A dozen years or so ago, my friend Audrey and I traveled to Vancouver BC in the fall, where she was to participate in a corporate conference. We made a vacation of it and for a couple of days prior to the conference, we stayed at The Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC across from the sparkling Inner Harbor. There we experienced a taste of British life.
Carefully scheduling our sightseeing to be back at the hotel in time for the ritual English Afternoon Tea, we were led to an elegant table dressed in fine linen, delicate china, creamy pink roses, and silver tiered servers laden with pastry and crustless finger sandwiches. Sitting posture perfect, pinkie fingers up, we felt quite “stiff upper lipped” as we indulged in warm scones and tea during the traditional daily ritual.
THE EMPRESS BLEND OF TEA
The Empress blend is a selection of seasonal, quality teas, created exclusively for The Fairmont Empress by the Metropolitan Tea Company. With components from Assam (thick malty and full bodied), Kenya (floral-like flavour and a golden coppery infusion), South India (superb fruity and sprightly flavour), Ceylon (airy, almost piquant flavour), and China (burgundy depth with light oaky notes), it is truly one of the finest blends in the world.
After an afternoon of walk-about sightseeing, we returned to the lushness of the Empress’ Bengal Lounge for a relaxing Glenlivet on the rocks. Audrey and I loved the fantasy, pretending we were imbibing in the Queen’s colonial India. After a few drinks, we requested our bartender pour us another “Lyle Lovett“, an inside joke Audrey and I enjoyed for years afterward.
“Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s role as the Empress of India, this colonial style lounge is known throughout Victoria for its authentic curry buffet and signature cocktail menu. While news restaurants and lounges appear in Victoria regularly, The Bengal Lounge is a favourite of residents and visitors alike.”
The next day was a gorgeous Indian Summer-like autumn afternoon. We rose early to board a tour bus for a visit to nearby Butchart Gardens, which brings me to the reason for this post…
Another of our friends, Susan of Ft. Lauderdale, often sends wonderful collections of fascinating photos from around the world, which I sometimes pass along to others. It is always a delightful surprise, a welcome break, a momentary mini-vacay from the ugliness of politics and the Marxist-in-the-White House posts usually found on this site.
Today, Susan forwarded a collection from Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC that took me back to that day we spent marveling over the beauty that the human mind is capable of creating, a testament to what the best of humanity can do.
In 1888, near his birthplace, Owen Sound, Ontario, the former dry goods merchant, Robert Pim Butchart, began manufacturing Portland cement. By the turn of the century he had become a highly successful pioneer in this burgeoning North American industry. Attracted to the West Coast of Canada by rich limestone deposits vital for cement production, he built a factory at Tod Inlet, on Vancouver Island. There, in 1904, he and his family established their home.
As Mr. Butchart exhausted the limestone in the quarry near their house, his enterprising wife, Jennie, conceived an unprecedented plan for refurbishing the bleak pit. From farmland nearby she requisitioned tons of top soil, had it brought to Tod Inlet by horse and cart, and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Little by little, under Jennie Butchart’s supervision, the abandoned quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden.
Spend a minute or so viewing the beauty of Butchart Gardens and the wonder of this lovely botanical paradise. And if you’re ever in the northwest, slip over the Canadian border and see it all for yourself. Enjoy!
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