Welcome into a new week – how nice you’ve come to share a few minutes and perhaps even listen to the audio version of this blog, which we put together lovingly every week day. I have a few treats for you today: a few days ago I went to the world famous Butchart Gardens – not a place you’d consider visiting in the last third of February, except that they’ve put together an amazing indoor display.
 
Now, I know it’s not as if you’re going to hop on a plane and come to see it before it closes March 15, when the focus returns to the outdoor magic of this sprawling estate just about fifteen minutes’ drive from our home, but I thought, why not? I’ll share some pictures of the transformation of a cafeteria into an indoor paradise. 
 
Interestingly, this is also the only time of year that The Butchart Gardens welcomes wedding ceremonies; they take place in this space late in the day when guests of the bride and groom can gather and celebrate their dear ones’ nuptials, rather than have the visiting public milling about. As perfect as the grounds of the Gardens are during the spring and summer months, it would be simply impossible to have weddings without hundreds of strangers crashing your photos – inadvertently or otherwise, right?
 
By the way, before we get to the photos, I have some important news on the river cruises Mike and I are hosting with AMA and New Wave Travel which I mentioned here two weeks ago. Having gauged interest through phone calls and emails, our friend Gerry Koolhof and the folks with whom he coordinates these group trips have decided to concentrate on one cruise: the Tulip Time journey in April 0f 2019.
 
The other cruise was, from what people  were telling Gerry, just a little too close to Christmas and the busy times that come with it here at home, plus folks who’d never been to Europe said they’d rather experience it in the spring. We all get that, so, together at Tulip Time it is!
 
This cruise, carefully picked by Gerry and his partners at the luxurious AMA Waterways, takes place aboard the one-year-old AmaKristina and celebrates the joy of spring on a special charter through Amsterdam, Bruges, Middelburg and Ghent. Chocolate, Belgian waffles, history and…tulips! Of course, Mike and I will guarantee you have a good time while we’re together, too, and we’re excited that a number of couples have already booked! Make sure you’re not left behind. Details are below:
 

 
A reminder that there are special offers if you book by this Wednesday, February 28th. This trip is an exclusive offer through New Wave and you can contact Gerry at the number or email above.
 
And now, because you shouldn’t have to wait to see blossoms, here are a few highlights from The Butchart Gardens, a must-see destination for all visitors to Vancouver Island (and residents like us, too). Even when there’s been an unusual snowfall, the place looks magical. Enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow: a random act of kindness that turned into so much more.