Hatley Castle...a Victoria treasure.

The day was sunny and mild and we decided to take our house guests out for a bit of a wander.
I had mentioned Hatley Castle as a possible destination to Mr. HB and he agreed.

Hatley Castle was commissioned by the wealthy entrepreneur James Dunsmuir and was completed in 1908.
The links here will give you all the details that you might want to know.

I took over 100 pictures and have whittled them down to just a few.
I hope that you enjoy your virtual tour!

look at the details in this downspout!

Granite is used extensively in the construction.

The grounds are beautiful.

Views of the ocean beyond the terrace.

The Italian Garden

Formal plantings and a traditional layout.

A very gnarled old wisteria.

a massive trunk!

I have seen the mauve wisteria blooming in the summer 

not only is it stunningly beautiful

the scent is intoxicating!

The garden is showing off her great "bones" 

when the flowers and trees are in bloom it is a riot of colour, scent and breathtaking in it's beauty.

Weddings are very popular here and you can see that the architecture and grounds are perfect for staging photos.

I can visualize and bride and groom standing in this spot.

The terrace is to the left of this figure, the croquet lawn below

ocean beyond in the distance.

Witch Hazel

The Japanese Garden is exquisite...

The water features play a big role in this part of the garden.

Lush green grass rims the wee path that snakes along the water's edge.

A pair of Mallard ducks are visible to the right of the bronze heron sculpture.

These are fish ladders that allow fish to go from the lake to the large pond.

You can see how the ladder works here

the fish can swim up and rest above the slat until they get enough energy to make another burst to the next slat.

The moss is such a lovely shade of green.

These smaller water channels were full and the sound of the rushing water was melodic.

Charming bridge one walks over the rivulet of water to the other side.

The arching details are all in keeping with the other Japanese themed structures.

Around the pond the path was made of large stepping stones.

Imagine how peaceful it would be to sit here and relax.

The sun was warm and the pond flat calm.

Mallard ducks were the only things stirring...

The Japanese Garden is heavily planted with rhododendrons and flowering cherry and plum trees.

A future visit will be planned for April or May so that we can see the garden in all it's glory.

Lime Hellebores blooming near the castle foundation.

A view taken from the terrace

the croquet lawn is below the terrace.

I can just imagine an afternoon tea on the terrace!

I will post more Hatley Castle photos soon.

The greenhouse and walled garden among others.

This is as close to Downton Abbey that I have found in our neck of the woods.

What did you think about that season finale?

I wonder what the next season will bring for Lady Mary?

Be Well

until next time...

Hostess

An exciting weekend in The Humble Bungalow...

We have been busy entertaining friends John and Cheryl from Vancouver this weekend.
They are the kind of friends that we are very comfortable spending time with...
we are all very relaxed and casual...
I think that is the sign of a great friendship... one does not need to "put on airs" or dress up.

Many conversations, walking and seeing some local sights were all part of our time spent together.

Friday evening we went out for martini's and sushi at The Oak Bay Marina.
Saturday after breakfast we did some marketing.
Cheryl and I decided that we wanted to cook a rack of lamb
to go with the exquisite 2004 vintage St Emilion grand cru that they brought home from France.
A visit to Slater's butcher shop for the Frenched rack of lamb.
Chiarelli's (the best deli in Victoria), for our assorted cheeses
Peppers Grocers for the fresh vegetables.

We also went to Hatley Castle and had a wonderful walk in the sunshine
(post to follow soon)
Olive the Senses for an olive oil and vinegar tasting and some purchases
and a quick stroll through Silk Road Tea Company for some teas.

The recipe is straight forward and has clear instructions

our results were delicious!

The racks were "Frenched" by the butcher

making it look very professional when entwined.

Truffle mashed potatoes

 french style bean with almonds

Rack of lamb Persillade

followed by a cheese course

Roquefort

caramelized onion cheddar

goat cheese

Manchego

Pecorino with Pepper

The mashed potatoes were easy peasy

boil peeled spuds

drain

mash and add 1 tablespoon truffle oil

2 tbsp. butter

then fold in one shaved truffle.

Dinner was a wonderful combination of flavours

and clean up went swiftly with many hands.

We had a lovely walk at Mount Douglas Summit and looked out over the city and the Gulf islands beyond

before driving out to Island View Beach for another stroll.

We worked up an appetite for lunch and enjoyed The Noodle Box in Sidney before taking them to the ferry. 

It's been a whirlwind of fun.

The leftover lamb is simmering now as Scotch Broth Soup

and the washer and dryer are humming ever so quietly.

I'm excited about The Hatley Castle Post

the stately home and grounds reminds me of Downton Abbey...

oh and it's the season finale is tonight!

Hope that you have enjoyed your weekend.

Hostess

XO

White Sale...and thoughts of Mother.

New towels from Lands End arrived in the post...
Supima cotton terry in a nice weight and pure white.
Not as fluffy as the pricier Abyss brand but all 6 pieces were less than the cost of one Abyss bath towel.

Frugal yes but will they last?
I hope that I am not going to regret this purchase and only time will tell how they stand up to bi~weekly washings and daily use. It's an experiment and one that I will be repeating in various areas of my domestic scene for the next while. I will report back and advise in due course.

Tied up with grey gross grain ribbon they look like a present!

I took Mother to see the film Quartet at the theatre recently and we were almost the last ones seated.

It was so popular and it has a fabulous all star cast

Maggie Smith is lovely in her role!

We chose a matinee which might have been a mistake as every one else seemed to have the same idea

perhaps the gloomy grey skies had something to do with it...

Mother does love a great film or play as they seem to transport her to a place that she loves to be.

I've noticed that Mother is quite lonely these past few months..

despite the efforts of my sister and I to keep her entertained.

Her friendly neighbour Elizabeth moved to a hip condo building downtown

so their impromptu wine and cheeses and afternoons sipping copious amounts of tea are sorely missed.

It must be so hard to keep ones spirits up when one lives alone.

Her cleaning lady comes once a week to do the bathrooms, kitchen, vacuum and dust.

Mother makes her a lovely tea and a snack and they sit for a bit and have a chat.

I do wonder why Mother doesn't join in the Senior's Centre activities...

considering she really never was much of a joiner

it should not be a surprise

it's too bad because there may be a friend out there for her...

someone that she could play cards with or go out to lunch or tea with

someone who may be a widow like she is and has shared similar life experiences.

My friend Sandy's mother Pam and Mother got along and they would seek each other out for some fun.

Sadly Pam passed away last year...

a lot of Mother's friends have had health issues and are now in care or gone.

Mother is still driving and gets out regularly which is her saving grace.

She pays her bills and shops for her own groceries

does her banking and loves to shop for clothes.

It's difficult watching someone you love age before your very eyes.

I'd like to hold tight to those images of her when I was younger and she was the belle of the ball.

Dressing up in her finery for evenings out with Father.

Me sitting on her bed taking in every detail...

from the silky lace trimmed slips

to her fastening her hose and garters

the dabs of Shalimar 

behind her ears, her neck and on her wrists

Father zipping up her zipper

fastening her Sherman necklace

Mother

carefully arranging her hair

and

 clipping on her sparkling dangly earrings

then applying her red lipstick

before blotting on a tissue to absorb the excess

then swishing by me a giving me a quick kiss before grabbing her fur 

and disappearing out the door...

memories have the power to take me back in time

a long long time ago...

This is a delightful read from the blogger Orangette.

Pop by to get a taste of her delicious writing!

We have house guests coming for the weekend...

what plans do you have?

Have Fun!

Happy Heart Day!

Valentine's Day!
I hope that you enjoy the day....
and that you can share your love...

Please stay tuned for an important women's heart health video later in the post.

my special heart rock

a lucky find from the beach front 

~ ~ ~

it's a simple reminder that one needn't spend lot to celebrate Valentine's Day

~ ~ ~

found or homemade gifts

given with love

speak volumes

~ ~ ~

something good to eat

breakfast, lunch or dinner

fresh and delicious

prepared with TLC

~ ~ ~

if it's a luxe treat that you are looking for

I think of jewelry

vintage is often great value

the designs unique

~ ~ ~

"Candy is dandy"

~ ~ ~

"but liquor is quicker!"

 Yes to a glass of yummy bubbly

~ ~ ~

chocolates are classic

~ ~ ~

flowers are always in fashion

a dozen roses or just one

hand picked or sent from the florist

~ ~ ~

Take care of your heart

and please watch out for symptoms of a heart attack...

in women they are so much different than those that men experience.

Have a look here.

There's a wonderful weekend getaway

fresh in my mind

always a welcome treat.

  Simple. rustic but classic comfort

Hostess approved accommodation!

~ ~ ~

walks on the beach

quiet couple time away

priceless

memorable

and very romantic.

Thanks for sharing my life Mr. HB!

~ ~ ~

I hope that you have something fun planned

 someone special to share it with

and

someone to love.

Happy Valentine's Day!