland via the ferry, bus, and train.

I fell in love with The Island this weekend.  My only regret is that I hadn’t visited sooner.  From the architecture that adorns Victoria to the wilderness out of which the city and others were cut, history – both human and natural – is everywhere … it’s no wonder I felt right at home.  But, it’s not all about the past – I foresee many opportunities to make new memories, as well.  Can’t wait until my next visit.  :)

~ Weak in the Knees, Serena Ryder