#217 (continued) Granville Island

“Foodies should also head to Granville Island … and spend the morning at Granville Market, once of North America’s best, brimming with seafood, meats, and wines from the province’s vineyards – the finest British Columbia has to offer. It’s food court reflects the cross-pollination of Canada’s most ethnically diverse city.”

I’d been putting off the last two items on my list for this trip because the weather had been so miserable, but the heaven’s blessed me with one last glorious weekend.  I’d decided that rain or shine I was going to finish up Granville Island and the Chinese Garden this weekend because the bed in my Airbnb was killing it me.  It was so uncomfortable that I hadn’t really slept and was getting grouchier and grouchier by the day.  So, I decided to leave a week earlier than expected.

But the last Saturday and Sunday….lovely, crisp fall weather, the sun was out, the foliage was beautiful – the perfect weather for my last sight-seeing. Parking at Granville Island is free between 8am – 11am, and again after 6 pm.  Normally, I’d be hard-pressed to make it early in the morning, but I stayed on Texas time and took full advantage of the morning sun.

#217 Tojo’s and Granville Island

“Save yourself the cost of an airline ticket to Tokyo and head for Tojo’s, a bright and popular restaurant that is named for its revered chef-owner, an amiable innovator responsible for some of the best sushi Canadian dollars can buy.”

Y’all know, seafood is not my thing, and I’d long planned to hit Tojo’s for their cocktail hour rather than an actual meal. But COVID has indefinitely suspended their cocktail hour – the alternative?  Tojo’s to-go.

After the Musem of Anthropology I headed over to Tojo’s to pick up my order.

Chicken Karaage: crispy and juicy organic chicken, citrus soy marinade; vegetable roll: fresh seasonal vegetables rolled inside out; Seasonal vegetable tempura and Tojo’s Choice (Kitakata) sake: specially brewed Daiginjo Sake for Tojo’s, clear, crisp flavor and floral bouquet notes, off-dry, perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

There were obviously issues with keeping everything crisp in a to-go situation, but even with allowances for that it just wasn't so impressive. 

#214 (continued) Museum of Anthropology

“In Vancouver, the province’s largest city, museum meisters will assure you that the Museum of Anthropology’s collection of native art and culture is no less stellar…  Housed in an award-winning building by Arthur Erickson, it’s best known for the cedar sculpture The Raven and the First Men by Haida artist Bill Reid.”

I visited the museum on a really cold and rainy day.  They have a small parking lot directly in front and a larger campus parking garage across the street.  Did I drive around the lot until a space in the small lot opened?  Yes, yes I did.  I was tired and cranky and cold. I really had to push myself to leave the house in the first place.

But was it worth it?  Also yes. The museum is undergoing a seismic stability project on their Great Hall, so all the totem poles have been moved to storage area.  The storage gallery is public, but the totem poles are lying down.

I expected the museum exhibits to showcase the local indigenous populations, but they had items from all over the world. Lucky for me, this Tree of Life from Mexico also had a very comfortable chair near it.  So, I sat and stared and listened to it breathe.

At one point, a security guard was walking by and we started chatting.  He’d worked at the museum for several years and said he often gets asked how long it takes to “do” the museum.  

“I never know what to say,” he said at the same time I was saying, “thousands of years.” He kind of looked at me and I explained that art isn’t about just seeing it.  

You find something you love, something you hate, something that moves you and makes you feel something and you watch and wait and eventually it speaks to you. It breathes. It lives. It connects. He was nodding in agreement.  Then, the previously empty gallery (it had been just us) started to fill up – at least 15-20 people walked in within about 15 seconds. 

He said, “I see this happen all the time here.  People having intense conversations about the art and the energy that conversation creates draws people toward it.”

Yeah, it’s worth the visit, even on a cranky, cold, rainy Saturday.

#216 Sooke Harbour House and the Aerie Resort

“Less homelike and more formal (and thus the special-occasion destination of many couples), the Aerie Resort offers stiff competition with its premium-quality kitchen and jaw-dropping setting, high atop Mallahat Summit at 1,200 feet, overlooking  Finlayson Arm and southern Vancouver Island.”

Aerie has changed its name to Eyrie, but it’s still got a gorgeous view from the top of the mountain.  Initially, I was going to roll Sooke Harbour House into my splurge hotels, but alas, it is closed for renovations.  I started thinking if I could sort of count it if I spent a day exploring Sooke Harbour, but ultimately scrapped that, too. It didn’t even occur to me that this entry was actually two locations and I could still have a fancy lunch at Eyrie Resort. The Eyrie struck me as slight run-down, maybe past its original glory, but the food was delicious and the staff was great.

I was torn between a couple of entrees and asked my waitress for a recommendation.  She said the chef is German so I really should have the Jaegerschnitzel.  Jaegerschnitzel it was. And it was delicious.

Jaegerschnitzel: breaded pork tenderloin, spätzle, cranberry chutney, broccolini with almond butter, mushroom cream sauce. 

Keeping with the German theme I had the Matterhorn for dessert: dark chocolate almond sponge cake, amaretto syrup, swiss dark chocolate mousse, almond cream, bittersweet chocolate ganache, alpine berry compote, marbled chocolate cup.

 

I’ve already decided I need to go back to Vancouver Island – so #216 will be revisited at some point starring Sooke Harbor House.

#215 Stubbs Island Whale Watching

So, Stubbs Island Whale Watching company shuttered a couple of years ago.  But several operators still run tours from Victoria during October.  I choose Eagle Wing Tours; they guarantee whale sightings, and they did not disappoint.

There was a little bit of weather drama.  I’d reserved a Saturday tour, and I got a call Thursday afternoon saying that the weather looked rough for Saturday and was I able to re-book for either Friday or Sunday.  I told them I could change to Sunday and they said they’d let me know Friday afternoon if we were on for Saturday or moved to Sunday. 

On Friday, the weather forecast has shifted and it was going to be a “day-of” call by the captains.  They said to plan on Saturday and they’d call by 8:30 am if it were rescheduled. Now, I don’t know if you’ve met my constant companion, anxiety. So, she kept me awake and sickly all night and all morning and yeah.  Not fun.  Of course, the day turned out to be a bit gray, but we had no rain, no wind, and it wasn’t even that cold.  And, we did see whales.  Lots of whales.  Some of the whales were a bit of a show-off and kind of played around in the kelp while we watched, amazed.

We also had a very close encounter with two humpback whales who decided they’d love to swim directly under the boat. It was amazing and totally worth it.  If you’re in British Columbia between May and October, I definitely recommend an Eagle Wing Whale Tour.

#214 Royal British Columbia Museum

“Regularly ranked as one of the top ten museums in North America, Victoria’s Royal British Columbia is as much fun for kids as for adults and as intriguing to locals as to foreigners. Visitors can walk through the province’s history from the Ice Age (the 10 foot wooly mammoth is a guaranteed hit with children) to its mining and fishing heritage, with lifelike dioramas…”

This really is a fun museum; they’ve even recreated a whole old-timey town including a movie theater.  They also have realistic background sounds of trains, blacksmiths, sea birds (in the boat exhibit), etc. I witnessed actual kids having a blast running around and discovering all the hidden rooms and things to do and see.

 

The museum must sit near the government buildings (in fact, I’m sure of it since a cross street is Government Street), and I’m not sure if this is an everyday thing or if it’s protest season in BC, but there were “protesters” outside every time I drove through the area.  I’m putting quotes around “protester” because the main theme I saw was pro-vaccine folks holding signs like, “Honk if you love science!”; “Honk if you love being double-vaxxed” etc.  I did see a smaller group protesting, I’m assuming, logging because they had save the trees themed signs.  

#213 Gulf Islands and the Hastings House

“The Gulf Islands archipelago – a string of some 100 partially submerged mountain peaks lying in the Straight of Georgia, between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia – is Canada’s answer to Washington’s San Juans, though no where near as busy… Of the five most visited southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring is the most popular and also the largest… Incongruously perched above the town amid 30 acres of flowering English gardens, towering Douglas firs, and water views is one of western Canada’s most exclusive hideaways, the Tudor-style Hastings House.”

This was, I believe, the most relaxing four days I’ve ever spent on any vacation, ever. I knew HH was on Salt Spring Island, and I knew that SSI was not Vancouver Island, but I did think there was a bridge between the two.  There is not.  Enter the surprise second ferry. 

I’d planned to do a couple of things on Vancouver Island while staying at Hastings House because I’d taken the days I spent there off work, but because taking a ferry anywhere is a bit of a hassle, I immediately re-thought those plans and decided I wouldn’t leave the islands until check-out.  Because I’m not much of an outdoor type, this meant that my plans were mostly sleep, eat, read, nap, sit by the fire.  And it was GLORIOUS!

Hastings House delivers warm muffins to your door each morning, a hot breakfast at the dining room is also included. So my days mostly consisted of collecting my muffins and eating one of them, getting ready for the day and wandering to the dining room for yogurt, fruit, and a fresh-baked croissant.  Because I also stayed on Texas time, I was generally the first person at breakfast and I got peace and quiet and to choose my own table every morning.

   

 

After breakfast, it was back to the room to read, once it hit about lunch time, I sometimes did a little excursion to a cidery, then back for my afternoon nap.  

The day rounded out with dinner in the dining room (2 of the 4 nights), and then sleeping with the windows wide open (so the room was chilly) and waking up about 2am to grab the remote and turn on the fire.  IT WAS GLORIOUS!

Monday, October 11^th was Canadian Thanksgiving and Hastings House did a holiday dinner on Sunday.  Turns out Canadian Thanksgiving is very much like an American Thanksgiving, at least when it comes to the menu – turkey, stuffing, potatoes, carrots, etc. The food was good, but the company in the room was not.  If you follow me on Facebook you’ve already heard the story.  Luckily, both sets of complainers checked out the next day so I never had to hear them complain again.

Hastings House was a splurge hotel for me, but have I mentioned?  IT WAS GLORIOUS!