It’s always time for tea when I’m out with Annie, so last week we stopped by JagaSilk on our way to a craft fair…
JagaSilk Teabar is a gem tucked away in Nootka Court, just off Courtney Street.
Instead of my favourite maccha latte, we mixed it up with a London Fog and a Masala Chai; plus house-made vanilla bean shortbread cookies.
Peeking through the window at teaware… and Annie.
Victoria’s newest offering in the realm of tea is Terroir Tea Merchant on Fort Street. In one of a row of my favourite retail spaces in Victoria, Terroir has created a calm retreat of tea experience. Their passion for their product is immediately evident. We enjoyed Black Ruby from Taiwan, and Ceylon Chai blended in house with spices and tea leaves from Sri Lanka, both infused with their interesting method. A wonderful addition to the increasingly fabulous 800 block of Fort Street.
Tea is big in Victoria again. We’ve never lacked places to purchase high-quality tea – Special Teas, Silk Road, Murchies. But now, there are increasing options for sitting down for a fine cuppa. Recently, a friend and I stopped at one of our favourite Oak Bay haunts, Just Matcha. They will be opening a new location in our neighbourhood soon. My latte was very pretty, as well as delicious. Like so much of Victoria’s food culture, tea inspires a passionate dedication to quality and preparation.
Before I am fully involved in seeking out new venues for my seasonal hot chocolate obsession, I will be visiting some of the fine tea purveyors in the city.
The other day, a lovely new friend gifted our cats a wonderfully charming little catnip mouse she had made. The ladies love it!
Just a shot of the lovely harbour on a sunny November day…
Wishing you all a splendid day! I have much to be thankful for, and will spend my day in mindfulness and appreciation.
A new and amazing experience yesterday. A friend and I flew from Victoria’s Inner Harbour to Coal Harbour in Vancouver on Harbour Air. I have moderate flying anxiety and never thought I would be able to travel to Vancouver this way, but it was so easy and such a beautiful flight. We arrived in Vancouver before 9 am, so took our time wandering up to Robson Street. After a browse at the new Nordstrom Department Store (including a delicious visit to Sugarfina), we headed to Roche Bobois on West Hastings. It was fabric and furniture heaven going through all the possibilities. Then a nice walk through Gastown, filled with tourists and locals eating in cafes and enjoying the summer-like autumn day. We finished the day at one of my favourite Vancouver places, Mink Chocolate Cafe, for refreshment before boarding the float plane back to Victoria. A very late lunch at Victoria’s Red Fish Blue Fish completed a perfect day. Big thanks to J for bringing me along; a day I’ll not soon forget!
Victoria BC: Inner Harbour, downtown and Beacon Hill Park.
Victoria Airport in Sidney.
BC Ferries vessel sailing into Swartz Bay.
Gulf Islands.
Morning mists over Delta.
Beautiful English Bay and False Creek with the Granville Street and Burrard Street bridges, Vanier Park at the top left, and the West End at the top right. A perfect view of Vancouver.
Beautiful Coal Harbour at the Harbour Air terminal.
Early morning view of the Vancouver Convention Centre.
An interesting curtain of lights at Nordstrom.
Heading east along Alexander Street with views of the working harbour.
Delicious hot chocolate and treats at Mink.
Looking back up the Burrard Inlet toward where we had been earlier.
Last view of the Coal Harbour walkway as we head to our plane back to Victoria.
What promise this month brings! Crisp cool air, foggy mornings, rich warm colours, cozy sweaters, lovely bicycle rides through the falling leaves, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, thankful hearts…
The first signs of autumn were visible as I walked through downtown and into Beacon Hill Park. A few trees are turning colour and even shedding their leaves already; and, the air is cool and almost foggy. My favourite time of year!
It is with reluctance that I write about anything that is not happy, beautiful, or inspiring. We are, however, about to see some changes to our beautiful Chinatown neighbourhood, and that is making me sad. The extent of these changes I do not know, but for me the word “gentrification” means the end of affordable rental accommodation in a city where anything under $1000 per month is almost impossible to find. So many artists, students, and local small businesses call this neighbourhood home. These renovations are to a set of buildings which back-to-back face Fisgard Street and Pandora Avenue. They are beside a brand new condo building which was just completed in a space that was a parking lot. A building on the west side of historic Fan Tan Alley was just recently gutted. The facades were kept intact, but a taller addition was added inside the original walls. This one seems to be advertising rental units, but the cost?
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