The U of L basketball teams were headed to Victoria for the weekend of January 20- 23. Paul suggested that I should go out to Victoria to be with Inge. How could I disagree?! I forgot my camera, and was stuck with taking pictures on my cell phone. And then trying to get them off my phone and on to the computer was a tricky thing, too. But once I figured it out, it wasn't hard at all! Just terribly time consuming. And I don't like time consuming things-- things that shouldn't be but are. Drives me crazy.
So, my weekend was like this: I took the LRT on Thursday night to Sonja's house for an honest-to-goodness sleepover, although we didn't do our nails or our hair. We stayed up too late, though. When the alarm went off at 5 am we both groaned. She had made me breakfast the day before and we were off to the airport, as my flight left at 0715. I made it through security and went directly to the bookstore and browsed through the entire store. I didn't even buy a thing! Then I tried to figure out my newer phone, and and then it was time to go! I was in 4A, a window seat at the front of the plane. Oh, glory day, the front of the plane! And to make things even better, the seat in the middle was empty! Woot woot! The flight there was to land at 0824 PST. I borrowed Sonja's ipod and listened to music and was able to have a 50 minute snooze. (hopefully there was no snoring involved!) The landing hurt my ears so bad. I know I haven't flown much, but oh. my. My ears hurt so bad. I got off the plane and was in the airport before I could hear anything. But not much turbulence and peaceful. I took the Airport Shuttle to the hotel...
(Picture from their website, http://www.bestwesterncarltonplazahotel.com/)
...and met up with Inge as she was walking out the door to go to her shoot. I went upstairs to the room and had another nap and did good things like read my scriptures. When she got back, we went to the cheese store, which was a favourite haunt of Shauna's. The lady remembered Inge and Shauna and so we talked and then Inge proceeded to nearly buy the entire store's supply of cheese.
(picture from their website, http://www.charellis.com/charellis.html)
Then we went went to La Collina's-- sorry, no real website, but this is what is says about it on foodpages.ca,
"Fresh made on-site French tarts and fruit/pecan/pumpkin pies, artisan breads and venoisserie, cakes, cookies, large meringues, specialty coffee and tea, sandwiches, panini grill, pizza, fresh pizza dough and sauce, market oils and spanish tapas ingredients!"
I bought some bread (Paesano, Brenneton? and Raisin/Honey/Cinnamon) and the yummiest pecan cookies EVER!
We came back downtown, got rid of van and walked to Free Spirit Botanicals, a store where Shauna bought her soap. This is what it looks like:
I bought 4 bars of soap- it smells good enough to eat ( I don't know if that is a good idea or not)!
We then went back to the hotel and went with the team to the restaurant, http://www.pagliaccis.ca/
I ordered:
Dish With No Name
Baby shrimp, mushrooms, green onion, bell peppers in an
Indonesian sweet sauce with a touch of cream on linguini.
Like that dame you met in the bar, goes best with wine.
Full $12.50
Indonesian sweet sauce with a touch of cream on linguini.
Like that dame you met in the bar, goes best with wine.
Full $12.50
It was sooooooo good! I highly recommend it. I should have taken a picture! Even with my cell phone camera!
Then we came back to the hotel and I watched NCAA basketball while Inge had a nap. Since I am so into NCAA basketball, I too, fell asleep for a few minutes. Then we were off to the game. I was sure I would be their good luck charm. I should have known better! But they were so close! They lost by four points and they really shouldn't have!
Okay, so I know you can't see this picture well. So let me explain. At U of A games they always have the dance team come and then they play silly games during half-time. Well, at UVic, the dancers did their thing and then there was nothing (kind of nice, I must admit). A little boy found a ball and started playing. He was so tiny! I am sure he must have been not even 2! Anyway, the whole crowd started cheering and clapping for this little guy. It was so fun and cute!
Inge isn't a short woman. Or at least I never thought so. Until I took this picture. Maybe she isn't short...Maybe 14 is tall. (I do know all the players names. I took that challenge and rocked it! Kim and Steph had me a bit confused a bit, but I figured it out!
UVic gym from where I sat.
We went back to the hotel and ate some of Inge's cheese and bagettes she bought at La Collina's. And the sweet pepper jelly. Again, Soooooooooooo goooood!
I hung out with the three coaches and watched the game and talked strategy. I knew I knew nothing about basketball before, but after that experience I learned I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about basketball! There were words I didn't understand-- it was a new language to me. And then I fell into bed, after thoroughly enjoying my Friday in Victoria.
Saturday morning Inge got up and went and did a team breakfast and then they went to practice. I got up and read my scriptures and went for a walk. I bought some of this:
and wish I could have found this:
Such fun!
And then, I walked down to the water.
I crossed the drawbridge that you see in the picture (blue and white). Farther right and up the hill is downtown where our hotel was. I kept walking away from downtown (or should it be called uptown in this case?) to a little park.
I know you can't really see this totem pole, but there were lots of parts of it. They took a big one apart and had little ones all around. This one was probably my favourite. It is a mom with her baby. It was really cute. There were also more of those compass-like things (the marker thing I didn't really understand, (you'll see it in a picture later in the post)). The detail was great. There were alligators and owls carved. Too bad it rains too much there, as they'll get destroyed eventually. You can see already that the baby is getting moldy. Also note the green grass. This was the first time I have ever seen green luscious grass in the winter. I know, I know, we went to Vegas one year, but the grass was brown, not green. It wasn't too different from our chinook-influenced life in Stirling. Going to Victoria was a shock. The green everywhere instead of the white. It was an interesting experience.
But there was evidence that was winter in Victoria. Here is a tree without leaves.
But, they had the bedding plants in all over the place. Crazy! I never knew! Does spring really come in January there?!
This was a picture of the park I went to from closer to downtown. See on the far right about half way up? I walked right to the point and around the bend.
I realized that the winter means something much different there than it does at home. For example, here is a rowing club on a Saturday morning.
When Inge got back we went to get some herbal tea. Check it all out here:
This is one of my favourites:
westcoast peppermint
tea of illumination
flavour profile: an intense, icy mint experience
ingredients: peppermint leaves
mini-tin (8-10 cups) | $3.99 40 cup size | $6.99
80 cup size | $12.00
300 cup size | $22.50
1500 cup size | $90.84
tea of illumination
flavour profile: an intense, icy mint experience
ingredients: peppermint leaves
mini-tin (8-10 cups) | $3.99 40 cup size | $6.99
80 cup size | $12.00
300 cup size | $22.50
1500 cup size | $90.84
you may also like: Seamist, Green Dragon, Casablanca, Angelwater
We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory with the team for lunch. It was okay, not nearly as good as the day before though! We walked around the harbour....
Victoria harbour (parliament in the background). And Inge's backside. I didn't plan it, but the phone camera is soooo slow (reaction time).
Us in front of a big boat. A really big one. Does that make it a ship? What is the difference between a boat and ship, anyway?
Another self taken shot. See, the sun can shine in Victoria! It was a beautiful weekend!
Inge in front of the big boat/ship.
Me standing behind something that we didn't know what it was. Some marker of some sort for an important location of the native people. I cannot remember. (See the mom/baby totem pole picture)
After the game on Saturday night (which, by the way, Lethbridge didn't do so well), Inge and I went and found Beacon Hill so we could have some ice cream. Why is it so good? I don't know--the fact that they actually use cream, perhaps?! Before we found ice cream though, Inge remembered where the sushi place was that Rod really liked. It was good, but it left me wishing my sushi guy in Edmonton hadn't retired. And I used chopsticks. Not well, but I had no other choice! There were no forks in that place! I had a delicious shrimp tempera cone though. Deee-lish---ious!
Here is the birthday girl with her cake.
Me in front of Beacon Hill. Remember, my cell phone camera means no flash!
Here is my ice cream without the cone. I do not like cones. And because of that, the ice cream was 25 cents cheaper.
The Parliament building at night. Kinda cool, I thought!
We went back to the hotel, Inge got her party outfit on and stayed out until who knows when. I went to bed, since I had to get up at 0445 the next morning to get back to the airport. I got a ride to the airport with the teams, so I was at the airport WAY earlier than necessary. I was there at 0600 and my flight didn't leave until 0915. It gave me lots of time to plan my YW lesson for later on that day and write a letter and a few texts.
The flight home was completely full and uncomfortable. There was no overhead storage left (the flight attendants too it all--seriously) and so everything seemed squished and hot. As a result, the landing was brutal. I don't really like to land. I began talking to the lady beside me to try and make the time go faster. She was an older lady who was out in Victoria for a month taking care of her grandson because her daughter-in- law (that's dil, for you, Inge) got a new job. She was grateful to be coming home so she could rest and see the sun. When we landed, it was above freezing and there were puddles everywhere! Paul came to get me in his big red truck and I was sure glad to see him and be off that plane. I don't like landing!
We got home in time to change into church clothes and then get to church in time for the third hour of church. I could teach my lesson and be in Young Women! It worked out well! And so did the lesson! It was a happy day!
I had a great weekend in Victoria. I learned a few things! And learned that I know even less than I thought! I am so glad the U of L women's basketball team was so kind to me and let me tag along. I loved being with Inge! I had a blast! It was a great party!
Have a great day!
2 comments:
How cool! Jason loved being in Victoria. It was nice to see it in another season. Looks like the trip was lovely.
I love the ones with you and Inge in them. Really.
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