Day 22 Afternoon Tea at The Empress

Another of Jacquey’s little treats: we went in a water taxi. They flit around the harbour like wind-up bath toys - Tuffy the Tugboat perhaps.

 

The Empress is a grand old lady where traditional afternoon tea is served. The tea had to infuse for exactly 4 minutes measured by an egg timer and then the 3-tier plates arrived - scones on the bottom then sandwiches then desserts. We shared a table with Wayne and Joy and all loved everything. Favourite was probably turkey and cheese sandwich on cranberry bread.

Day 22 Butchart Gardens 5

I have to do a post on hanging baskets. Canadians do superb ones: there are 12000 in Vancouver and don’t know how many magnificent ones at Butchart Gardens. Mostly they have their own drippers but the mild climate must contribute to their success.

The gift shop is terrific, far and away the best I have seen all through the trip.

I wasn’t the only one to succumb to temptation.

Day 22 Butchart Gardens 4

The Japanese Garden is my favourite - so calm and green.

Day 22 Butchart Gardens 3

The rose garden is next with a riot of colour - rather too riotous for me: I’d like to see the colours shading into each other more, so I didn’t photograph orange and red together. Love the rose arch and Coretta Scott King, a rose from 2014.

Day 22 Butchart Gardens 2

First stop The Sunken Garden, where it all began. Note: hardly anyone around. By 11 am the place was teeming, everyone with a camera, some with selfie sticks in spite of notices prohibiting them

  

Day 22 Butchart Gardens, Vancouver island

Jacquey arranged for us to have breakfast at Butchart Gardens - for 2 tour groups only - and it gained us early admission to the gardens. For an hour there was only us, staff and the rain. But they lend you umbrellas and off you go, keen to enjoy the place without interruption. The rain added freshness and intense colours, so not a problem.

Begonias so perfect, hostas without a snail bite, sweet peas fragrant and tidy.

 

Day 21 Victoria, Vancouver Island

The view from our hotel room in Victoria.