A visit to Victoria, B.C.

Going back in time to last fall, my sister joined me a week long visit to our father, who lives in Victoria.  Our family gatherings  always seems to revolve around food, so this trip did not disappoint.

Our first lunch took us to the south of France with a hearty Cassoulet, studded with duck confit, Toulouse sausage and white beans.  Having traveled through much of France, specifically the south, this new (to me) version was made with tomatoes allowing it to 'lighten' the normal heaviness of the dish.

We decided to 'go light' the next day with healthy salad, albeit the bacon.

My step-mother is a avid (and scratch) golfer so treated us to a visit to The Victoria Golf Club.  I was amazed to see an eagle's nest high up in a tree in the parking lot.

Although it was a foggy day (we WERE on the west coast, eh!) there still were blooms adding a splash of colour.

We sat overlooking the golf course and tucked into seafood chowder, a burger and fish and chips.

We felt that a walk was in order after lunch, so drove along Beach Drive and stopped for a stroll on the stones at Kitty Islet.

My sister and I are confirmed 'foodies' so decided to treat everyone to a home cooked meal of a local west coast fish, Black Cod, also known as Sable fish.  We prepared it in a white wine broth, serving it with a potato/cauliflower mash and spinach.  Melt in your mouth.

A good friend of mine moved to Vancouver Island recently so we arranged a lunch rendezvous to get caught up and enjoy a traditional Koren BBQ lunch.

After a quick visit through Chinatown, where we came across an unusual shop (guess what kind), we hiked up to the top of Mount Tolmie which overlooks Saanich.  We needed the hike to work off a week of wonderful repasts!

A final toast for my sister's birthday and sad goodbyes until the next visit.

Stay tuned for the next installment:

  The saga of Jett and the sock! (see cute dog at top of my blog)