We had dinner with dear friends last weekend. They live in a rural setting and are amazing farmers and chefs. They recently purchased an incredible range. Just wanted to share a pic and a couple pics of their surroundings:
Dream range!
An elegant pond.
Wild and wonderful right outside the backdoor.
This garden feels secretive and magical!
We passed a house on our walk the other day; I assume it was a house, it could not be seen from the sidewalk. A high fence surrounded the yard and draped all over the fence was the most lovely assortment of scented flowers. A beautiful pale pink climbing rose with a delicate aroma took centre stage while on either side were honeysuckle bushes in full bloom and fragrance. Lilacs near the end of their bloom were also adding their delicious perfume. Delightful!
I love these delicate blooms.
So showy!
Here in Victoria, we are blessed with so many exceptional dining options. We would happily eat out every day and never tire of the diverse offerings. We certainly have our regular breakfast favourites. And for lunch and dinner one can experience everything from Vegetarian Chinese to Indian to French and everything in between. I love that many of our local restaurants take pride in our region and source many of their ingredients from local sustainable farmers and fishers.
Last Saturday my beautiful sister was visiting and treated us to an amazing dinner at Camille’s. It was the second time in two months we’d been treated to this amazing experience; we are very spoiled. It was my intention to photograph all the items we ordered, but after the appetizers had been consumed, I was in such a deliciousness-induced daze that I forgot all about the camera! Here are the three shots I did get. I’m afraid I don’t remember all the ingredients for each dish, but they were all amazing as were the mains and desserts. The food is rich and intensely flavourful and the chef is happy to accommodate special food concerns. The servers are all friendly and helpful, yet remain relaxed. I would recommend Camille’s to all visitors an locals who want a very special food experience.
GJ had the seared tuna atop lightly dressed baby potatoes and duck egg with halibut ceviche.
Leek and onion tart with field greens, candied pecans and pear. This delicate tart just melted in your mouth.
Roasted local asparagus with pastry triangle and field greens. I think this was the appetizer with the rhubarb sabayon.
Found this good mamma at the park the other day with her seven babies.
Brand new little fluffy bundles!
Some cuteness imposed while GJ was drawing…
Am I not the cutest thing!
Nothing too exciting, just our usual waterfront walk on friday afternoon. Thought we’d have a nice walk before the long weekend began and everyone else had the same idea. Well, there were two cruise ships in port, so lots of people out enjoying the beautiful day! Met a lovely and adorable English couple in matching fleece; so cute they were! Anyway, saw some new things blooming and ended the walk with the most delicious chocolate cake at our usual stop Tre Fantastico at the Parkside.
The angelica is all opening now along the waterfront. So majestic.
The papery bud just about to burst.
Beautiful, delicate wisteria frames this shot of one of the small lakes in Beacon Hill Park. Soon the lake will be full of mamma ducks and their babies.
The beautiful purple camas is everywhere in the park and along the waterfront. Found this one white one among the sea of purple.
Mmmmmmm cake.
Our little kitty loves to run out in the hallway outside our apartment. She thinks that something much more magical going on out there than there actually is. Yesterday when she escaped, GJ followed her with the camera, and then spent a few minutes on the kitchen floor trying to catch cute pictures. But, of course, cats just won’t stand still when asked!
Spooky ghost cat in the hall.
Crazy Eyes and Wiggly Light
Crazy Eyes 2
“Don’t look at me!”
Found a few minutes to bake this week. We’ve been so busy that I wanted something around for a treat. mythineats posted this really good muffin recipe last week that seemed simple so I tried it: Yogurt Muffins with Lemon Zest and Almond Topping. I altered it slightly by adding a handful of frozen blueberries to the dry mixture just before adding it to the wet mixture. Oh and I didn’t have sliced almonds so I roughly chopped some whole raw ones which was OK, but I suspect that sliced would have been crispier. The texture of these muffins was so divine; cake like, delicate, so moist. Thanks mythineats for the recipe!
So lemony delicious!
What a day it was! Perfect weather, lovely route, delicious nosh, wonderful folk to share it with. Another incredibly well organized Tweed Ride for a great cause. Thanks to the organizers, the sponsors and all who participated. Also a special thanks to Tula Teas who provided the delicious beverages and Maggie French for her passion for tweed.
Our gracious hosts for the day, Simon and Libby. We can’t thank them enough!
GJ and Jim ham it up for the camera.
Here I am with GJ at the start of the ride. Thanks to The Empress Hotel for letting us gather on their lovely lawn.
This well kitted classic bicycle pulls a secret delight: The large basket trailer holds a sound system which gave us lovely tweedy tunes!
Adorable riders.
All the gents pose for a photo on the steps of the Empress Hotel.
A quick stop at The Fairfield Market on Oscar Street who provided the riders with some delicious scones. Our bicycles were judged for superbness by Fairfield Bicycle Shop, and we had a bit of time for a quick look around the Moss Street Market and the Vintage Fair.
Our mid-ride break included delicious tea from Tula Teas and cucumber sandwiches from Red Fish Blue Fish.
Milling about on the lawn at Craigdarroch Castle Historical House Museum.
There were a couple little pooch riders as well. This little darling had a great view from a basket on the front of his human’s bicycle.
Tweedy accouterment for the day: my Maggie French bobby pins and tweed bow which I attached to my vintage Willoughby hat, and a brooch I made from the scraps of hemming my riding shorts.
The oh-so-sweet sounds of La Vie En Rouge; our post-ride entertainment at the Bard and Banker Pub on Government Street.
The gifts we received from friends upon our arrival at the ride – a beautiful felted lily and some home-made mustache wax – thanks Marion and Riley!
GJ won Best Socks for his Virgin of Guadeloupe socks we bought in the Haight district of San Francisco last autumn.
We have so many amazing and fabulous artist friends. I though this blog might be a good way to showcase them. I’ll show them to you as I have time and invitation to visit their studios, or they have a show in town at which I can photograph their work.
Our friend Gareth has a show on right now at Phillips Brewery. Phillips has a monthly show at their Government Street location. Gareth’s work can also be seen at the comic book shop he co-owns, Legends on Johnson Street. His work is awesome (and prolific), his sense of humor intense, and he has the cutest family that can be seen.
The wall of originals. Prints and books are also for sale.
A great turnout!
I think you can see the show until the end of May.
Gareth is The Perogy Cat.
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