Crossing Bridges

Canada #10 Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

We expected Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to be busy. It was peak holiday season and the weather was perfect, but our visit began very quietly. There were just a few passengers on the free shuttle bus and we didn’t have to queue at the ticket office. It wasn’t too busy at the Story Centre where we learned the history of the park and the famous bridge.

We soon found out where all the visitors were; the 137 metre suspension bridge spanning Capilano River Canyon was packed!

We had no concerns about our safety – the bridge is strong enough to hold 96 adult elephants. We weren’t keen though to join the slow shuffle of pedestrians making their way to the other side, so we decided to see the park from a different perspective.

Equally as thrilling and far less crowded, the Cliffwalk is a series of cantilevered walkways, bridges and stairs attached to the granite cliffs of the canyon.

We ventured down the spiral staircase and followed the narrow paths to wider platforms where nothing came between us and the river far below except clear glass floors.

On a circular bridge suspended 70 metres above the ground, we still weren’t as high as the treetops.

When the crowd on the suspension bridge had lessened we finally crossed over, going at our own pace and stopping every few steps to look down yet again into the canyon.

We spent more time looking down and up at the Treetops Adventure, where seven more bridges are suspended by adjustable non-invasive collars between eight Douglas firs. Even though at times we were 33 metres above the forest floor, we were dwarfed by the huge trees around us.

Back at ground level we followed the board walk past a leaf-littered lake, where the forest and the sky above were mirrored in the still water.

We were captivated by trees we’ve never seen before: the maples with their distinctive leaves and the firs, ornamented with miniature cones.

By late afternoon we were ready to leave and, after feeling pleased that we’d avoided the crowds for most of the day, reality returned – the last shuttle bus of the day was already full. We didn’t mind waiting for the city bus. We were happy to sit a while longer in this beautiful place.

Into the Blue

Oct24

Canada #9 Victoria to Vancouver

To travel between Vancouver and Victoria, our options were either a plane or a ferry and, after a 14 hour flight from Brisbane to Vancouver, a ferry ride sounded like a great choice. The day we went to Victoria was grey and wet and the glorious scenery we’d looked forward to was shrouded in mist, so we were happy to sit inside and enjoy a warming coffee.

Our return journey was completely different. The sun sparkled on the water and snowcapped Mt Baker was beautifully framed by the bluest sky and ocean.

Even though there were many other travellers there was plenty of room on the outside deck – we didn’t sit inside this time.

The ferry left Vancouver Island from Swartz Bay and sailed past several small islands, across the Strait of Georgia to the terminal at Tsawwassen. The journey of 24 nautical miles took 95 minutes; we could relax and enjoy the spectacular views. The clear blue sky was reflected in the deeper blue of the ocean, both separated on the horizon by the dark lines of densely forested islands.

We saw watercraft of all shapes and sizes. There was no need to compete for space in this wide channel.

Another ferry passed, going where we had just been. Like us, the passengers were all out on the deck, making the most of the glorious day.

A Castle With No King

Oct14

Canada #8 Craigdorrach Castle, Victoria BC

When Robert and Joan Dunsmuir began construction of their palatial mansion in 1887, they probably didn’t intend it to be known as a castle. But with its prominent position high above the city of Victoria, its imposing towers and ornamented gables, Craigdorrach Castle seems the perfect name for this imposing building.

Originally from Scotland, Robert Dunsmuir had several successful businesses in the second half of the nineteenth century. The fortune he made through coal, railways, shipping and timber was reflected in the lavish interior of the castle, including intricately detailed woodwork, beautiful stained glass windows and the latest modern conveniences of the time.

From the rooms on the fourth floor, including the tower high in the roof of the castle, the family enjoyed expansive views across Victoria and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympus Mountains in Washington State, USA.

Robert Dunsmuir never enjoyed the final result of his prosperity; he died in 1890 before the house was completed. Joan lived there with three of her daughters and two grandchildren until her death in 1908. Then the castle became a military hospital before being used as the site of Victoria College, the forerunner of the University of Victoria. After a third reincarnation as the Victoria Conservatory of Music, the castle was preserved as a museum.

First opening to the public in 1969, Craigdorrach Castle is now a Designated National House Historic Site. Every year, more than 140,000 people come to see the castle, experiencing for themselves the luxurious surroundings Robert Dunsmuir never did.

A Sandwich With a Difference

Oct5

Canada #7 Canoe Brewpub, Victoria BC

If you’ve heard about #Kevtoberfest, you’ll know Glen enjoys a beer or two but I’m not so keen. When Glen wants to try a new brewery, I’m happy to go along and usually I enjoy a cider or a hot chocolate. Sometimes if there’s cake on offer I’ll have that too.

At the Canoe Brewpub on Victoria’s Upper Harbour, Glen enjoyed a Helles Bavarian-style lager and an Amber Ale. After a long afternoon walk I was ready for something more substantial than hot chocolate, but there was no cake to be seen. Luckily our friendly barman Steve came to my rescue.

“We serve dessert. I recommend the ice cream sandwich,” he said. He went on to describe it – ale ice cream sandwiched between an oversize choc chip biscuit with chocolate porter sauce on the side.

Ale-flavoured ice cream? Chocolate sauce infused with beer? I queried the beery taste thinking it might be too strong, but Steve was reassuring. “A few of my customers say the ice cream tastes too much of beer, but I think the subtle flavours are just right.”

I couldn’t ignore his recommendation – with crossed fingers, I ordered the ice cream sandwich. I needn’t have worried; it was delicious! The ice cream, tangy with a hint of malt, was perfectly complemented by the sweet biscuit. The chocolate porter sauce was thick and rich, and I made sure to scrape every last drop from the little jug.

Ever since our afternoon at the Canoe, I’ve been thinking about their tasty ale-flavoured ice cream. The good news is that as well as having a complete beer-brewing set-up, Glen also owns an ice cream maker! Does anyone have a recipe for ale ice cream?

I Like Your Office!

Sep28

Canada #6 Butchart Gardens Boat Tour

Meet Mark.

Four years ago, he moved to Vancouver Island for a break from his demanding city job. Smiling broadly as he welcomes us, Mark says “I came for a year and never left.” These days he comes to work at Tod Inlet, where his office is a little electric-powered boat.

Mark takes visitors on guided tours from Butchart Cove past Gowlland Tod Provincial Park to the edge of Brentwood Bay. The inlet, sheltered by dense stands of arbutus, garry oaks and douglas firs, is a haven for wildlife and with Mark’s expertise to guide us we see plenty.

An inquisitive seal surfaces for a just a few minutes and watches us watching him, before disappearing again. Egg yolk jellyfish and moon jellyfish drift silently by, going where the current takes them. High above, a bald eagle surveys the scene as if he rules this part of the world.

Mark talks about the Butchart family and fondly describes them as “people of vision and values”. The remnants of their cement factory are almost hidden in the forest, but in the water old timber pilings remain. They’ve been repurposed – bird boxes placed on top house the growing population of purple martins who migrate from Brazil each summer.

We cruise a little further, rounding the bend into Brentwood Bay. Here we see beautiful homes on the hills and can only imagine living every day with a view as amazing as this. Mark turns the boat and idles for a while, pointing across the water to the mountains in the distance. “This is true BC scenery,” he says and we can hear in his words his passion for this place.

We’re sorry when our 45 minute tour comes to an end and, before we return up the hill to the busyness of Butchart Gardens, we linger on the jetty. Like Mark, we would love to stay much longer.

Pink!

Sep21

Canada #5 Pink Blooms at Butchart Gardens

The pink theme of Becky’s Square in September Photo Challenge fits perfectly with our day at Butchart Gardens and matches all three interpretations:

I was “tickled pink” to visit this beautiful garden.
The plants were “all in the pink” – well cared for and in excellent condition.
While there was no particular colour scheme in the gardens, we saw many beautiful pink flowers.

Mother Nature must really love pink!

For the Love of Flowers

Sep16

Canada #4 Butchart Gardens

I wonder if, when Jennie Butchart first began designing her garden in 1906, she imagined how many people would come to visit in the future. Her work was the start of what would become the famous Butchart Gardens, 22 hectares of floral beauty visited by one million people every year.

Jennie’s first project was the Japanese Garden, complete with a red torii gate and traditional stone lanterns. Arched bridges span a series of ornamental lakes, and Japanese maples provide shade for beds of delicate Himalayan blue poppies.

The Sunken Garden was designed to fill the abandoned quarry which had once provided limestone to the family’s cement factory. A switchback path leads down into the garden, continuing on between raised beds of seasonal blooms, flowering trees and neatly manicured lawns.

At the furthest end of the Sunken Garden, the Ross Fountain performs a dazzling display of dancing water, at times reaching a height of 21 metres.

In contrast to the order of the Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden is almost riotous in its abundance. Fragrant blooms in every colour fill archways and spill out onto the paths. Arbors draped with climbing roses and oversized hanging baskets beckon visitors, who stop time and again to take more photos.

The Italian Garden and Star Pond are more formal in style, with trimmed hedges, waterlily ponds and ornamental fountains. Fuschias, clustered like ballerinas waiting in the wings, dangle from more hanging baskets.