This morning, just behind our apartment building, a tree was filled with Cedar Waxwings. Such pretty birds!
Archives for posts with tag: Victoria BC
Wishing everyone a lovely evening filled with cheer!
We’re having open studio days on the weekends until December 20. In a slow time, when the light so delicious, I took a few pictures around the studio…
My felted pins with Annie’s dollies and Miss Bunny Drummond hanging out in the background.
GJ making sure all the pages of his children’s book of art and poems are ready for the photographer next week.
West corner with Annie Nazarian’s sewn art pieces.
View of the rooftops of Dragon Alley.
Sculptures and things with adorned branches.
Group of things by candlelight and winter light.
It is the wintery season and my thoughts turn to hot chocolate. For this year, I’m going to post about what’s new in Victoria and hopefully, I will find some new gems.
A delightful little coffee shop called Hide + Seek Coffee has recently opened in Oak Bay. I loved the atmosphere and the super-friendly staff. We enjoyed one of their versions of hot chocolate: organic camino coco and a bit of sugar with the milk of your choice. It was delicious and bitter-sweet.
I’ll be visiting again soon to try their London Fog and sample a baked treat or two. They have some nice looking gluten-free options.
2207 Oak Bay Avenue, near Hampshire Road.
Slight fail with the foam decoration on the right was handled with humour. Didn’t make any difference to the flavour! Plus I think it’s a perfectly rendered sea turtle.
Fun staff making delicious drinks.
I loved the mixture of beautifully upholstered Danish mid-century and contemporary furnishings.The atmosphere was very pleasing.
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.
Just a shot of the lovely harbour on a sunny November day…
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…
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