Category Archives: exploring

Meanwhile in Canada…

I have been seeing a lot of picture from blogging friends showing beautiful spring like pictures. Many of you are in the Southern Hemisphere and it is your summer and I love seeing those pictures this time of year. Even on this side of the globe Misky just posted some beautiful spring pictures of flowers peeking through the ground and Celi has been moving pigs around the farm and it looks like early spring there.

Meanwhile in Canada, this was our week….

Walking to school was a challenge and took a very long time and I was extra late for work.


Short little westie legs….need to shovel out a spot for him to pee.


That is the table and chairs on my patio. Won’t be having morning coffee there for awhile.


This year is Canada’s 150th birthday. It will be a year long celebration.

Dragon boats equipped for the ice

Evie’s favourite part of skating is maple taffy made by pouring hot maple syrup on snow

Skating on the Rideau Canal

Elaborate snowman

It is nice and all,but I am ready for spring and summer.

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Fisherman’s Wharf

This is definitely a stop to make if you are in Victoria. 

We went solely to see if we could see any seals or otters swimming in the wild. We did! And went by everyday to see them, Evie loved it. 

The seals and otter are wild, but they are very smart because people get little fish pieces from the fish stand at the dock and throw to them, so they are use to people and very friendly.


This little usurper just came in and started stealing the fish heads that people were feeding the seals. 



They also have a very popular fish and chip place there and a floating ice cream shop! 

Favorite food spots in Victoria

These were the favourite spots where we ate while in Victoria. 

Jam Cafe. 

The first time we went here we were shocked at the line up down the side walk to get in. They had been featured on Food Network’s show ” you gotta eat here”, we saw that show.  We wanted to stay and try it.  We waited in line about 20 minutes and it was worth the wait. We went back again. Here is a sample of what we had

veggie bowl. hash browns, biscuit, mushroom gravy and egg. it was huge but delicious

kids pancakes with maple butter

Fruit salad french toast with lemon curd

eggs benedict

Huevos rancheros with cornbread


We also quite enjoyed a couple of visits to Frankie’s

frittata

Waffles with blueberries, lemon curd and whipped cream

kid’s french toast

oatmeal with blueberry compote, carmelized apples, granola and warm vanilla milk


Well that is a sample of some of the great food that we ate at Jam Cafe and Frankie’s Modern Diner.  We did eat at a few other places that were not bad but not worth the money or a second visit. I won’t go into detail on those places. However, if you are visiting and want to know the places that we were not impressed with either the food, service, or both, just email me and I will let you know. There are a few other places that I would recommend as well. 

We were not compensated in any way for this post. The above are the opinions of all three family members, in total agreement that we loved it! 

Rebar 

This vegetarian restaurant was on my bucket list and I got to eat there multiple times while in Victoria. I have the cookbook and have made several recipes over the past few years, now I have tried some in the restaurant and it was soooo good!

I had these wild salmon tacos twice.

wild salmon tacos

yam falafel

Bergamot ginger cheesecake

This cheesecake was delicious, you could really taste the bergamot.

Evie’s favourite was the rebar chocolate cake.

I definitely recommend Rebar restaurant.

The Empress

We arrived in Victoria on a sunny afternoon. We just had to walk a short ways across the street to check into our hotel. The Empress is a beautiful hotel my husband and I had stayed here once before. Evie was looking forward to staying at the legendary Empress.

 My husband had a room upgrade coupon from his previous travels so we used hat to get a bigger room. Holy Cow, were we surprised when we walked into our room! 

The room was large, but opened into an entire other massive room overlooking the harbour.

This is about 4 times the size of our living room at home!
Along with a coupon for cookies and milk to be delivered…bedtime snack.

We went out for a walk and when we came back they had left this welcome snack in our room! This is the life, cookies and milk delivered to her in bed by a maid! Never going to happen again, so I took photo evidence to make sure she remembers this. Though I am sure this will be a childhood memory she will not forget!

Getting to Victoria 

After a few days in Vancouver we are heading to Victoria. I love Victoria and this part of the trip is what I am really looking forward to. We took the bus to the ferry and then the ferry ride to Victoria. This was Evie’s first time on a travel bus and a ferry so there were a lot of questions about the whole process and she could not understand how the bus was going on the ferry. One we were on the ferry we went upstairs and got some food and then out to take in the beautiful view. We even saw a submarine that had surfaced! The trip from Vancouver to Victoria by bus and ferry is under 2 hours. Probably 30 mins to the ferry terminal, an hour ferry ride and then 20 mins into Victoria. The bus dropped us off downtown right behind our hotel, The Empress. 

All photos taken with iPhone 6s.

A Few stops around Vancouver

The Art Gallery, Evie loves this room and we have multiple pictures of her in it. That screen in the background is a film of Picasso painting on a window.

Went to the beach 
This art installation (at the seawall)was really cool. The wind would blow the sails and it made the heron’s wing go up and downthe totem poles in Stanley ParkHow cute is this creperie, I love it!The Olympic cauldron from Vancover 2010 Olympic Games

Granville island is a must stop for any trip to Vancouver

reading after a trip to a bookstoreTo an old diner for supper (Moderne Burger) Cherry Lime Soda

An Eiffel Tower made of macarons!

We are leaving Vancouver and going to Victoria to spend a week. I love Victoria and am looking forward to the next part of the trip.

Grouse Mountain-Vancouver 

After a couple of days to settle into being in Vancouver we went for a hike. We have been waiting to do this hike for awhile, but were a little unsure how Evie would do with it.

I will admit that it was harder and steeper than I had anticipated. The incline started as soon as we got to the base and there were a lot of stairs….like about 2800.  It was all up no flat parts at all. It isn’t called the grouse grind for nothing.  

This is the sign at the start. 


We estimated at the beginning that it would take about 2.5 hours to get to the top. We kept reminding Evie to slow down as it was a long way to go and it was hot. We paced ourselves, rationed our water, snacked on banana and almonds and stopped for a little rest when needed.



There was a sigh at the top that said “Legs are you mad?” I don’t know if they were mad, but they were a little quivery.

The reward at the top was a cookie


A ginger bear. The bear shape is significant because there are two grizzly bears at the top. They were orphaned cubs that could not be released into the wild. We did see one of them pretty close up. That was amazing and I will have pictures to post later when I am back home with a computer. We also watched a lumberjack show that Evie loved, she really enjoyed it. 

And from the top you get an amazing view.


Our finish time was 2 hours! Better that I thought we would do. 

The gondola ride down was prettying cool too.

If you like to hike and are up for a challenge I would recommend that you do the Grouse Grind if you visit Vancover. However, keep in mind it is physically strenuous, a lot of climbing stairs and heights. I am physically active and I found it very difficult at times, definitely felt the burn.  

As for taking small children I would say don’t, some places were very steep with a huge drop off. Evie is 8, very active, regularly does strenuous activity and has good balance so I wasn’t too concerned that she could handle it. Though I was holding her hand at times and keeping her close to me on the inside edge. 

If you don’t have the time or physical ability you can take the gondola up as well. 

I will post more about the lumberjack show and the Grizzlies once I download the pictures from my camera.

Vancouver 

We arrived very late and very tired. I am attempting to do a post from my phone, not sure how that will work. We shall see.

Yesterday when we got up, very early as we were will on Ottawa time, we walked along the sea wall to stretch our legs.

Evie was thrilled to be so close to a heron. She will write it down in her birding book.


After walking for a bit since nothing was open we made our way to Save On Meats for breakfast. It wasn’t busy except for us and a few police officers having breakfast. 

I needed coffee, and it was strong and wonderful, along with a Benny.

Then we made our was to the aquarium. Evie just wanted too see the otters, she is mad about otters. After a short interaction with a whale she beelined to them and was not disappointed. There was one older otter who must have sensed her excitement because she floated around cleaning herself and then floated straight to Evie bumped her head to the glass then went under to swim and swam back to her smiling and clapping her little front paws! Evie was beaming! 

I didn’t get pictures on my phone of the otters but I have lots with me regular camera. I will have to post some later.

We went for a snack where we were very happy to see this sign.  

Evie promptly said “mom look they don’t use straws”. She wasn’t as happy later, at the market, when Dad gave her a smoothing with a straw in it. 


Very happy with a little otter and otter PJs!