We arrived on Friday night, and Saturday there was a wedding at our hotel. In the lobby as we were checking out, I saw the bride. She was in her middle to late twenties, a reasonable age to wed. Yet, when I saw her, I thought Foolish girl. Foolish, foolish, foolish girl. Why do we believe in monogamy? I tried not to remember my wedding, the innocence, the naiveté. If you asked me then if I would ever be in the spot I am in now -- wondering how my marriage fell so badly apart -- I never would have believed you. And here she is, a young, fresh bride, placing all of her faith and future into the hands of one man. Why?
But one can only be cynical so long in Victoria. Life may suck, but hey -- isn't it good to suffer in a beautiful place?
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| Parliament |
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| Lunch on the veranda at the Gatsby House |
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| Victoria |
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| The harbor in Victoria. |
We spent one night in Victoria, then biked on the Galloping Goose Trail to Sooke. Exercise is another good way to alleviate cynicism. I was focused more on navigating traffic in the city, finding the trailhead, and coping with the extra weight on the back of the bike. The only luggage we had were panniers. I traveled light, taking the minimum. Surprisingly, my bags weighed less than Jack's. On the trail, we saw several couples traveling in the same style, expect they had one set of panniers, and the guy was carrying the entire load. (Note to self: That's the way to go next time.)
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| The trail is an old railroad track and this is a trestle. |
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The Sooke Potholes along the river. Beautiful and cool water. |
On the last night of the trip, Jack had a Felix Felicis experience, named after the the liquid luck in Harry Potter. Years ago, we had a date and went downtown Seattle with no plans. We found a beautiful parking spot near the outdoor sculpture gardens, and we got a table at Le Pichet on Saturday night. For no planning, it was wonderful and we celebrated our good fortune.
In Sooke, we had a similar experience. Before the trip, Jack had been talking about the Sooke Harbor House and its famous restaurant. The place opened in 1979 and specializes in local foods, with everything except coffee, lemons and chocolate coming from British Columbia. After our day of biking to the potholes, I recommended calling the restaurant to see if we could get a table.
"They are usually booked two months in advance," he said.
"It is Sunday night. Let's try," I said.
We had a reservation at 8:00. Our two seat table faced the water and Olympic Mountains. We spied a forest fire through the binoculars on the window ledge. For such a famous restaurant, the place was remarkably laid back. We had oysters and clams and mussels and lamb and halibut. All delicious and amazing.
Over the trip, I enjoyed Jack's company. Which is good and bad. During dinner, he joked and asked if he was back in the black, in terms of deposits in the love bank. We both laughed, knowing there is still work to be done. But, yes, things are improving. He is trying to get his workaholism under control. He is spending more time with me and the kids. At the end of the dinner, I thought I am going to have to stay married to him. I was cautious in my assessment, remembering the last year, that this grief will come in waves where I will be forgiving at one point, then frustrated the next. The downside of having such a nice time is the pain of seeing something that was once so peaceful and steady get knocked down. But I enjoyed the peace while it was there.
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