Wishing you, dear readers, all the lovely blessings of spring!
Archives for posts with tag: Victoria BC
We are very lucky here on the Canadian south coast to receive the gift of Spring much earlier than our neighbours in the rest of the frozen country. On February 13, 2021 we woke up to a reminder that it was still technically Winter – a beautiful blanket of snow. This February however – at least so far! – has been lovely. Flowers are popping up all over and we have had a good number of sunshine days.
The other day I saw some early cherry blossoms delightfully teasing the last little bit of downtown Winter festive decor. (I do love that the greenery baskets were left up around the city!)
As much as I love Winter, I am happy that the days are becoming longer and warmer.
Here’s a photo of the Inner Harbour from February 13, 2021:
Happy New Year!
I find it hard to fathom that any year could have been stranger than 2020, but then there was 2021. In spite of it all, I continue to seek out beauty in the mundane as well as in the ethereal and extraordinary. I thrive in the comfort of it, in the smallest miracles that abound.
On the third of January, the morning brought an extremely vivid double rainbow over our beloved neighbourhood. Two days later we celebrated 12th Night with a cranberry orange cake decorated with a marzipan persimmon which was as delicious as it was beautiful. A lovely shop near us brings in a spectacular display of marzipan fruits especially for the festive season from an artisan in Italy.
Spring can come very early in this part of the world. Snowdrops, then crocus and daffodils are usually seen by January and February. Some newly cut branches we found on a boulevard brought the spring inside for us in early February, just in time for a reminder on February 13 that it was still winter. Valentine’s Day is always a good excuse to bake, not that I ever need an excuse!
On the grey days of March I made time for cozy cups of tea and making things. Fair days were for walking among the daffodils. The famous Victoria flower baskets begin to appear in March, and in March and April the ornamental cherry and plum trees bloom in waves throughout the city, their heady fragrance filling me with delight (making up for my itchy eyes!).
In anticipation of Easter, the bakeries fill with seasonal delights and I seek out all the versions of hot cross buns I can find. More and more cherry blossoms appear and the days are brighter.
By May the trees have been adorned with every shade of green. In June I created a birthday tea party for a lovely friend, complete with tiny sandwiches, scones, a tropical-inspired Victoria Sandwich Cake and other sweet treats. We also began picking up our local organic produce CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Littlest Acre Farm at Moss Street Market. Every Saturday until the end of October was like Christmas as we brought home a mystery bag of the most beautiful fresh veggies and fruit.
Bells in hues of blue, purple, pink and white, along with the native camas, have created carpets of purple around the city for the last few weeks. Spring is so filled with colour! These photos were all taken in Beacon Hill Park.
Cherry blossom season is just finishing; endless pinks replaced by the bright greens of spring foliage. The blooms were abundant and fragrant, as usual, but before long they had become a carpet of delicate petals and are then gone for another year.
A long stand of trees on Richardson Street in Fairfield held me captive for an intoxicating 20 minutes admiring their beauty.
Downtown Victoria has many varieties of ornamental cherry and plum trees, blooming from mid February through to late April. Those in Chinatown are especially beautiful.
A quiet and gentle Yuletide Season has come and gone. The gift of a head cold on Christmas Day forced me to rest for a week, which I needed. We ate great food, completed a puzzle, watched our favourite festive films, and took some naps.
Victoria was, as usual, decorated and filled with festive cheer. There was no snow this year, but the winter rain made way for many bright clear days.
We enjoyed two amazing Holiday performances: the Victoria Symphony‘s Christmas Pops concert, and local jazz heroes The Tom Vickery Trio playing the Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas Suite at a private party in Chinatown.
And now a new year ahead, filled with possibilities! I will be completing the stories from my autumn trip to the UK, and continuing to work on the art projects which that trip inspired.
Wishing you all the best year ahead!
xx
For as long as I can remember – since I was a tiny child – I have been obsessed with the United Kingdom. I have planned and wished and dreamed to be there. When I was very small I would draw and paint scenes from my imagination of rolling fields, hedgerows, sheep and ponies. I have felt forlorn. I have felt hopeful. I am a citizen, yet I have not set foot on her verdant land… until now. September 26 is the day I will arrive. A dear friend has done all the planning, found all the accommodations, and she and I will spend a month traveling in the south of England.
As well as being a time for self-reflection and adventure, I plan to use this month to work on my art practice, and gather material for future projects. I recently began using a simple technique with a pasta machine to do small etchings, embellishing the finished pieces with watercolour and gouache. A recent series of scenes from Victoria’s Chinatown was quite successful. I will work on a new series later in the autumn which will be based on sketches and photos from the towns we visit on the journey.
With encouragement from friends, I have set up an Indiegogo Campaign, giving people the opportunity to support this next phase of my artistic development. Thanks to lovely patrons, within a couple of weeks I had reached 29% of my goal:
I am happy to report I am now at 37% and plan to the extend the campaign for a few more weeks.
I have been spending a bit of time preparing for fulfilling the perks I have included in my campaign – sketching and painting at various spots around Victoria in the warm spring sunshine. It will be so amazing to have a month dedicated to my art. The historic villages, friendly people and spectacular countryside of England will provide inspiration for years to come.
My travel companion asked me, “Won’t you be homesick traveling for a month?” I know I will miss my beloved, and our little cats, but I replied “How can one be homesick when one is finally home.”
I’m planning something big for the autumn and I couldn’t be more excited. This adventure will involve a lot of walking and so much drinking of tea. To prepare I am walking – taking little mini-adventures through the beautiful spring days in Victoria BC.
Back in March I walked about 12 kilometres to Oak Bay and Fairfield. I collected our friend Annie along the way and we made a few stops in Oak Bay before ending up at Abkhazi Garden for tea. We enjoyed a delicious repast in the teahouse, seated in the window overlooking the garden.
The garden was not quite at its peak of colour and vibrancy, but still beautiful. We enjoyed walking along the winding paths and meeting a feline visitor.
Abkhazi Garden is owned and managed by The Land Conservancy (TLC). Read the story of “the garden that love built” here. Check out the teahouse here.
All around, the colours of spring! Flowers of white, cream, yellow, pink and purple.
I took a long walk today and noticed that the temperatures on the Canadian west coast are just beginning to turn towards spring, which is lovely. I look forward to the blossoms, but autumn and winter are my most favourite seasons.
Autumn in 2017 had many highlights. A dear cousin was visiting Victoria with family and friends and we all went to Pagliacci’s for great food and live music.
There was fun with an international flare to be had right in our beloved neighbourhood of Chinatown.
All Hallow’s Eve was spooky and filled with scary surprises around the city. We had a blast with tricks and treats visiting friends in Oak Bay.
In late November we spent two days in Vancouver for a tiny vacation and rendezvous with my sister and Randy. Day one we enjoyed the festive lights of the big city, ate at the always-delicious Bao Bei, and were mesmerized under the Grand Chapiteau for Cirque du Soleil’s show Kurios.
Day two, more wandering before a delicious dinner at Vij’s, then off to the last ferry home.
Victoria, so pretty with festive lights, window displays, and a very impressive “Whoville” gingerbread village at The Empress Hotel.
I catered dessert for a private Holiday party, and saw an impressive Santa and Mrs Claus at a local diner!
Christmas arrived with lots of treats (including Glerup slippers), and tissue paper and gift bag fun for the cats.
And the best gift of all, snow for Christmas Eve and Day!
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