Buchart gardens 3 and Canada Day

 The restaurant at Buchart Gardens was highly recommended to us so we decided to book for lunch. We were not disappointed. The table they gave us in the conservatory was fabulous and the meal was delicious. It rounded off a perfect outing beautifully.

 The Dining Room Restaurant in behind all the flowers.

 This is the owners private garden and cottage. What a little treasure.

 We shared a bruschetta, complete with edible flowers of course.

 Followed by a wild salmon turnover with spring pea puree, fresh tarragon , preserved lemon and fingerling potato crisps. With more flowers of course.

 This coleus plant was on the window sill beside us. The sun kept changing the colours. It was so pretty.

 This hotel was fully covered in ivy plant 20 years ago when we were here but it had recently been removed and the cladding refurbished at a cost of many millions. A very impressive building that for sure.

 The harbour area and the hub of the  citys social activities. It was Canada Day yesterday and also the 150th anniversary so there were lots of celebrations going on. Most locals were dressed in red and some really made the effort to be seriously patriotic carrying flags and wearing the anniversary tee shirt. It was great to see.

 The float plane harbour above and below the harbour airport building with its roof garden.

 The celebrations in full swing.

Buchart Gardens 2

Buchart Gardens. Victoria Van Couver Island Canada

 The Buchart Gardens in Victoria covers 55 acres. It was originally a worked out limestone quarry which had supplied the owners of the Portland cement plant. Today it is still owned by the original familys great grand daughter. The gardens are visited by close to a million visitors each year. Fortunately for us we decided to get there before opening and we were allowed to enter at 8.45am. It turned out that this was a great decision as there were very few people around until 10.30am when people just swarmed in but we had already covered over half of the gardens by then so most people were well behind us.  The gardens employ 50 outdoor gardeners and 20 indoors and then many more staff the Gift Shop, a restaurant and two cafes. The gardens were absolutely stunning. All the plants were in the best condition and not a weed to be found anywhere.

 The two photos above are of the Sunken garden with beds of annuals, flowering trees and shrubs growing to the base of the towering walls.

 The Ross fountain which was created and installed in 1964 for the gardens 60th anniversary by Ian Ross who was the grand son of the Bucharts. The fountain spurts water to the height of 21 metres and was quite spectacular.

 A dragon fly landed on the chain fence in front of us. This was the  only one like this that we saw as all the others were a very bright blue and much prettier but didn't oblige by landing for us.

 The snap dragons made a beautiful show.

 With it being Canada's 150 year anniversary this year they had made a special garden feature to commemorate this. The area was still a work in progress.

 A very handsome Monkey Puzzle tree.

 A stunning dragon fountain was a gift to the Buschart Gardens from the Peoples Republic of China.

 One of three massive Redwood trees in the gardens

 The rose gardens were spectacular and all out in full bloom.

Monterey and San Francisco

 A seafood lunch was in order on Cannery Row after we left the Aquarium. Couldn't find a better place to sit and wait for our table than on Forest Gump's seat outside

 On the walk back into Monterey we followed the barking sounds to the natural rock colony of seals in the harbour. Most were juveniles but there was one very large male who was controlling all that was going on and he stood for no nonsense in the mating game!! My goodness he was fearsome. I missed a photo of him because by the time I decided get a photo he disappeared into the water and every time he popped up above the water I was too slow and missed the opportunity.

 Walking home from Fishermans wharf on our final night in Monterey. It had been a wonderful week.

 In San Francisco about 150 metres away from our hotel we found this  delightful little French restaurant in a very old hotel. We read the menu on the outside and decided that it looked okay. We ended up being very surprised when we were escorted down to a basement to a charming 15th century style hideaway dining room displaying many articles of Joan of Arc memorabilia. The food was old style country menu which was just delicious and the atmosphere was fantastic.

 Mmmmm!! I think he is going to surprise me with something.  Cheapskate, it was out of the table vase!!!

 Pier 39 at Fishermans Wharf. Very colourful.

 We took the ferry over to Sausilito a beautiful seaside town just across the bay.

 The fog was rolling in again on our return to San Francisco.

 Downtown San Francisco.

 Union Square.

 Then its goodbye to San Francisco as we pass under the Golden Gate Bridge on an almost clear evening with no fog.