So what question did I answer wrong? I really don’t know. There was something on my Customs declaration form that the Canadian Customs official didn’t like. “Please wait in that room over there.” So I waited for them to finish processing everyone else, along with other unfortunates who had answered a question wrong. I wasn’t surprised to see the young college-aged man with the backpack waiting in the room with me, but more surprised as the couples joined us. I suspect they added randomly to our ranks. Maybe they have some quota to fill. I wasn’t concerned, just irritated at the delay. The Customs Officer was obviously suspicious, as he went through my backpack, item by item, with his latex-gloved hands. I was thinking, “What HAD I said on that form that made him so suspicious?” My choice of hotel, popular with the younger set, didn’t help. Maybe my Texas address? (The Customs Officer said not.) Not sure if I’ll ever know, but I’d like to figure it out before my next border crossing.
I had purchased a motion sickness watch in Port Townsend, WA, and was eager to see how it performed. It passed with flying colors. On the trip over to Vancouver Island, as the ferry started gently rolling from side to side, that motion that is so deadly for someone with motion sickness, I thought “uh-oh”, but the expected nausea never arrived. And I only had the watch on Level 1 (of 5) the whole way. Then I took a harbor ferry tour today. That turned out to be more of a test than I’d expected. I started feeling queasy and turned the watch up to “2”. Problem gone!! I was delighted. I was able to relax and completely enjoy the ride, looking from side to side, and up and down, and moving around the small vehicle. And I even had just eaten a full meal – something I normally would never do before a boat ride. Hurray!
I had made reservations for a 12:15 afternoon tea at Butchart Gardens, and almost didn’t make it. Between the Customs delay, and the half hour I waited for enterprise auto rental to pick me up at the ferry, I was late for my tea. But they hold your reservation for 15 minutes, and I made that. Whew!
The Butcharts’ home has been turned into a restaurant, so the tea was there. The beautifully decorated home (including lots of bouquets of flowers around, of course) has lots of windows in it, so there are views of the surrounding gardens on all sides. 
When they set me down at my table, with a view of the gardens, and cove, with the hills in the distance, I could hardly believe it.
A perfect view. When my cousin Dick’s son Dave, the lumberjack, had told me that “having tea” was one of the must-do things in Victoria, that sealed it for me, as I was already considering it. I chose to have tea at Butchart Gardens instead of the Empress Hotel because it is more reasonably priced ($27 CAD vs $45-55 CAD), but I lucked out there, I think, as the experience couldn’t have been more perfect. It started with tea, of course. I chose their own strong fruity black Teaberry, which was very good. 
From the menu: Seasonal Berry Trifle; Sausage Roll with Imported Mustard; Roasted Vegetable and Cheese Quiche; Savory Tea Sandwiches: Locally-smoked Wild BC Salmon with Maple and Whole Grain Mustard Cream Cheese, Egg Salad and Watercress, Mango-Curry Chicken Salad with Toasted Cashews, Smoked Honey Ham on a Rosemary and Aged Cheddar Bisquit, Cucumber with Fresh Ginger Cream Cheese; Raspberry Tartlet with Fresh Fruit Raspberry Marzipan Napoleon; Lemon and Poppy Seed Loaf; Coconut Chocolate Macaroon; Our Own Chocolate Grand Marnier Truffle; Our Signature Candied Ginger Scone, Accompanied By Strawberry Jam and Whipped Vanilla Devon-Style Cream. 
As it was a tea, there were only small portions of each thing, served on the traditional three-tiered tray, but each item was exquisitely done and delicious. And, there was more than I could eat, so they graciously sent the lemon poppy seed cake with me for later. Relaxing Classical music playing. And, all the while, the view was perfection. After tea, I toured the grounds. 
The highlights for me were the Sunken Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Ross Fountain (these are “dancing fountains”, similar to the Bellagio fountains, but on a comparatively tiny scale), and the dahlias. 
The roses were past their prime, but the dahlias were exquisite. 
My thought while strolling through the Sunken Garden (which I did three times) was that heaven must be like this – a perfect garden, masterfully planned. I’ve wanted to visit Butchart Gardens for years, and am glad I finally did it.
I drove the 20-plus miles back to Victoria, and drove to the Craigdarroch Castle (pronounced like two boys’ names: “craig derrick”) [photo below]. It’s not really a castle, though it resembles one, so that’s what the locals named it. It reminded me of a Victorian home that Birdie, Stacy, and I toured in Winnipeg, Canada, but much bigger and more elegant: 39 rooms, most of which were part of the tour.
What impressed me the most was the beautiful engraved wood walls and main staircase [photo below], the human hair picture (fashionable in the Victorian age), all the beautiful stained glass windows, and the ballroom on the top floor. 
I checked into my hotel room; I had told Dave I just wanted a clean place to sleep, nothing fancy, and Strathcona fit the bill. It is popular with the younger set, partly because of their beach volleyball court on the top floor. I looked down from my hotel room (in a higher portion of the hotel) and watched a bunch of young people playing beach volleyball barefoot in the sand on the roof of the hotel! The Strathcona also has the advantage of not being on the harbor, where the float planes taking off wake you early in the morning. And they have a free Continental breakfast.
I decided to walk to the Tapa Bar that Dave had recommended to me. I wasn’t disappointed. The halibut ceviche was spicy and delicious – the best I’ve had outside of Texas. The eggplant was just the way I like it (not breaded, so you get the full flavor of the eggplant); the tomato basil sauce was perfect, the goat cheese a wonderful touch. (This one goes on the list of recommended restaurants, Laura, along with the Butchart Gardens tea.)
I walked around downtown a little bit after dinner, enjoyed the views of the Inner Harbor, saw the Empress Hotel in evening light, and waited for dark until the Parliament Building was lit up (with 13,000 lights). It was a full day, and I slept well, looking forward to another day in Victoria.
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