Author: edebock

Salt water and sea air

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On our first day in Victoria, we walked approximately 10 km. Today, our last day before heading toward home, we walked at least 7 more!

We woke to a chilly, wet morning. In fact, there was even a bit of snow in the air. Thankfully, however, the forecast promised better things to come. After a leisurely breakfast in our hotel and a little while spent relaxing back in our room, the rain stopped and we headed out. Our first destination this time was the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America after San Francisco.

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I’m thinking that it must also be one of the smallest. Barely more than two blocks in size, there are a number of authentic Chinese restaurants and businesses, but I was also surprised to see a sushi shop, a schnitzel restaurant, and a taco place! 

Victoria’s Chinatown is perhaps best known for Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada. Only 0.9m wide (about 4 feet) at the narrowest point, the alley is filled with boutiques and shops selling clothing, jewelry, music, and other items to both tourists and locals. In its early days, however, it was home to a variety of less savoury places including gambling and opium dens. 

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On Sunday, we walked the beach at Cordova Bay and yesterday we did a harbour tour on one of Victoria’s little green “pickle” boats, so-called because of their colour and shape, but I’m a coastal girl at heart and I wanted a bit more of the sea before heading back to the prairie. 

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After returning from Chinatown, we drove about 20 minutes to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites. Consisting entirely of original structures, Fort Rodd Hill, a west coast artillery fortress on active duty from 1895 to 1956, is one of the world’s best preserved and most complete examples of its kind. The buildings are closed during the week, but the grounds are open and many interpretive signs make it an interesting place to explore. Until our visit, I had never really thought about how vulnerable the Victoria area must have felt after the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. By 1944, 17 powerful searchlights clearly lit up the Victoria-Esquimalt harbour area. One of them was housed in this building, camouflaged to look like a fisherman’s hut, complete with a ramp and boat!

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In the background, you can see the Fisgard Lighthouse which was built in 1860 as the first permanent light on the west coast of Canada. Although administered together with Fort Rodd Hill, it is a separate national historic site and there is no historical connection between the two. 

I absolutely love lighthouses, but I won’t subject you to all 24 pictures that I took of this one! I’ll try to restrict myself to just a few favourites. 

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Though the light has been automatic since 1928, prior to that time it was manned.

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The lighthouse is now connected to land via a manmade causeway, but in those days it stood offshore on a tiny island. The only means of transportation that the lighthouse keeper had was a rowboat like this one. Every item he needed had to be rowed across the bay from Esquimalt. Unfortunately, in 1898, the unoccupied boat was found floating in the bay with just one oar still in it. Joseph Dare, the keeper at that time, had fallen overboard and drowned while trying to retrieve the other oar. Had he been wearing a life jacket, he likely would have survived. 

On the rocky point beyond the lighthouse, we found a pair of the red Adirondack chairs that have been placed in National Parks and Historic Sites across Canada. Of course, we had to sit in them and enjoy the view. 

 

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After visiting the lighthouse, we walked the long beach in front of Fort Rodd Hill and then returned to the vehicle via a well-kept nature trail. 

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Now that I’ve enjoyed a fix of salt water and sea air, I’m ready to return to the prairie feeling refreshed! 

 

Tea at the Empress

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Victoria’s iconic Fairmont Empress hotel, overlooking the city’s inner harbour, started serving Afternoon Tea when it opened on January 8, 1908 and continues to serve freshly prepared scones, pastries, and tea to over 80,000 guests every year! Yesterday, we joined that number.

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From our comfortable corner table by the fireplace, we had a gorgeous view of the harbour as we lingered over our lunch.

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The set menu, made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, arrives on a three tiered tray. On the bottom layer are raisin scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve. I must admit that, until yesterday, I didn’t know what clotted cream was! The name brought to mind something lumpy and gross, but it is far from that! It’s smooth and soft, similar in flavour to a high-quality unsalted butter and somewhere between butter and whipped cream in richness. The second layer consisted of finger sandwiches, mini quiches, and cold smoked salmon on tiny blinis. It doesn’t look like a lot of food, but we were getting full by the time we reached the top layer that held five delectable mini desserts for each of us. We ate two of them and packaged the rest to bring back to our hotel for later.

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We had our choice from a vast selection of teas, so we chose two different ones and sampled both. The original china was gifted to the Empress by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) on a visit to Canada in 1939 and the pattern is reproduced exclusively for the Empress.

Tea at the Empress is pricey. So pricey, in fact, that my frugal nature almost convinced me that we shouldn’t indulge. Hubby insisted, however, and I’m glad he did! It’s definitely worth doing if you’re ever in Victoria.

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Which house was it?

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On our way to the coast we stopped in Jasper for a few hours to visit my 98-year-old aunt who lives there. When I told her that we were coming to Victoria, she reminded me that she and my mother lived here for a year when they were young children. It was the beginning of the Great Depression and, like so many other men at that time, my grandfather was out of work. His brother had found employment at the paper mill in Powell River, so he went there to apply for a job and then proceeded to build a small house for his young family. In the meantime, my grandmother and her two little girls shared a single room in a boarding house here in Victoria not far from where his parents lived. Curious, I asked Auntie Norma if she remembered what part of the city they lived in. I could hardly believe it when she told me that they lived on Government Street within a block or two of the BC Legislative Building. That’s less than a kilometre from our hotel! 

I decided that when we got to Victoria, we’d go for a walk down Government Street. I didn’t expect to find a trace of what was there 90+ years ago when two little girls walked down the street and across the parking lot behind the Legislative Building on their way to school. I thought I’d find modern apartment or office buildings or perhaps stores and hotels. Instead, I found a street lined with heritage houses! Was one of them the boarding house where Nana, Mom, and Auntie Norma lived? 

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I was enthralled as I walked up and down the street taking photos of house after house and wondering if Auntie Norma will recognize one of them when I show her the pictures. Of course, they’ve probably undergone many changes since she was here, but I’m hoping that something looks familiar.  

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I love the contrast of old and new in this photo…

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Even if Auntie Norma doesn’t recognize any of the houses, this little confectionary should bring back memories. It’s been standing on the corner of Government and Michigan Streets since 1915! 

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This building, now the Rosewood Inn, is located kitty-corner from the little store. Could it have been a boarding house at one time? 

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What must it have been like for my grandmother and her little girls to spend a year sharing a single room in a house full of boarders? Auntie Norma did say that it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Apparently, the woman who ran the boarding house befriended my grandmother and became like an another grandma to the two little girls while they lived under her roof, but I’m sure that they were all very glad when the little house in Powell River was ready and the family could be together again!  

Victoria on foot

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I’ve always said that the best way to see a city is on foot and Victoria is no exception. We purposely chose a hotel in the harbour area so that we’d be able to walk to most of the things we wanted to see. Today, I’d estimate that we walked approximately 10 km (6.2 miles)!

First, we joined the David Foster Harbour Pathway across the street from our hotel and followed it along the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf. 

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On the way, we stopped to find a couple of geocaches. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this high-tech adult treasure hunt, you can learn all about it here.

Fisherman’s Wharf is a unique destination with working fishing vessels, pleasure boats with live-aboard residents, float homes, and commercial businesses all moored at the docks. I loved the colourful float homes. Imagine living in a house that gently rocked with the movement of the water! Richard, a lifelong prairie boy, didn’t think he’d like that, but as a displaced coastal girl, I’m pretty sure I’d love it! He did have a point when he commented that there’d be no place to park our golf cart though! 

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After a delicious lunch of fish and chips on the Wharf, we continued our walk eventually ending up at beautiful Beacon Hill Park, the crown jewel of Victoria’s park system. 

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We found several more geocaches while exploring the park. We even had the pleasure of meeting and visiting with another couple who were also hunting for the hidden caches. In addition to the ducks and geese that make the park their home, this gorgeous peacock was just a few feet away from one of the caches and seemed completely unconcerned about our presence. He didn’t oblige us and spread his beautiful tail though. 

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These turtles sunning themselves on a log on one of the park’s ponds appeared to have about as much energy as I have after our very long walk!

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Eventually, we made our way all the way through the park to the oceanside where we could look across the Juan de Fuca Strait to Washington State in the distance. 

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As you can see, it was a sunny, but very windy day. Perhaps that’s best illustrated by this, one of the windsurfers we saw riding the waves. 

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Before beginning the long trek back to our hotel, we stopped at the monument marking Mile 0 on the Trans Canada highway that spans the country from Victoria to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Our geocaching pals offered to take our picture there and I suggested to Richard that perhaps we should visit the other end of the highway this year too. A trip to Newfoundland has been on my mind since acquaintances of ours moved there a few months ago and started posting amazing photographs and videos on Facebook!

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Nearby stands a bronze and granite monument to Canadian hero, Terry Fox, as this was where his Marathon of Hope would have ended if cancer had not returned and claimed his young life before he was able to complete his cross Canada run. 

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And now it’s time to go soak my weary muscles in a hot bath, but do stay tuned. I’ll be back with more of our Victoria visit soon. 

What I wore for a walk by the sea

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Logo by SamWhether you like to read about travel or fashion, there’s something in today’s post for you. I seldom write “what I wore” posts, but I figured that that was the best way to squeeze in a Fashion Friday post this week!

For the past eight and a half years, since being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, I’ve had an injection of Sandostatin every 28 days. Until two months ago, a nurse came to the house to administer theScreen Shot 2022-04-06 at 9.35.43 PM jab, but that service has been discontinued. Now, I get my monthly injection at my doctor’s office, but I can still easily arrange to have it done anywhere in Canada. Yesterday’s appointment, for injection #110, was at a clinic in West Vancouver.

One end of the popular 1.7 km West Vancouver Centennial Seawalk is just 3 blocks from the clinic. The weather was beautiful, so as soon as I was done, we went for a walk.

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Along the way, we saw a couple of harbour seals poking their heads out of the water some distance offshore and this long-legged heron standing guard closer in.

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At the end of the Seawalk, we made an unexpected discovery, The Beach House restaurant. The restaurant’s beachfront patio opened for the season yesterday and we were the first to sit at our table for two overlooking the shore. The service was impeccable and the food delicious!

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And now for what I wore…

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Everything I’m wearing has been in my wardrobe for quite awhile. The olive chinos were purchased almost two years ago at Mark’s. They’re a nice alternative to jeans and perfect weight for spring and fall. I’ve had the short-sleeved animal print top from Laura for so long that I don’t actually remember when I bought it. In spite of the fact that it’s been in my closet for a long time, I haven’t actually worn it a lot, but it’s been coming out more often lately. I added the anorak from Reitmans to my spring/fall wardrobe three years ago. It’s wind and rain resistant making it a perfect jacket to wear here at the coast, but it gets lots of use at home too. My white leather sneakers, also from Mark’s, are two years old and still like new. They’re super comfortable for long walks like yesterday’s.

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Though you can’t see it in the previous two photos, I wore my Shirttail Cardigan from cabi under the jacket. Layering is key to staying warm at this time of year. The sweater is over five years old and still going strong. It has been an absolute workhorse in my wardrobe and has appeared on the blog many times before. I don’t know what I’ll do if it ever wears out!

Before I go, did you notice my new Fashion Friday logo? It was designed especially for me by my 12-year-old grandson, Sam! He’s one of the young artists in our family. Thank you, Sam!

Sunshine, flowers, and a successful surgery

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As we approached the Rocky Mountains of western Alberta last week, the sun was shining and the views spectacular. These shots were taken at Talbot Lake, just east of Jasper.

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Though conditions were wintery when we crested the Coquihalla Summit the following day, driving conditions were excellent most of the way to the coast and we were thankful not to have to dig into the “just in case” bag that I mentioned in my last post. Immediately after arriving in Vancouver, however, we started to hear of winter storm warnings that were expected to drop an estimated 20 to 40 cm of snow in that area over the weekend! Motorists were advised to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improved. We were very thankful to have made it through safely before that hit!

The primary purpose of this trip was to be with my brother who had surgery yesterday. I’m happy to report that it went well and he’s on the mend. Donald was a real trouper, patiently enduring everything that went on. I was very impressed that the surgeon arranged for myself and one of his primary caregivers to be with him in the recovery room immediately after surgery and we were able to stay with him until late into the evening. As Donald is non-verbal, I think it was reassuring to him and helpful to the hospital staff to have us there. I know it was definitely where I needed to be! Donald was released from hospital this afternoon and we were at his house to greet him when he arrived. It was a relief to see him looking and feeling so well.

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Our first few days in Vancouver were rainy, but today the sun shone and reminded me why April is one of my favourite months at the coast. Cherry blossoms and spring flowers abound.

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These first two photos remind me of our time in Japan!

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Soft pink rhododendron bushes were in bloom around the Vancouver City Hall when I walked by on my way from the Skytrain station to the hospital yesterday.

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Now that Donald is clearly on the mend, we’ll spend a couple more days visiting with him as well as with our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. Then on Friday morning, we’ll catch a ferry and cross the Strait of Georgia to Victoria for a few days of actual holiday before we head back to Alberta.

Packing for the in-between season

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LogoLast year at exactly this time, I wrote a post about deciding what to wear for a day away from home during this in-between season when the weather is so unpredictable. This year, my challenge was much greater as it involved packing a suitcase!

At home on the prairie, the geese are returning and the gophers have come out of hibernation, but there are still patches of snow on the ground. We’re travelling through high mountain passes where winter conditions are still a distinct possibility, but our destination is the coast where flowers will be blooming and rain showers are likely. Daytime high temperatures there are likely to be around 10ºC (50ºF). How do you pack for all of that?

There’s a “just in case” bag in the back of the vehicle with heavy coats, toques, scarves, and gloves, and we each brought along a pair of winter boots. I’m seriously hoping that we don’t need any of those things, but as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Layering is always the key to coping with varying temperatures and weather conditions, so I packed accordingly. I want to be able to add or subtract layers as the days warm up or cool off. For the most part, the clothes in the suitcase came from my fall/winter wardrobe, but I did go into storage and pull out a couple of the warmer items from my spring/summer collection. The majority of what I packed was neutral in colour allowing me to mix and match, creating a variety of different looks with a limited number of pieces.

The main purpose of our trip is to be with my special brother who is having surgery on Monday, but since that’s taking us to the coast at such a beautiful time of year and since it feels like forever since we’ve had a real holiday, we’ve added a few days in Victoria to our plans. Casual outfits will work well for most of what we plan to do, but I’ll probably want to dress up a bit for a couple of events. Accessories take up very little space and easily add polish to an outfit when that’s what’s needed.

A change of shoes can also give an outfit a lift. That’s one area where I can indulge myself on a trip like this one. When we fly, the number of pairs of shoes I can take is limited by suitcase space, but when we travel by vehicle I can fit in many more! Comfort is key, however. We plan to do a lot of walking, especially when we’re in Victoria, so I made sure to bring more than one pair of comfortable, supportive walking shoes. That way if one pair gets wet, I’ll have another to change into. We also packed umbrellas!

I’m not sure if I’ll be posting anything for Fashion Friday the next two weeks, but it will be a treat to be able to write some travel posts instead! Do stay tuned!

Dopamine dressing for spring!

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LogoThere’s no denying that the past 24 months have been challenging. Everyone is ready for a booster shot of joy and in the fashion world, it’s coming in the form of something called dopamine dressing. Dopamine, often called a “happiness hormone”, is essentially a chemical released in the brain in response to things that make us feel good. Dopamine dressing is an approach to style that involves the use of colour, texture, and pattern to make us feel happier. An infusion of bold, bright colours is this spring’s answer to the stay-at-home doldrums of the past two years.  

If you’re like me, you wore the neon rainbow back in the mid 80s and perhaps you can’t quite see yourself doing that again. The real goal of dopamine dressing is to dress in a way that makes you feel happy and gives you joy, so that may not mean dressing head to toe in highlighter colours like vibrant yellow, orange, green, and pink. Dopamine dressing isn’t going to look the same for everyone. 

If you’re interested in bringing a bit more colour into your life but don’t want to overdo it, consider adding a colourful accessory or two. A bright pair of shoes or handbag can go a long way toward giving you a new, current look. If you want to go a bit further than that, think about anchoring a bright top with a more neutral pair of pants or basic blue jeans. 

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And if you think that dopamine dressing is only for the young, think again! Here’s 100-year-old fashion icon, Iris Apfel, in all her sunshiny glory!

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Ultimately though, always strive to dress in a way that make you feel happy and you’ll inevitably spread your happiness to others too!

 Images: Pinterest

Inspired by art

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LogoFashion inspiration can come from anywhere. If the colours of nature inspire you, perhaps you can incorporate some of them into an outfit. My OOTD (outfit of the day) was inspired by a piece of art.

My niece is an Indigenous artist and photographer who draws inspiration for her work from nature, particularly her early childhood years living in the Northwest Territories and later years growing up on the Canadian prairie. Though I grew up at the coast, I love the big prairie sky and this painting from Esta’s Prairie Landscapes collection reminds me of my harvest days operating a combine.

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I absolutely love the colours in the small print which has a place of prominence in our living room. Recently, I’ve felt inspired to try putting together an outfit using those colours, so I went to my closet to see what I could come up with.  

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The pants may be more reminiscent of caramel or cognac than wheat, but they come as close as I could to picking up the darker bits in Esta’s field. They’re the soft corduroy Button Fly Skinny from cabi’s Fall 2020 season. I found the blues of the sky in the Scallop Top from cabi’s Fall 2019 collection and the light denim shirt from Uniqlo that you’ve seen on the blog several times before. I finished the outfit with a pair of gold earrings that I won in a golf tournament several years ago. 

I wonder if I can find anything else around the house that might inspire an outfit? Stay tuned and I’ll let you know! 

 

 

Does fashion matter?

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LogoIn a world where women and children are fleeing a war torn country with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the few possessions that they can carry, does fashion really matter? In a time when opposing opinions about wearing masks and getting vaccinated have torn families and friendships apart, does fashion matter? In a patriarchal world where International Women’s Day has just pointed out gender disparity in vital areas such as education and health care, does fashion matter? These are questions I’ve been asking myself as I wrestled with what to write about today. Perhaps writing about fashion is too frivolous, or is it?

In the light of eternity, maybe fashion doesn’t matter, but it matters to Farah, a young mother in Pakistan who took out a Kiva loan to buy a new sewing machine. With it, she can supplement her husband’s meagre income by making clothes to sell and thus afford to send her children to school.

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From growing and processing cotton and other fibres to the finished product, the fashion and textiles industry employs millions of people worldwide – roughly one in eight workers globally. Add the retail workers involved in selling the clothes and fashion matters to a lot of people!

Then there’s the question of whether or not fashion matters to us personally. Enclothed cognition is a term that relates to the effect that clothing has on the way a person thinks, feels, and functions. Studies actually show that what we wear directly affects our behaviour, attitudes, personality, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with other people. If that’s the case, perhaps fashion really does matter. Perhaps it’s part of self-care. How we dress can reflect our personality, character, and mood. It’s a way to express our individuality and creativity. So, in this day and age, when life sometimes seems heavy or overwhelming, think about those outfits that you feel happiest wearing, the ones that you receive the most compliments on, and wear those. Let fashion give you a boost!