Tastes of Past and Present Victoria, British Columbia  

by Julie H. Ferguson

I push open the door and the scent of beeswax and fresh flowers transports me to an era when the pace was slower and life more gracious. The innkeeper welcomes me with a pot of tea and freshly baked scones, while explaining that the resident ghost is friendly.

The parlor where I enjoy afternoon tea, and there is no other word for this room, has over-stuffed couches and wing chairs around a fireplace already laid. Heavy furniture lines the room and gloomy landscape paintings hang on the walls; a potted aspidistra sits on a corner table and porcelain figurines clutter the shelves. I’m surrounded by late Victorian taste.

“We serve sherry for our guests in the library at 5:30 p.m.,” the innkeeper says. “I’ll show you where it is on the way up to your room.”

The library is paneled in dark oak with a frieze of tartan wallpaper above the old books. The crystal sherry decanter and glasses stand ready on a silver tray.

I’m in one of Victoria’s Historic Inns on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on the Pacific coast of Canada.  Victoria was a latecomer to elegant living; perched on the outer edge of the British Empire, it grew up fast in the rough and tumble of the Fraser River Gold Rush of the late 1850s. The gold brought money and a society that flaunted its wealth by building huge estates in the late-Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Over a hundred years later, seven of these residences are now historic inns meticulously restored to their original grandeur and fully accredited. Their innkeepers are passionate about maintaining the authenticity of the heritage and welcoming guests to their magnificent bed and breakfast establishments in exclusive neighborhoods. All are within easy reach of Victoria’s downtown harbor, and the farms and wineries of the Saanich Peninsula just north of the city.

“They’re not your average B&Bs, are they?” I say as we climb the stairs to my room.

“Not at all! The inns are four and five star accommodations offering a taste of the Victorian lifestyle for discerning travelers.” he replies. “We give guests, who prefer luxury, a place to stay filled with character. We also offer a choice of seven packages that include Flavours of Victoria and Glorious Gardens. The favorite, though, is the whale watching tour.”

My big room has a monster four-poster bed and a marquetry armoire. The hardwood floor slopes northward a tad but glistens with polish, and the décor is deep rose. Portraits of men and women stare solemnly at me – Victorians never smiled when painted.

“I don’t suppose you offer wireless, do you?” I ask.

“Of course we do; all the inns have it,” he says. “The inns may be Victorian-Edwardian, but we accommodate every visitor’s needs. The computer you saw on the landing half way up the stairs is for guests too.”

I stay in three inns over three nights and I’m relieved to find every bathroom is up-to-date.  All my rooms have ultra-modern ensuites and divinely comfortable mattresses. Each inn is different and infused with the personality of its original owner. One is paneled in golden oak, another in dark.  One is decorated in pastel shades, another in rich colors. One has heavy furniture and bric-a-brac, another is restrained and elegant. All have Victorian paintings and photographs on the walls, but one has some of its present owner’s avant-garde artwork too. All have English gardens heady with perfume, each still blooming in mid-September, and one has a pool and waterfalls.

Tonight I meet my fellow guests over sherry. Conversation focuses on how much we all like the novelty of living in another era: we wonder how the Victorian ladies in corsets managed the heat and how many servants it took to run a house this size.

Each morning I wake to the sun heralding another glorious day and indulge in two or three course gourmet breakfasts, which limit my lunch plans. Breakfast in 1890 would have been more robust with kedgeree, kidneys, and kippers, but I’m happy with the 21st century versions. The breakfasts in the three inns are superb and all ingredients are locally sourced. One day, I eat on a verandah where I meet guests from Germany, Alberta, and the United States. Another day and another inn, guests gather around a huge table in the formal dining room for the lightest lemon-ricotta pancakes I’ve ever tasted.  We chat animatedly, exchanging ideas for today’s adventures. Most are on one of the inns’ two-night packages – one young couple booked the “Heart Pounding Adventures in Victoria” that includes whale watching, a pub lunch, and a choice of either a two hour zip-line tour or a kayak paddle. A pair of Dutch boomers head out on the second day of their “Glorious Gardens” tour that provides entrance to three world-famous sites, including the Butchart Gardens, and a take-home basket of gardener’s goodies. I choose to go it alone.

Over my three days, I cover a lot of ground – a castle, a cemetery, restaurants on the innkeepers’ secret list, Beacon Hill Park with its deer and peacocks, BC’s Lieutenant-Governor’s residence and gardens, and some of the local food and wine producers. I give downtown, the Inner Harbor, and the excellent museums a miss as I’ve seen them before – they’re all worth visiting.

The sub-Mediterranean climate of southern Vancouver Island has encouraged growth in food and drink producers, which in turn has created a vibrant slow food scene in and around Victoria. The timing of my visit after Labor Day ensures I enjoy the bountiful harvest at some of the many producers. For example, I tour Victoria Spirits, the home of Victoria Gin, a few wineries, and Sea Cider Farm with its 1500 heritage apple trees of sixty varieties and a wonderful tasting menu.  I taste fifteen local oysters from different sites at Pescatores; I enjoy six courses, each with a different wine pairing, at Paprika Bistro that uses ingredients from local organic farms and ocean-wise fisheries; and I marvel at the home-cured meats and sausages at Choux Choux, a miniscule charcuterie.

On my last night sleep comes fast and deep, and I dream of a life more gracious, low-key. However, cruising home through the Gulf Islands under a deep blue sky on the ferry, I conclude that the wealthy Victorians at the edge of the Empire were not as comfortable or ate as well. Today Victoria’s Historic Inns offer the best of both eras for travelers, the taste of past and present.

© Julie H. Ferguson 2011

If you go:

Best time is April through September (July and August are crowded).

Weather can be unpredictable at any season, but in November to March it rains a lot.

A car is recommended

Transportation:

Fly into Victoria International Airport;

Drive onto a ferry south of Vancouver, BC (www.bcferries.com), or from Port Angeles, Washington State (www.ferrytravel.com/portangeles.htm)

Car rentals: major companies at Victoria International Airport and downtown. (None at the ferry terminals)

Victoria’s Tourist office: www.tourismvictoria.com

Butchart Gardens: www.butchartgardens.com

Royal BC Museum: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca  

Victoria’s Historic Inns (VHI) group: www.victoriashistoricinns.com.  Here you’ll find the list of inns and each one’s website for all the details.

The VHI packages: www.victoiashistoricinns.com/packages. Click on each one for details.

(These inns are not accessible for those with mobility issues.)

Food and drink:

Paprika: www.paprika-bistro.com

Pescatores: www.pescatores.com

Choux Choux: www.choux.ca

Sea Cider Farm: www.seacider.ca

Victoria Spirits: www.victoriaspirits.com

All photos and video: © Julie H. Ferguson 2011, except: Modern Victorian table.jpg – © Martin LaBar (Creative Commons)