weekend pics, my weekend away

hi! i spent the weekend in victoria with one of my favourite girlfriends.  this was my first trip alone in a few years and so great to spend it with a good friend.   
 
here are a few photos i took on our trip (i forgot my camera so these are taken with my crappy phone camera).  we stayed at the magnolia hotel, a recently renovated boutique hotel located right in downtown. it was beautifully done with greys and taupes and bowls of apples, and that rug at reception i loved the most.  we ate at rebar and ferris' oyster bar and grill -  there was mussels and ahi tuna and oysters; items i normally don't eat with my boys.  so good.  we attended a play, the rez sisters, at the belfry.  we pampered ourselves at silk road with a green tea facial and the best neck/shoulder and arm/hand massage ever, we bought tea too (they make lovely teas).  we visited munro's bookstore, a gorgeous place to while away time (it's a must).  and we visited boutique shops with stops for ice teas and london fogs.  the weather was spectacular.



 

 

 

i have only been back one day and it's been a bit of a busy one...  i painted another wall in the house, tidied and laundered, washed the floors, ran errands with my little guy, and now i'm sick; a nasty cold.  fingers crossed and some vitamin c for me.  so glad i had the weekend away.

peachland, paradise in the okanagan

our annual trip to the okanagan was spent in peachland, okanagan's little oasis.  along with friends, we rented a lovely home down the street from the lake. it came with a climbing tree in the front and a pool in the back. the kids loved it.  it was a lovely place to call home for the week.



it was easy to slow down and relax.  we practically lived at the lake (it was so hot).  rope swinging and zip lining (while simultaneously yelling, just me) into the lake.  swimming.  there was also some paddle boarding fun too.  perfecting the running front flip (not me!).  learning to skip stones. each day came with an ice cream for the kids and some of us adults too.  our home cooked dinners, eaten outdoors, were divine - salmon cooked on a cedar plank, beer can chicken, salads with local strawberries, gorgeous garlicky green beans, a lemony beet salad and the most delicious cherry pie to name a few.  bliss bakery was just down the road.

of course, there was wine too.  tasting our way through summerland and naramata, buying bottles, drinking.  we dined at quails gate and talked about our meal for days.  they have a grassy area for lounging, taking in the view and watching the sun set.  if you buy a bottle of wine at some of the wineries you can use their patio for a picnic, which we happily did on a couple of occasions (order the gewürztraminer at thornhaven). 

travelling with our friends was the best part by far.  they made it super easy to relax and enjoy.  ximena and i first bumped into one another at granville island with our littles, she was curious about kai's dutch tee.  we then went our separate ways.  i remember telling stefan about my encounter with her and how i wish i had asked for her number.  not long after, we ran into her, petter and livia at the sumac ridge winery in the okanagan.  this time i asked for her number and we've been friends ever since.  although they haven't lived in vancouver for almost six years, we picked up exactly where we left off, including kai and livia.  it was easy and comfortable and a lot of fun.  the are the sweetest family.

the house







 
the lake

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

  

 

 

 



 

 

the rope swing, the zip line, and the diving board

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 

 

 

wineries







taking shade among the vines



 

 

 

 

 

sometimes the kiddos didn't want to go to winery to winery



 



 

 

 



the kettle valley steam railway train



 

 

 

 



i love that we british columbians just need to look under our own nose to find the perfect summer getaway.

if you like, take a peek at some of our other okanagan trips 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.