Oh, yes, this ever changing weather...

Tuesday – Victoria in the rain … and sun!

Hello!

Woke this morning to yet another rainy morning.  You know, being for so many years from Southern California and Arizona, I’m just not used to seeing days without sunshine!  So, wet and drippy.  I decided to move our lunch reservation from today at Butchart Gardens to tomorrow, same time. 

Robert  has arrived safely in Chicago.  He helped Dick’s son-in-law, Dan, clean out Dick’s things from the nursing home this afternoon; very, very sad and depressing.  They moved everything into Dan and Tif’s garage for the moment.  And, the good news is that R’s clothing has arrived (thank you again, Bob & Stew!) so that he won’t have to go through the next two days in blue jeans or shorts!  Always a good idea!

Mom  and I decided to head to the British Columbia Museum this morning.  It is a nice walk – just across the street from the Empress Hotel.  As I say, though, it was raining…we walked through the Totem Pole garden; just a lovely place, and would be a fabulous picnic spot – and we have our best picnic basket with us … however… We got to the museum just a few minutes after opening time, and fortunately, there was no line!  (About an hour later, it was almost out the door!)

It’s quite a large museum.  The museum has a floor on the natural history of the area, and one floor on the human side of the area – a lot about totem poles, the First Nation tribes, as well as some wonderful recreated streets from the past, rather like what I remember from Detroit’s Historical Museum.  They also get some really remarkable special exhibits.  Last time we were here, we saw the museum show on the Titanic, which was great (and is still traveling, I believe!)  This time, they have an incredible exhibition called “The Race For The End.”  This is the story of the first group to reach the South Pole, which at the time, was the only unexplored territory left in the world!

In 1910, two different groups of adventurers/explorers/crazy people made journeys to the Antarctic.  One group was let by a Brit, Robert Scott; the second group was led by Roald Amundsen, from Norway.

The exhibit traces everything from the preparation and recruitment of team members, their ships, their equipment, their strategies, through to the end result – namely, (SPOILER ALERT!!) that Amundsen and the Norwegians got there first, and arriving almost a month later, the British team were unable to make it back to their base camp and lost their lives to the cold and hunger…very, very, very sad, especially because of their use of animals – Amundsen and his dogs, and Scott with his dogs and Manchurian ponies…not a happy story…and truth be told, Amundsen and his experience in the Arctic was much better prepared for the conditions they would face.  Somehow can’t even imagine the thinking of Scott and his men, in their tent, freezing to death and writing last letters to their family members…terrible!  (Also, no photographs, so I don’t have much for today!!  Sorry!!)

As it turned out, Mom and I went through the exhibition at our own pace, and when I was through, there was absolutely No trace of the mother at all…I’d lost her.  I thought she would be either waiting at the entrance to the exhibit, or in the lobby, but no, nothing as easy as that.  I covered the remainder of this very large museum in a very short time, trying to find her.  Finally had to admit defeat and seek assistance from the security people.  They were very kind, and had Mom paged, and eventually, she turned up…figured that physical abuse of an elder in front of witnesses might not be a good thing…so…

We decided to have lunch (once my stomach unknotted…) in the museum’s nice luncheon room.  Mom had Canadian pea soup – which didn’t look like any pea soup I’ve ever seen, but Mom said it was good.  I had a beef samosa – just don’t tell any Indians that you know … but it was really good!  Poked around the wonderful gift shop a bit…so really nice things, to be sure!

From there, as the weather was beginning to clear a bit, we walked past the Empress and over to Douglas Street, as Mom wanted to hit the Rogers candy store yet again…We also stopped at a nice shop where Mom got a nice bag, and I got a lovely scarf.  (As I keep trying to tell R, a girl can NEVER have enough scarves…not that he believes me…)

So!  Back to the hotel about 2, for some napping and catch-up time.  Not a very exciting day. 

Tomorrow to Butchart Gardens where I know I’ll have more photographs!  Out to dinner in a few minutes – we’re going to try Clives across the street from the apartment; comes highly recommended by our landlord, and does well on Tripadvisor…so…more after dinner!

Hello, again!  Back from dinner and getting ready to post!  We went across the street to Clive’s Lounge – and a lovely place it was.  It is part of the Chateau Victoria Hotel – a nice, quiet and dark kind of place, serving drinks and food. 

Very, very easy to get to!  We started with a beet and goat cheese dip with pita bread – sounds dreadful, but was actually very good!   

Then, Mom had a half-order of their little ribs, with fries and aioli, and I had their Kobe beef burger – cooked the only way they cook them here, apparently, which is well done!  UGH!  However, we were both hungry, and I, of course, forgot to take pictures!  Everything was excellent, and just the right amount. 

For dessert, Mom had their strawberry rhubarb tart with ice cream, and I had a chocolate truffle – waaaaayyy too much chocolate, actually!  Then back across the street, and now we’re in for the night!  Tomorrow, I promise better photography!

Lots of love,

m

xxx