Celebrate the ‘velo’

Did you know Victoria was the biking capital of Canada? Apparently it is. Coming up later this August there is a festival to celebrate biking culture. Check out all the details: http://www.velovictoria.com/what.html

Galiano Wine Festival: 8 August

The beautiful Galiano Island is hosting a white festival this Saturday 8 August to benefit the local Health Care Society. Tickets are $30.00.  More details:

http://galianowinefestival.com/

A humorous take on white people’s love for wine brought to you by stuff white people like: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/25/24-wine/

Fruit Tree project – Volunteering

One of my favourite community projects in Victoria is the Life Cycles Fruit tree project. he Fruit Tree Project uses volunteers to harvest fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste. The fruit that is picked is distributed between the homeowners, volunteers, food banks and community organisations within Victoria. The project also organizes a range of projects on preserving fruit. Last year I picked lots of different types of apples, pears, and quinces. I made a pile of jams and jellies as well as preserving pears in jars and making quince paste. To learn more about this project, to book to have the fruit from your tree picked or to sign up to be a volunteer click on this link:

http://lifecyclesproject.ca/initiatives/fruit_tree/

Cheap eats – red fish blue fish

Red Fish /Blue fish is a lovely little take out seafood restaurant located in the docks in the harbour. One of the many cool features of Red Fish/Blue fish is that it is housed in a refurbished grey, marine blue shipping container. RF/BF is famous for their fish tachos and edamame tachos which come with a side salad of coleslaw. On our last visit I had the BBQed fanny bay oysters which came with a green salad. The oysters were fantastic but the salad was rather disappointing. The leaves were very heavily coated with a sweet creamy dressing. Luckily the location always make up for anything that is lacking in the food. We sat on the cute little wooden stools, watched the sea planes and boats coming and going in the harbour and were cooled by the sea breeze. What a lovely way to spend a hot summer evening.