December in Victoria at Goldstream Park

Under blue skies and 10C I made my way to Goldstream Park today to enjoy the beauty and all the activity created by the annual salmon run. The run is virtually over, but the Goldstream river is full of dead salmon and the gulls and bald eagles are have Christmas Dinner. The bald eagles we all around me as I watched from the estuary viewing platform. I am sure I saw at least a dozen in the same tree. Many of them are further out in the estuary, but some come very close. There were lots of photographers taking lots of shots. Enjoy a day at Goldstream.

For more pictures of this adventure, please go to our Facebook page.

Crocodile Burger - In Victoria?

Yesterday, I had lunch at Nautical Nellies and had my first crocodile burger.  Who would think that something this ugly could taste so good.  Just think how many burgers this little puppy would make.  Well it was truly delicious.  Succulent white meat that looks like halibut. So drop in and try one out.  Not even the Pink Bicycle that specializes in burgers has a Croc Burger. Krikey it was good, all smother in roasted red pepper and augmented with srirracha aioli -  Gourmet or what?

 My lunch partner had Shrimp Pappardelle.  It also looked very good.  My only problem with Nautical Nellies is that the menu has so much selection that it is hard to choose just one item.  So, we shared a vegetarian spring roll.  That got the flavour juices flowing.  I love this restaurant and highly recommend it.

The Magic of Christmas, CVS Sightseeing Tour

Last night we had the pleasure of joining The Magic of Christmas Tour, offered by CVS Sightseeing and Discover the Past Tours. Hosted by Tom from CVS, and guided by Kate from Discover the Past Tours, we embarked on a three hour walking and bus tour of Government Street and Oak Bay. Kate kept us entertained, despite the chilly weather, with fascinating stories of historical Victorian events and Christmas traditions. Government Street was the hub of 19th century Victoria, as it is today. Many of the buildings are original and tenanted by local businesses like Roger's Chocolates, established in 1885. Their delightful Christmas window displays look much like they did in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kate explained that many of our Christmas traditions originated with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, mingling her British heritage with his German home sickness! The merchants of Government Street competed with each other for the best window displays to entice customers in to buy their wares. Robert Service lived in the heritage building on the corner of Government and Fort, where he worked in the bank. The building is now a pub, named in honor of Robert Service - The Bard and Banker! Kate had dozens of these interesting nuggets of information for us as we walked along Government Street and then progressed by bus down the Christmas lit Oak Bay Avenue.

Oak Bay has its own unique history and unusual characters. In the late 19th century, Oak Bay was almost a whole day's horse ride from Victoria, through forest, bush and the ever present mud. Last night, many of the businesses were open and we had time to explore the village and do a little shopping and even had time to stop by The Penny Farthing Pub for some Christmas cheer and a welcome chance to warm our toes!. We were fortunate to encounter roving singers from the Victoria College of Performing Arts, who sang carols along the Avenue. Our next stop was the Oak Bay Beach Hotel where we enjoyed a scheduled visit to Kate's Cafe and listened to more stories with a festive drink and OBBH's famous home baked cookies. Kate's Cafe contains many architectural items salvaged from the original hotel, which adds to its charm. We had time to check out the beautiful lobby and the famous Snug before boarding the bus back downtown. Kate our guide regaled us with a ghost story to cap off the night.
The Magic of Christmas Tour runs Friday and Saturday nights, 6 to 9 PM, from December 6th to 21st. At a cost for adults of $39, it is a wonderful experience at a bargain price. Tourists, visitors to the city and residents alike would all enjoy this amazing tour. Learn about the city you live in and hop aboard a CVS Sightseeing tour. Details of this and other tours can be found on CVS's website at www.cvscruisevictoria.com

For more pictures visit our Facebook Page. 

Nautical Nellies 17th Anniversary

There is a reason Nautical Nellies' has been around for 17 years...good food, great customer service, excellent surroundings, superior location and very good management.  The food is always fresh and very tasty.  The staff are great and well trained.  Check it out and you will see what we mean.

Butterfly Gardens Reopens...Grand Opening Dec. 7

PRESS RELEASE

DATE: 29 November 2013

VICTORIA BUTTERFLY GARDENS REOPENS 07 DECEMBER AFTER FACILITY UPGRADE

After a 9 week ‘metamorphosis’ Victoria Butterfly Gardens is now ready to emerge from their pupae and show off their new wings, or in this case their new roof and redesign. December 7, 2013 is the grand reopening of Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

The facility is a 12,000 square foot glass house, although now the new roof has been made from a polycarbonate material, which weighs very little in comparison to glass. Its insulation properties are up to ten times better than the glass roof that was there before, plus it provides a much safer environment in the event of an earthquake.

David Roberts, General Manager said “It was the right time. The building has been in existence for over 20 years and as technology changes we wanted to take advantage of these factors to lower our carbon footprint.”  Because the Gardens are tropical and host a variety of tropical plant life, birds and other creatures the temperature is maintained at a balmy 25 degrees Celsius.   The energy savings are expected to be considerable with this new roof.

“We have been getting so many questions about every aspect of the construction, relating to the animals, butterflies and plants. Pupae are onsite and will have emerged into butterflies by the time we open 07 December.

Our friends in the industry have helped keep our animals safe and healthy during the closure. Some have stayed in temporary housing on site and others have been housed at approved homes of site. The safety and wellbeing of their animals is of paramount importance. They are part of our family. Most of the animals at Butterfly Gardens have come from private homes where owners have not been able to look after them any longer, and some have been rescued from places where they were not receiving the care they need.”

Other improvements have been to the look and feel of the admissions and gift shop area, which are now more user friendly and inviting to guests. The average guest will not notice the change in the roof but many of the pillars have been removed for better sight lines and visitors will definitely notice some of the new tropical birds that have just arrived. 

All in all, “the Jungle”, as the staff like to refer to it, is ready to give you a dose of the tropics. So as the weather outside gets colder, wetter and gray….a trip to Butterfly Gardens is like a trip to a tropical paradise.

Christmas lights are on in the jungle from 10am daily with last admission at 5pm from December 7-31 (closed Christmas day).

Contact: David Roberts, General Manager. Victoria Butterfly Gardens. (250)508-0075, email: david@butterflygardens.com

For more pictures go to our Facebook Page.

Kitchens of Distinction Boutique Bistro

We had another excellent lunch at Shirley Lang's recently opened Boutique Bistro at 638 Fisgard Street. in the Ambrosia Event Centre.  Today we had Sweet Spicy Smokey Chilli and Seafood Stew.  The Chilli was one of the very best we have ever had.  I am not aware of any restaurant in Victoria that changes the menu every day, like Shirley does.  Give it a try, you will be glad you did.