Exploring more of Victoria

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It's 9.38 on the 10th July. We're about halfway through our stay here in Victoria which, as always, has gone so fast. Today I'll write about Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
I got up Tuesday at about 7.20 and went down to the park to do my usual routine of pull-ups, press-ups, squats etc., getting back by 8.30 to write my previous blog. From then until about 10 the others began to wake up and emerge from the bedroom. Everyone made themselves breakfast and we discussed what to do that day. It was still this funny kind of smokey overcast - not quite cloudy but not quite blue skies, so we decided to wait for a properly sunny day before we headed down to the lake. As we'd been into the city the day before it seemed a little too soon to head back in the very next day, so in the end we decided to walk the hour or so up to the nice shopping plaza in Saanich and have a look around a few of the shops.
Matt and Kate weren't to fussed about going and we're happy to spend the day inside, so Rosie and I headed off after lunch. It was hot by the time we'd left the house, and the walk was a mix between baking concrete suburban roads and leafy paved pathways that ran beside the multitude of rivers that snaked through the residential areas. The plaza was one of the nicer of the edge of town shopping complexes. Some we'd seen were just a sprawling asphalt slab for parking surrounded by uninspiring shop fronts, but this one had a patio with benches and trees lining the parking spaces.
We wandered around the shops for a while, then finally decided on buying an American Football from the Canadian Tyre, then headed down to a park halfway between the plaza and the house. On the way we stopped by a Frozen Yoghurt parlour and shared a small pot and some tap water (the budgeting has really started now), and were on our way. We came to the park and spent maybe 30 minutes trying to get the hang of the American Football throw, which we did surprisingly well - then headed back once we got a little too hot out in the open sunshine.
We came home to Matt and Kate in roughly the same place as we'd left them, with Bob already home and Donna soon after. That evening we headed out to their local for a meal and a couple of drinks. It was a nice place - sort of a pub crossed with a sports bar, and the food was good. I had the halibut and chips, which was nearly as good as the fish and chips back home. We didn't get back late, maybe 8, so Rosie and I went down to the local park to play another half an hour or so of catch, before returning to the house to read or write or watch TV or whatever - and then to bed.
Donna had Wednesday off, so we got up at around 8 and got ready to go out for the day. The first stop was Bob's warehouse in Saanichton where he was to give us a tour. The warehouse is pretty much in the airport, and is where all of the local supermarket chains get their products from. Bob walked us through the huge racks of items, then into the cold storage where the perishables were kept - some parts being -20•C under. He explained to us the ways they keep everything working as efficiently and as sustainably as possible, which was really interesting. After he had shown us the offices and lunch rooms etc. we then headed to the coast for lunch. We ate at a little Cajun restaurant called Blue Bayou, which had a patio actually out on the water of the harbour. It was another lovely day, not quite as warm as the day before but a little sunnier. We ate, Rosie and I sharing crab cakes and alligator sausages (which were really good) and had a beer or a cider each.
By the time we left it was probably 2pm, so we headed down the coast to Butchart gardens to walk our food off.
The gardens were much like some of the better ones attached to stately homes back in the UK, with different sections - Italian Garden, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Sunken Garden etc. - and were impeccably kept. It took maybe 2 and a half hours to get all the way around, including a stop to ride the carousel, as was just beautiful in the warm afternoon. There was even a Gelateria at the end to reward our hard work.
We got home at about 5, Bob was already back, and I went for a power nap. Once up I went for a run, after which Rosie and I went to go do a little catch before dinner, and Kate & Matt decided to come along too. We played for maybe an hour, switching between football and rugby throws, then came home to a dinner of barbecued pork chops, with new potatoes and salad. I spent most of the evening carrying on writing my exercise plans while the others watched a film. At 9pm I headed out for a quick walk, and by the time I was back it was pretty much time for bed.
It was another early start Thursday morning for me, getting up at 7am and having a cup of coffee and porridge before training down the park again. It's nice to come back at 8.30 having already exercised and eaten. I cooked myself an omelette and waited for everyone else to get up. It's usually Matt first at around 8.30, then Rosie a few minutes after at 8.35-9, then Kate at around 10-10.30. Once everyone was up and Rosie had finished her run, squats and abs we had a chat about what to do that day. It was a warm one (26•C) and even more sunny, so we decided to head to the lake.
By 1pm we'd packed our lunches, towels and books and began the walk (which was pretty much the same as the walk to the plaza) up to Beaver Lake. We were in the heat of the day and carrying big bags so it wasn't the most pleasant walk, but we finally reached the entrance to the lake, relieved to be in the shade provided by the leafy trees. The lake's beach was only a short walk from here and pleasantly quiet.
We set up and ate our lunch in the company of a little posse of friendly ducks, then settled down to sunbathe and read. I periodically had a little splash around in the lake - which was pretty huge - to cool off, then went back to dozing in the sun. At one point a flotilla of Canada Geese made a bee-line for us, then thankfully diverted away down the beach with one small contingent keeping their beady eyes on us a little while longer and looking like they might have to come peck at us.
We stayed for maybe 3-4 hours, until we were all starting to feel a little pink, then packed up, played a little catch, and headed home. It was a little cooler by now and the walk back was primarily downhill which made it a bit more pleasant. We returned at about 6, having chicken and couscous for dinner, and sitting around a little while with a beer or a glass of wine talking about our days. We were pretty sleepy by 10 that night, the sun having taking it out of us a little bit, and headed to bed to read, before going to sleep by about 11.

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