Motor Gathering At Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit

A huge gathering of supercars and vintage vehicles at a large venue that seems more of a private club for the wealthy than a spectator racing circuit.  Entrance was by donation with all funds going to local charities including the David Foster Foundation and the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation. There were many interesting vehicles but it wasn't the best organized event we've ever been to. We got there as it opened at 11 am and left about an hour later as the crowd was starting to build.

Bru-Go's Coffee

En route from home to the Motor Gathering at Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit we stop for coffee and a bite to eat at Bru-Go's Coffee in Mill Bay.  It's a beautifully maintained shop with friendly service. I ask what the house specialty is and then spot the "hedgehog" seen here on the left and decide to try it. It's a rich chocolatey brownie and not really a breakfast food, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Bru-Go's Coffee
2720 Mill Bay Road,
Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P1
Monday to Friday - 7:30 to 6:00
Saturday - 8:00 to 6:00, Sunday - 9: 00 to 5:30

Kinsol Trestle

This 44 metre (144 feet) high trestle bridge spans the Koksilah River with a total length of metres (617 feet). Built in 1920, was named after the nearby King Solomon Mines which despite the grandiose name, never amounted to much. Contrary to what some believe, the railway was not constructed to serve the mines but as part of a line planned to connect Victoria with Nootka Sound. Sadly the railways disappeared from Vancouver Island in the 1980s. Thankfully the local government,Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) undertook restoration and maintenance of the trestle which is part of a recreational trail.

On the day we visited, many cyclists, walkers and a pair of sulkies pulled by miniature horses were enjoying the trail and selfie ops on the trestle.

Star Cinema & Bistro Suisse

Hubby & I took Mumsy to see Mamma Mia! 2 at the Star Cinema. The theatre is so "small town" that they don't even bother giving you a ticket, they know who has paid.  As you can see by the hand-lettered signs, seniors pay $7.50; adults $9.00 and everyone $6 on Tuesdays. Concessions are also very reasonably priced - small popcorn with real melted butter $3 and chocolate bars for $2. There are two screens and all of the pre-movie ads are from local businesses. The theatre is only about a quarter full for the 3 pm showing. We all enjoyed this kitschy romp to ABBA's hits.

Star Cinema
9842 Third Street
Sidney V8L 3A7

The Bistro Suisse is empty when we arrive around 5 o'clock. We're asked if we have a reservation (we didn't) and are seated quickly.  The decor is traditional Swiss and so is the menu with schnitzel featuring prominently. However, there are some interesting vegetarian twists. Mumsy and I order the veggie bratwurst with sauerkraut, red cabbage, onion sauce, rösti, crispy fried onions and dijon mustard, $18.50 (seen here) and hubby picks the Vegetarian Spätzli Casserole an oven-baked dish of spätzli (Swiss drop noodles), mixed veg, mushrooms and cheese, $16.50. It's all very delicious but not piping hot. Hubby had asked for the soup de jour as a starter but it did not arrive. One server chides the other saying, " It's hard to get good help. He's new here" when it was obviously not the case. The running gag continues throughout our meal and starts to grate a little. The restaurant fills up with regulars who are greeted by name and ushered to their usual tables so it's not surprising that the Bistro Suisse is one of the top-rated dining establishments in town.

Bistro Suisse
2470 Beacon Ave,
Sidney V8L 1X8
Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 - 2:00; 4:30 - 8:00 pm

Adult Summer Reading Program

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on the Vancouver Island Regional Library's  (VIRL) Adult Summer Reading Challenge. I've very much enjoyed exploring their online resources including graphic novels, sound recordings, audio books and films. I chose to focus my reading on Singapore and Malaysia as I'm hoping to visit that part of the world in the coming years.

By yesterday's deadline, I had completed all 16 challenges and presented my "passport" at my branch. The librarian stamped my form and gave me 16 draw ballots to fill out. That evening I got a phone call congratulating me on being this week's winner and we quickly dashed over to pick up my prize package seen here. I have also been entered in the system-wide grade prize draw. Fingers crossed!

Prize pack includes VIRL mug, pen, pencil, tote bag, orca keychain, button and a gift card for local coffee shop Alexander's.

North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival: Part 2

Checking the locations of places I wanted to visit, I decided to take the bus to the furthest place and walk home instead of riding my bike.

Sidney Laboratory - Centre for Plant Health
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
8801 East Saanich Road, North Saanich, V8L1H3

Established as one of Canada's Dominion Experimental Farms in 1912, the centre's main functions are now quarantining imported fruit trees and plants, researching and developing tests for related viruses and serving as a repository for "virus-tested clones of important commercial varieties for export certification".  Heavyweight science is happening here but research staff, Michael Rott, Ismail Abdulahi (centre of photo below), Allison Gratz, & Harvinder Bennypaul, make it interesting and accessible to tour participants.

Dominion Brook Park
8801 East Saanich Road, North Saanich
V8L 1H3

Retired educator, Ian Cameron, led our group on a very informative walk through this 11-acre park that was established in 1912 as an arboretum and ornamental garden.  The park is being restored and maintained by a non-profit society called Friends of Dominion Brook Park in cooperation with the Federal and District of North Saanich Governments. There are some incredible and rare specimens that are thriving in our microclimate, including the Cedar of Lebanon seen here.

Roost - Farm Bakery and Vineyard Bistro
9100 East Saanich Road, North Saanich
V8L 1H5

Many local shops and restaurants are experiencing difficulty in hiring and keeping staff and the NSFTF has brought a lot of folks to the Roost this morning but I am still shaking my head after this experience.

I order a "Half and Half Combo" which promises a half-sized salad, bowl of soup and a slice of focaccia bread.  I order the spinach salad and mushroom soup.  The server apologizes that they are out of focaccia and offers me a choice of other breads and I pick multigrain.  When the soup and salad arrive, I notice that it's mixed greens and not spinach but think "no biggie" and let it go. Twice the server assures me that the toast will be coming soon. After about twenty minutes, by which time I have finished eating my food, a slice of untoasted bread arrives. Again, in itself not a big problem but when you're paying $12 for a light lunch, you want what's advertised. I call over a hostess and ask "Am I missing something? I waited twenty minutes for this and it's not even toasted". She defers to a manager who sits down and my table, apologizes, explains that the kitchen is "overwhelmed" and offers me a 15% discount and complimentary cookie.  The last time we were at the Roost, we made a game of counting how many times the servers said "sorry" to customers. Not sure if the root problem is with staffing, training, supervision or a combination thereof but I would hesitate to bring guests to the Roost and won't be rushing back anytime soon.

North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival: Part 1

Hubby was away at a vintage car racing event in Mission BC so I decided to check out a few stops on the NSFTF on my Brompton bicycle, Ruby.

Snowdon House Gourmet Gifts
1890 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5S9

I purchase some Blueberry Cinnamon Fruit Infusion Vinegar and Douglas Fir Infused Vinegar at promotional prices and order a
yam & lentil wrap and a bottle of lemon verbena water for lunch. I have to remind myself that I'm not in the big city anymore when service is a bit lackadaisical. While waiting for my food to appear, I get chatting with a family from the US and enjoy watching the antics of the free-range chickens.

The Fickle Fig Farm Market
1780 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5S9

There's something about the internal layout of this place that I find discombobulating so I grab a Salted Caramel Brownie, $4 to take home and head back out on my bike.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church
1319 Mills Rd, North Saanich, V8L 5T2

The brochure promises complimentary tea/coffee, scones with local berry preserve and cream starting at 2 pm. While waiting for the church hall to open,  I get chatting with a charming group of local women who invite me to sit with them. After this delicious treat,  we proceed outside at 3 pm for a guided tour of the historic cemetery which highlights founding families, local business people and well-loved characters. I finish off a very interesting afternoon with a look at the interior of Holy Trinity Church which was consecrated in 1885.

Victoria Lavender Farm

After reading in the local paper that Kent, UK native Alan Mayfield will be scaling back operations at Victoria Lavender Farm, we decide to pay a visit. The farm will be closed to the public after this weekend's North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival, however, the shop on Beacon Ave in Sidney will remain open.

The farm is also home to a herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, peacocks (regular and white), ornamental pheasants, and a number of dogs. I have to admit that the idea of participating in "Goat Yoga", a regular activity here,  does not appeal to me personally.

While hubby & Alan get into car talk, I choose three lavender plants, which have been discounted by 25 %, for my garden. Unable to decide which gourmet product to try, I opt for the sample pack which has four 60ml sized jars:  Lavender Raspberry Jam, Lavender Honey, Marmalade, Jelly.



Read the newspaper article here. 

The Village Restaurant

Lunch at The Village Restaurant's Estevan location - Mt Douglas Omelette (Zatar roasted butternut squash, yam, red onion and goat cheese), multigrain toast, fresh fruit including tax and tip: 20 dollars

Mother of the Bride dress and shoes from Hillside Mall: 125 dollars

Coffee and cookie at Tim Hortons: 4 dollars

Carpool Karaoke with your fashion consultant to Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies album: Priceless.


The Village Restaurant
2518 Estevan Ave, Estevan Village,
Victoria V8R 2S7
Open 8:00 am to 3:00 pm daily

The Ploughshare Cafe

After early shop at Uptown Mall in Victoria, we head home in search of coffee. We stop at The Ploughshare where the regulars are greeted warmly by first name. It's counter service and you help yourself to coffee $2 the first cup and $1 refill. Couldn't resist trying a Many Berry Granola Square, which wasn't quite what I expected but tasty none the less. This 1953 Chevy Bel Air pulls up and hubby's in "car talk" mode in a flash. No shortage of car culture on Vancouver Island. Recommended for a quick coffee.

The Ploughshare Cafe            Open weekdays 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
4649 West Saanich Road         Saturday 8:30 to 3:00 pm
Victoria, BC V8Z 3G8              Sunday 9:00 to 3:00 pm

Torque Masters Auto Extravaganza

A variety of vintage vehicles are lined up to enter the car show held annually on Beacon Avenue. There's something for every auto buff from military vehicles to muscle cars. The Lion's Club is serving up pancake breakfasts and the Shriner's gave me a balloon dog in hopes of convincing me to buy a $5 raffle ticket, the grand prize being a souped-up Mustang.  No dice.  For me, the "best in show" was this customized late 50s Rambler station wagon with reclining goddess hood ornament.

Dominion Astrophysical Observatory

Friends of the DAO (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory) hosted a free "Star Party" this evening at the self-proclaimed Centre of the Universe. Many activities and presentations were scheduled for all ages to learn more about the DAO, its Plaskett telescope,  and astronomy in general.

In 1914, Victoria was selected as the site for what was then to have been the world's largest reflector (72 inches). The location was deemed ideal due to its moderate climate and stable city size.  The First World War caused delays in construction and the telescope did not become operational until 1918. By that time, the Plaskett telescope was eclipsed from being the world's largest by the Hooker telescope at the Mt. Wilson Observatory near Pasadena, California.

Artisan Bistro and Penna & Co. Kitchen Shop

Our search for wiper blades for the smart car takes us to Broadmead Village shopping centre, about 20km due south of Sidney, just off Pat Bay Highway.

We stop for brunch at Artisan Bistro where we're served by the enthusiastic and efficient Kayla. If you need to train serving staff, observe her in action to learn how it's done properly.

I opt for the breakfast special bennie - poached eggs, avocado, tomato, smoked cheddar and Hollandaise on a croissant, exquisite at $17. Hubby enjoys the Traditional Breakfast, substituting avocado for sausage or bacon. The scrambled eggs are properly prepared, by restaurant standards, $14. Total with tax and tip, $46. Recommended.

Artisan Bistro
Broadmead Village
350-777 Royal Oak Drive
Victoria, BC V8X 4V1
Open daily: 8 am to 9 pm

Before leaving the mall, we notice that Penna & Co. kitchen shop has a 20% off sale. They've got all the high-end brands (Le Creuset, Peugeot, Bodum) and lots of chef toys. I felt like a kid in a candy store and purchase a USA Pan square cake pan, baking rack, a couple of sporks made in Sweden and other goodies.  Staff are very knowledgeable about their products. Recommended.

The Urban Bee

You can't help noticing the colourful hives and fields of flowers across West Saanich Road from The Urban Bee. Inside the shop is a vast selection of honey, beeswax and bee-themed items from tableware to jewelry. 

We enjoy coffee and baked treats served up on china dishes made to resemble vintage enamelware. The honeyed almond cookie and blueberry muffin were both delicious. Unfortunately, I haven't got the itemized receipt but coffee was about $2.50 a cup and the total including tax about $12.50.  Recommended. 

I purchase a package of three different sized Goldilocks Wraps, which I've wanted to try for some time. They're a locally made eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags and cling film. A tea towel and wooden honey dipper also come home with me.

It's fascinating to watch the bees in the open hive and as they fly in and out through a transparent tube in the wall.

Urban Bee Honey Farm
6440 West Saanich Road, Saanichton BC