It was raining pretty hard in Seattle when we got up for the day. I made a call to Kenmore Air, the company that operates the float plane service to Victoria to inquire if they had any idea on seat availability. In addition to showing at full capacity, the lady also stated that there was a possibility the flight might not take off at all due to wind issues. It was settled then. There are only two flights from SeaTac airport to Victoria, one that leaves at 11am and the other not until 430pm. It was now after 9am. Nicole quickly ran out to get us some pastries for breakfast and we quickly jumped into a Lyft back to the airport.
Security was a bit tedious, but we got to the gate about ten minutes before the Alaska/Horizon Air flight started boarding. We got seats together on the Embraer 175 and were quickly on our way to Victoria. It must be one of the shortest scheduled international flights in the world — we arrived in about 30 minutes. We were quick through customs. I debated with Nicole whether the customs agent was making small talk with me or was actually interrogating us about our sightseeing plans. Hard to tell in Canada.
I was able to change the rental car for picking up at the Victoria airport and dropping off in downtown Victoria. We are still going to attempt the float plane on the way back. The airport is almost an hour’s drive to downtown Victoria, so we broke it up with a stop at the Butchart Gardens. As soon as I paid the entry fee, it started raining. I was worried about my purchase being a bust. In addition to the rain, I somewhat assumed everything would just be dead this time of year. Based on the pops of color I saw on our approach to Victoria, I was holding out hope that there might at least be some fall foliage to admire.
We both agreed that despite having to deal with the rain that came and went throughout our time there, it was well worth the price of admission. The leaves were a nice vibrant color. Being the offseason, there also weren’t too many people that we had to share the space with. My favorite area was the Japanese garden. The abundant rain that this area of the world gets provided some nice mossy rocks and stone lanterns. After touring the gardens, we had an afternoon tea at their coffee shop with a scone. It then began raining harder.
After we partially dried off in the car over the remaining 35 minute drive to Victoria, we checked into the Abigail’s Inn — a Tudor-style bed and breakfast with old-timey charm. After settling in, we headed back out into the downtown area to explore a bit. We parked near Victoria’s Chinatown and walked through a photogenic Fan Tan Alley. According to the internet, it used to be a hive of illegal activity like opium shops and gambling, but is now home to craft stores and record shops. Nicole bought a cassette tape to listen to in her car.
We had dinner at Pinhalla Pinball Pizzeria. After a few slices and a few pints, I was surprised to find sticky toffee pudding on the menu as well. Being a specialty British dessert, I was taken aback to find it at the pizza and pinball place. Given that it is in fact the 5th of November, remember remember? . . .it seemed appropriate to consume this for the night of the gunpowder plot aka bonfire night in the UK. I had half-joked to Nicole that I was going to attempt to make such a dish at home for the occasion. Alas, it seems a bit more complicated to bake than I would have liked and we are also away. Typical. So thank you Pinhalla Pinball Pizzeria for inexplicably having sticky toffee pudding on your menu.
Though the “pudding” was unexpected at such an establishment, the pinball machines were not. There were perhaps twenty or so pinball machines plus a variety of vintage arcade games to plug our tokens into. I regaled Nicole with tales of New York City having banned pinball machines because Mayor LaGuardia believed it was a form of gambling and linked to the mob. A “professional” pinball player (they exist?!) named Roger Sharpe convinced the city council that it indeed required skill.
That does not reflect our experience. In fact, it seems there is more luck involved than anything. Ban it all! Our tokens were gone in a matter of minutes. Others seemed to be playing the machines longer, so maybe they knew something that we didn’t. More research is required. After dinner, we went back to the Inn and relaxed down in the library room with a bit of Trivial Pursuit and tea.
We retired for the evening back to our room where we turned on the double-sided fireplace and settled in for the night. Tomorrow will naturally bring more rain, but we have many contingency plans to keep us hygge and cozy.
passports & pepto bismol 