Odds and Ends

A few leftover odds and ends from our trip. A couple of our favorite restaurants (Il Terrazzo and Bard & Banker Scottish Pub), the view of the harbor boat traffic from our room at the Laurel Point Inn and in our last hours, a horse drawn carriage ride through the historic neighborhood of James Bay.

 

 

 

Craigdarroch Castle

One of the things we enjoyed this trip was a visit to the Craigdarroch Castle which is a nice (?), long, uphill walk out of town on Fort Street--the touristy pamphlet described this as a "leisurely" walk. Once you reach the castle, you have the opportunity to tour it--which means climbing 87 stairs all together by the time you get to the tower. Was it worth it? Totally. The castle is well maintained with much to see on every floor, not to mention a fabulous story to go with. There is even a charming gift shop at the end of the tour where we bought a souvenir Christmas ornament. Here is a brief description from Craigdarroch Castle website:

"Craigdarroch was built between 1887-1890 for Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal. This legendary Victorian mansion, built on a hill overlooking the City of Victoria announced to the world that Robert Dunsmuir was the richest and most important man in Western Canada.

He died in 1889 leaving his entire estate to his wife Joan who lived in the Castle until her death in 1908. The immense fortune of the Dunsmuir family is reflected in the four floors of exquisite stained glass windows, intricate woodwork and fabulous Victorian era Furnishings.

Once you’ve entered the circular room at the main entrance and paid your admission fee, your self guided tour begins. You will be treated to 39 rooms, most of which are furnished lavishly in the 1890s-1900s period, so enjoy the ambiance as you climb the 87 stairs to the tower. There you’ll see fabulous views of Victoria, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains."

Jam for Breakfast

Our first morning found us following up on rave reviews of a relatively new breakfast place on Herald Street called "Jam Cafe." It turned out to be a bustling favorite with locals and visitors alike, and the wait staff had trouble keeping up with the demand! We were seated by the window in this upbeat, happily noisy atmosphere, and other than being pretty much chilled to the bone by the time we left (no double windows, lots of cold air coming in from all directions!), we had a wonderful time and would recommend this place. Great menu and friendly staff. Afterwards we went for a walk about town.

 

Victoria in Winter

On a whim, we decided to visit Victoria, B.C., in the week after Christmas. We got a fabulous deal on the Clipper ship that included three nights at the Laurel Point Inn on the Inner Harbor of Victoria. We chose this hotel because it's where my parents stayed on many of their Victoria jaunts, and also because daughter, Kristen, also highly recommended it. We liked the Inn, but it turned out to be a long, cold and sometimes wet walk home each night, so we will try something a little closer next time for comparison.

Neither of us had been in Victoria for many years (Glenn 40, me probably about 25) and we each had a mental list of things we wanted to revisit. We took a long walk the first day and were surprised at how many things had not changed. The stately Parliament Buildings, gracious Empress Hotel, the beautiful inner harbor, and last, but not least, the English Sweet Shop where my dad bought the strong mints that he brought back for family and friends alike. We were surprised to find many stores closed and quickly found out that Boxing Week was a popular time for Canadians to take some time off. We found plenty to do, buy, eat and see, in spite of the Canadian holiday!