Sunday, August 23, 1992 - North Shore News - 39

Let the cats wisk you away to historic Victoria

SOMETIMES YOU just have to get away for a few days.
Now. Next weekend at the latest. Not after hours spent
packing the car, driving, or sitting in it in ferry or border
lineups, but “whisked away” with a toothbrush and a

minimum of iogistics.
_ For. North Shore residents, it
can be as simple as a quick call to

Royal Sealink Express (687-6925),

and a bus transfer. The short sce-
" nic ride on “the SeaBus (almost
‘ enough to give you second

+, thoughts), gently prepares you for
, gm exhilarating 2'2-hour cruise

from .Waterfront Station, acruss
" Georgia Strait and through the
Guilt. Islands, to quayside directly
in: front of the rie Visto ia in

to.Fun. you. across ia their wuxury
cabin cruiser and pick you up in a
day-or- two, it doesn’t get any bet-

beats a two-sailing
wait. tailgate . party in a sun-

of up to er knots, the

Norwegian-buiit ‘ie-hall “Fly-

nformation: |

ill. College Ave:,.

, Montreal: Quebec H3A

14) 849-6394,

1'Spa pe ness Ainsworth
¥ ‘north. of Nelson,”

yic management..

\ Wendy ‘Pope, who ‘left .

anvlyst “to: start. Mountain Trek,
says -her. ta caters to guests at all

more <information: Moun-
Fimess, Retreat & Health

e more noise’

By John Meore
Contributing Writer

ing Cats’? may lack wings, but
they don’t need them: the view is
better at sea-level.

Seating is airplane style: com-
foriable recliners, a bit short on
legroom for the verticaily-gifted,
but you-can walk around and en-
jey the breezy afterdeck for a
breath of unconditioned air.

Royal . Seafink’s ticket
and crew ate energetically efficient
and friendly and, without meaning
to damn with faint praise, the
coffee and snacks available far
outstrip) 8.C. Ferries’ despite
testricted galley space.

Our only quibble was with the
lack of quayside organization on
the Vancouver end.

Letting 300 people, all merely

seeking, directions about how and

THE ASTUTE TRAVELLER
wee
- Fall “foliage,

of : Nova. Scotia, historic Boston,
plus the excitement of New York

--are all” offered in| Royal Cruise

‘Line's seven- or 14-day eastern
seaboard trips in September and

"October.

‘Voted tops among cruise lines

. by Condi Nast Traveler in its most -
.Fecent -reader’s survey,

Cruise‘ Line’ fares for the 765-

passenger Royal Odyssey’s east ©
_coast cruise start at $1,868.

‘Departure is from either Mon-

. teal or New York, with an option
. of two nights in Montreal. .

- For ‘more™ information: *

‘Suite. 1400, San Francisco, Calif.
94111. Telephone: (415) 956-7200.

‘Ou

hear today, the less
ou'll hear tomorrow.

fyou can prevent hearing loss, ‘call us tollfree .
10 465-4327 or contact your local office:

5 Hearing Society Foundation 9)

agents ©

: the. charm ‘of :
French Canada, the rugged beauty ;

Royal |

: Royal ©
- Cruise. Lines, One Maritime Plaza,

where to line up in polite, stolid,
Canadian fashion, mill around for
30 minutes produced an at-
mosphere of palpable irritation
that could have been forestalled
simply by stationing a staff/crew
info officer-in the boarding area
as the airlines do.

To arrive in Victoria on the
“Flying Cats” is to experience the
wonder of early Royal Navy navi-
gators tike Cook and Vancouver,
who immediately appreciated the
natural advantages of the pro-
tected anchorages and healthy,
temperate climate that mace Vic-
toria/Esquimalt the Pacific ‘‘hos-
pital’’ station for’ sailors
debilitated: by service in the Far
East. .

Downtown Victoria remains de-
fiantly low-rise, humane and
heritage-conscious, subtly domi-
nated by two- and three-storey
turn-of-the-century buildings

whose multi-textured facades and -

modest skyline invite rather than
intimidate the casual stroller.
At’ street-level, staid ‘‘Vic-
torian” Victoria is anything but.
Sidewalk cafes and bistros

The Chinese: have long: been
famous for’ their love of: tea. To
appreciate’ how . far back, this en-
chantment goes, visit the Museum
of Teaware in Hong Kong. :

Located in. Flagstaff House, .the-

city’s: oldest ..surviving ‘colonial-

abound; from traditional English
‘“*teas’* at the Empress and Crystai
Palace (in its tatest incarnation,
home to a riotous collection of
exotic birds and plants), to
gourmet burgers and upscale delis.

If you must sit down for din-
ner, the Herald Street Caffe (546
Herald St.) deserves its rap as one
of Victoria’s trendiest venues.

The menu is  bistro-eclectic,
featuring fresh, imaginatively
dressed pastas and intriguing en-
trees like Blackcurrant Chicken.

Eat with dessert in miad, since
they too are invented in-house.

Wonderful selection of wines by
the glass, if you can't spare an
hour to peruse the wine list. Res-
ervations for dinner recommended
(381-1441).

Go early and get a goad table; a
premier people-watching place
that gets busy about 7 p.m. and
stays humming ‘til after midnight.

To work up an appetite for ©
if the weather is fine,. .

dinner,
perambulate through Bastion
Square, Market Square, China-

town’s Fan Tan Alley, or troll the .
_ antique shops along Fost Street.

A brisk walk or short cab ride
will. take you to. Craigdarroch
Castle, coal-baron )
Dunsmuir’s . poignant. Scottish

baronial folly, at 1050 Joan Cres. “-..
Should it. rain, by: ali means‘
take refuge in the Royal British |

Columbia Museum. Not free, . as

some guidebooks suggest, but. ‘well :
worth the $5 adult admission...
Don’t miss the super. ‘exhibit -
devoted to the ‘evolution :of ‘the ©
tradition .

Kwakiutl ‘‘potlatch’’ .

style building, : the exhibits- range . |

from a -10th-century  goatskin

flask to cups of the ‘finest -

porcelain. . Flagstaff. House -is in

Hong Kong Park, 10 hectares of ..
-green sét among the skyscrapers

of the Central District.
“~ The -Museum . of Teaware is

open daily’except Wednesday, 10 “3

a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For. more information: Hong
Kong Tourist’. Association, © 347
Bay St., Suite 909, Toronto, Ont.
‘MSH 2R7. “Telephone: 416) 366-
2389.

There's nothing like Y

: knowing your table is
set-with the. best of -
“everything, including

; Royal Crown Derby
English Fine Bone -
China. , ;

_ But now the re-
‘ward is-even greater:
For every $300 you:

oN
spend on Royal Crown

~ harbor vie ne

that has withstood both being
outlawed and colonial corruption
for a century, or the ‘‘Old Town”
exhibit, where every effort has
been made to place artifacts —
mostiy turn-of-the-century — in
historical! context.

As to a bed for the night, there
are more than half a dozen hotels,
in varying price ranges, within
easy walking distance of the Vic-
toria quay. .

We chose the Chateau Victoria ©
(sot) and found it very comforta- oan

¢. *
The hotel beasts Victoria’ Ss only.
rooftop restaurant, The Parrot“
House, a fine place for a leisurel
breakfast, and a cosy , den-lik
lounge, Victoria Jane’s, “on th
fobby level. :

One of. the. nicest - aépects: O!
travelling on the’ “Flying Cats”
returning to Vancouver's:
ship”. ap:

proach.

vance, adult return: fare. is $48
(plus GST, of course)... 7

If you can’t, ‘it'll cost you $67,
so bite dewn hard. . »

Robert |

: Don't miss this :
unique opportunity .
:to save on the

‘world’s finest china.

: Offer available only :

on instock Patterns.

We. just made owning the world’s,
finest china even more rewarding.

he. Royal Crown a baby : :

” Hurry: Omer ends October 10,- 1 1992...

Eaton's Downtown

Royal Sou |

KimJohn

The Ray:.

The’ Royal Doulton. Store