Who: VN Editorial Assistant Lisa MickleboroughWhat: A Canadian ex-pat returns for a weekend of love and leisure
Where: Victoria, BC, Canada
When: March 7–9, 2008
Why: To visit loved ones in my home and native land!
The Scoop: I’ve lived in San Francisco for almost three months and, while I would not say I’ve become homesick per se, when the opportunity presented itself to return to Canada for the weekend (thanks to a gentleman--see the photo below--who loves me enough to split my airfare), I felt I was in no position to pass it up. Although I am from Toronto, several of my nearest and dearest live in Victoria, BC. By land, air, and sea, I schlepped my over-stuffed suitcase (you never know when you’ll need seven black t-shirts) to Victoria, and stayed with Joey, loved-one #1. He took me around to Victoria’s vegan hotspots, including casual and cozy Green Cuisine, an all-vegan, mostly organic buffet and bakery, where we picked up some surprisingly inexpensive, house-made, organic tofu and tempeh for supper. The morning of day two was spent with loved one #2, Ms. Hilary, who took me to a bustling little retro nook called Lady Marmalade, which, while not entirely vegan, did offer some fantastic vegan brunch options. The service was friendly but slow, although we were so pleased to be reunited that we didn’t even notice. Later on, after an afternoon of rigorous thrift-store shopping with #1, we ducked into Lotus Pond, a charming little Buddhist vegan restaurant where we enjoyed a crispy lemon “chicken” platter and a smoky mock-fish dish served over perfectly sautéed gai lan. I may not have been homesick, but after such an indulgent weekend, it was certainly hard to leave. Hungry for more about BC’s vegan scene? Check out the May+June issue of VegNews when it hits newsstands mid-April for our Vancouver VegEscapes feature.
