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We had a lovely Easter Sunday filled with food and family. We started the day with a walk to The Nest - a cafe a short walk from my parents that is dog and cyclist friendly.  We enjoyed brunch at the grand Hotel Grand Pacific. There were lots of people downtown and the city is in its full spring splendour! Victoria is beautiful in all seasons but the spring is special.  Aunty Pat hosted Easter dinner - a delicious meal with family!  Monday we celebrated James’s birthday.  It was a rainy day but that didn’t stop our celebrations! On our way to lunch we were able to see the earth day protest against the banks.   We had a delicious lunch at Pagliacci’s. At Pag’s its all about the bread - it’s so good! Actually all the food is good and a fun experience. We walked around downtown and then went to see Hotel Mumbai. It was a great movie - kind of stressful and sad but well done. It is based on the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.   James won $91 on the BC lottery. We think it’s pay back for the ridiculous gas prices here.  Happy Birthday! 
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The Easter lamb cake is a family tradition. Mom baked the cake before I arrived and this morning we decorated it. We are in direct competition with the Kraft-Mullane clan in Canmore. Since I was on team Kraft-Mullane last year, my niece made me swear not to reveal any of their lamb cake baking/decorating secrets. The icing we made this year tastes delicious but I learned cream cheese icing is not great for decorative lamb wool curl. Here is our finished cake...  Here are some before shots. I didn’t take photos when we took off all the icing because it was too soft, made it thicker and tried again.   It was a beautiful sunny day so we headed out to Butchart Gardens to see and smell spring in bloom. In my opinion, spring is the best time to visit the gardens. The gardens are bursting with colour and there are so many different varieties of spring bulbs and trees in bloom. The hyancinth and flowering trees smell amazing.       The dogs bought James a Butchart season pass for his birthday so we will be back!  The dogs had to be coaxed out of bed Thursday morning. The mountain air and hikes tired them out or they weren’t excited to leave the resort life. We weren’t sure but we promised them walks along the ocean. They got out of bed, barked at some mule deer and we packed up.   We stopped at Bears Paw Bakery to buy some treats for the road. I’m not sure if Yoda always carries a carrot or if it’s an Easter carrot?  The highway was quiet and dry. Perfect driving! Except for a bit of rain and fog on the Coquihalla. At least there was no snow. The devastation by the pine beetle in Jasper National Park is astonishing and sad.   We made a pit stop in Blue River to watch the bears fight and someone forgot their TV. Maybe it’s art?   We had some time to stop in at Traveland RV in Langley before our 7 pm ferry reservation. That was enough time to see a 25’ Airstream with twin beds which we have wanted to see “live” for a long time. We love the layout.  We arrived at the ferry and had a short walk in the rain before driving on for our 90 minute ride.  We were thrilled to find Rogers chocolates on our bed in Victoria. Apparently Casa Kraft didn’t want to be overshadowed by JPL!  Today we coloured eggs...a family tradition. We visited St. Mary’s in Metchosin- a grave yard full of fawn lilies. So pretty and peaceful. When you visit Victoria in April it’s hard to believe you are in Canada. We left 249 shades of brown and roads full of gravel at home. We are hoping for some green by the time we return. . The dogs enjoyed their first run on the beach and are now crashed on the couch.     Another day seized.  The dogs saw the suitcases packed and weren’t sure how to react. They were thrilled to be loaded in the car with all the gear instead of waiting for their dog sitter to arrive after we leave. They love their dog sitter but they also love a good adventure!  We stopped at Seba Beach to check on our still to be officially named Airstream. She looks great and we can’t wait to get set up for the camping season in May! There is still snow around the site which could delay the water being turned on. We will see.  We arrived in Jasper around 2 pm and checked in to Jasper Park Lodge. JPL is one of my favourite places in the world and staying here is a treat.   Speaking of treats, when we arrived to our cabin/room, James had a plate of birthday chocolates and a mini bottle of wine. Nice touch!  The dogs also received a welcome package. The package included vegan treats. Fail...our dogs do not embrace the vegan lifestyle. We went for a short hike to Maligne Canyon. Stunning to see the ice and hear the running below it. We only made it just past second bridge before the trail got too mucky. The trails around Lac Beauvert were dry and beautiful! We walked around Jasper - it is quiet in town on a Wednesday in April!       We had the best view for dinner and drinks. Just don’t look at the prices on the menu and the evening is more enjoyable! We were all pretty tired after seizing the first day of vacation. Tomorrow we head to the coast.  |
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July 2019
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