Another recommendation found us walking to The Sticky Wicket Pub and Restaurant at the Strathcona Hotel for lunch.

 The sandwich of the day was a Grilled Prime Rib Steak Sandwich. Perfectly cooked open-faced sandwich.

This is a Stickey Wicket Burger (bacon and cheddar) with a cup of Salmon Chowder. The best burger on the trip! Definitely not counting calories or cholesterol on this trip!

And you gotta love the sign - " No rotten looking jeans"!

On to the gardens!

You know that you are going to see the sunken garden, when you plan a trip to Butchart Gardens. You've seen pictures of it, but when you get there and see it in person it is very impressive. You could hear it from everyone around you... "WOW", "Oh my, how beautiful"... all the ooohs and aaahs are well deserved.



We visted in mid-September, luckily the late summer flowers were all in bloom. Only a few places were being changed out for the fall. The weather cooperated and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the garden..
As I mentioned before, we took the express shuttle, so we were able to walk around at our leisure. If you decide to take the shuttle, be sure to get your hand stamped before you leave the garden. If the bus is full, you will be asked to wait for the next one.

See the butterflies...

When you go to Butchart Gardens, don't forget to make a stop at the Butterfly Gardens. We took the Grayline West Express Shuttle to the Gardens and they make a stop at the Butterfly Gardens on the way to Butchart. You can stay as long as you like and catch the next shuttle to get to Butchart. It was a great tip that we learned on TripAdvisor.

Once inside, we stepped into a tropical garden. Quite different from the cool weather outside. But you soon forgot about the humidity as the butterflies flitted around you. Lots of photo opportunities... Just watch where you step!

The best way to start the day

We stayed at the Chateau Victoria, which boasts a rooftop restaurant, Vista 18, with a 360 degree view...

I'm sure it is a spectacular view when there is no fog! When we first stepped in the restaurant, it felt as if we were up in the clouds. You couldn't even see the buildings next door. This photo was taken after 30 minutes, a little better.

Breakfast, however, was a much better view. If you are hungry, then Mount Baker is for you... Eggs, ham, bacon AND pancakes with a berry compote. Delicious!

 

 Made to order Omlette with Breakfast Potatoes. Chips for breakfast - I love it! And they had homemade blueberry jam, yummy.

Vista Scramble - Chorizo, Tomato, Cheddar and Mozzarella on Sourdough toast.  Perfect way to start the day!

Follow your nose!

We walked past a Greek restaurant each time we walked back to our hotel and we'd catch a wiff of some wonderful cooking. Follow you nose, right? We stopped in for an early dinner. Step in to a charming dining room when you walk into Millos Restaurant.

Spanikopita to start, then bring on the meat!

The rack of lamb with Greek herbs and spices and the Millos Ribs... No room for dessert after that...

Next time we're in town, we'll go when there is belly dancing!

Art in the streets...

I was so surprised to see this sculpture as we were walking through the streets of Victoria, I only got one picture of it.

It really isn't a very good one. I really should have stepped back and taken a photo of the entire sculpture. The steel sculpture is created by Glenn Closson using a line from the poem "Hide and Seek" by Carla Funk, Victoria's first Poet Laureate. You can find more details about the sculpture here and about the poet here.

Apparently there is a penny hidden at the base of the tree trunk... something to look for the next time we are in Victoria.

Museum Day

The forecast was for rain, so we postponed our visit to the gardens and went to the Royal BC Museum instead.

The permanent exhibits were great, but my favorite was the "Behind the Scenes: Part 1 Natural History". They put their collection of specimens on display. Plants, animals, insects, birds, feces (replicas, but still...). I spent the most time in the birds section (especially the eggs) and the least time in the insect section (yuk!). There were also displays telling you about the curators and the collection managers. Well done!

And then it was time for lunch... following another recommendation, we walked to Nautical Nellies.

On the menu - Wild Halibut tacos and "The Ultimate Lobster Sandwich" (with yam fries, of course).

Onto Victoria

We took the ferry to Victoria for a few days. It is a 3 hour ride. Luckily, it was smooth sailing and the trip went by quickly.

After going through customs and checking in, the first order of business was to get some dinner. On a recommendation we walked to Bard & Banker. It used to be a bank, now it is a pub. A pub with delicious food and live music at night. We had burgers (lamd and beef) and steak and ale pie. Oh, yeah, don't forget the chowder and yam fries...Comfort food, done right.