We Get the Point

November 4

After some discussion Jutta and I agreed that staying around town today would be better than running off up country to somewhere unknown……..we know there are some things we want to see in Victoria before we leave, and based on what we have seen so far, we expect great things.  One thing for sure, the weather could not be better……sunny skies, nice and warm…….gave us a chance to dry the golf gear from yesterday, but we need to hit the road before we loose the best part of the day.

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We have a few targets in mind, and #1 is one of the the highest rated breakfast spots in town……”JAM Cafe”………….down in what they call “Old Town”, the area we were in a few days ago…….industrial area becoming trendy and cool…….love it.  JAM is everything it was reported to be, and worth the 15 minute wait for a table……one of those skinny long storefront spaces with a high ceiling, wood floors, and a whole bunch of cool shit on the walls……..fantastic service, and even better food…….Jutta, the Blackstone Benny…..english muffin topped with sugar cured thick bacon, roasted roma tomatoes, and two eggs benny + these crazy good fresh made hash browns……Me, the Old Town Breakfast……boring old two eggs, meat, toast, hash brown, but this was special……..those crazy hash browns again, and the flat sausage was awesome………ok the rest was easy…..anyone can flip a couple of eggs and make toast.

 
Just around the corner from breakfast is the Capital Iron store we walked by the other day, and based on a quick review by Kathy and Rick, we are going back for a look see.  It is a great store where you could spend hours walking around shopping…….if you need anything, it is probably there, and really nice quality merch.  The store has a very interesting history, dating back to the original scrap business opened in 1934.  Bought a couple of things, but talked myself out of a lot more.  I mean how many plaid flannel shirts can one guy own?

So now we are headed across town for a walk on the Ogden Point Breakwater, but on the way we spot another target…….Finest at Sea, a fresh fish store/house/food truck/processing facility……the food truck is out of the question as we are still stuffed from breakfast, but will be open late tomorrow for an apres golf meal (yes).  We did check out the store, and the fish looked fab, so we will return.  

The breakwater is a .9km wall protecting the deep water berths used by the big cruise ships. It is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, and often offers those fantastic views to the south which we are yet to see on this trip……although we are sunny and clear on this side, the clouds are lingering over the mountains in Washington to the south. Plenty of parking here, and another great eating spot, The Breakwater Cafe, also licensed, is at the head of the wall. We hike it out and back, stopping along the way to watch a harbour seal feed on a school of herring?………the walk continues down the shore for a while before we retrieve the truck and drive to the worlds tallest free standing totem pole a little further along………who knew?

This entire stretch of shoreline is essentially a long skinny park/trail, that connects other larger parks, and for the longest time, no waterfront homes, but plenty of nice ones across the road. Eventually though, shoreline access is interrupted for things like the Victoria Golf Club (classic), the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, marina’s, and some full on real estate porn…….beautiful homes……..to die for…….what a setting.  We travelled quite a few miles along this shore, and thought it was absolutely beautiful. What a great place to live.

With our real estate tour over, we turned back towards town, heading for another Victoria fixture, Munroe’s Book Store.  Jutta needed a book to keep up with her book club reading and couldn’t find it online…….what a treat, actually going to a bookstore for a change.  We are almost out of targets, but next on the list is groceries……..we find a place close to our home, with a parking lot that must have been designed for sub-compact cars……..I drop Jutta at the door, then perform a series of six point turns in the truck to make my way to what I figure is the largest parking spot on the lot where the truck only blocks half the driveway even though I am backed into the perimeter fence.  Jutta doesn’t take long, so I don’t piss off too many folks…….we are back at Plan B shortly for a little down time before heading out for dinner.

 
With great anticipation we head out for dinner……reservations at Il Terrazzo were made last week.  This place is way up everyone’s list for restaurants in Victoria, and is in a great alley setting downtown close to the Johnston Street Bridge.  It was very busy, although the tables were nicely spaced for covid.  A few things happened early on in the dinner that kinda got under my skin, and will affect my overall review of this restaurant…….I ordered the Quails Gate 2016 Cab, but it was the 2018 that arrived at the table, oops mistake, and they don’t have the 2016…….we shared a special app that was being offered, and before those plates were even cleared some other server was trying jam a couple of salads in front of us, mine hanging over the table into my lap.  They settled down after that (and a severe tongue lashing), the 2018 which was opened wasn’t that bad, but then the main courses arrived………what a pile of food……..I had the halibut which came with a pasta base layer, and Jutta ordered the cannelloni.  Neither one of us could finish…….do you believe that?……a lot of you have broken bread with us in the past, and you know we are good eaters…..some would say exceptional eaters, but this was a huge load…….way too much.  Too much quantity, and not enough quality in our opinion, but then again, you know we are downright snooty when it comes to eating out.  Sorry we can’t do backflips for Il Terrazzo like a lot of folks in their online reviews……..not bad , but really just OK to a marginal GOOD rating from the German Judge……the Scottish Judge defers to the German Judge, and the French Judge just won’t eat Italian.

 
Back at Plan B, the classic TV series station is selected, and what comes on but Green Acres……..so many comparisons on this show with what we have been doing on the trip…………”Green Acres is the place to be. Farm livin’ is the life for me. Land spreadin’ out so far and wide, forget Manhattan just gimme that countryside”……….”New York is where I’d rather stay. I get allergic smelling hay. I just adore a penthouse view.  Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.”……….I’ll let you figure out who is who……lol.  

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