My
Island Haven at Sooke Harbour House
By Marsha Steeves
Just
45 minutes from Victoria, at the southwest tip of Vancouver
Island, lay an intimate cozy hideaway called "Sooke
Harbour House". A picturesque "Country Inn",
surrounded by gardens of herbs and colourful blossoms.
You will feel like you have just come home.
You may be greeted by Fredrica and Sinclair Philip,
then escorted to your choice of 28 themed guest rooms.
Delightfully designed, and decorated with local west
coast art. My favorite is # 14 - "The Victor Newman
Longhouse Room". A central , see-through wood-burning
fireplace surrounded by native carvings and masks, rests
beside a tub for two with a view! Being a native art
fan, I was in my glory! No sound to be heard but the
waves slapping up on the beach. No television, just
simple, natural pleasures to enjoy. Your room stocked
instead with an array of interesting books to read,
one of which I picked up " Top Ten Restaurants
of Canada", little did I know "Sooke Harbour
House" was in there! Also for enjoyment, a fine
classical collection of CD's available at the front
desk. I began to find it difficult to leave my room!
Being
a Travel Agent, with a bit of a jet-set lifestyle, I
always thought I had to fly across the waters to "escape".
I didn't know I could find such a treasure so close
to home.
The
first night I was invited to dinner in their renown
Dining Room. A fire burning and a complete backdrop
of the sea, no distractions but the dining experience
that was about to begin. I decided to be adventurous
and indulge in the "Gastronomical Adventure"!
A 7 course tasting menu, paired with the finest of local
wines. My waiter, Brian was so helpful as he offered
a great introduction to each entrée and glass of wine.
My
"paired" Tasting Menu
The menu began with a sea urchin fritter garnished with
an apple cicely salad complimented with a Brut Rose.
It was now time to enjoy , a free range suckling kid
tartare with pickled fushia berries, complimented by
a 1997 Gewurztraminer. Such a tapestry of tastes! Next,
octopus Corn Bread soon followed with wild sorrel and
chickweed salad, complimented by a 1994 Pinot Noir.
The next creation. a white onion stuffed with chanterelle,
complimented by 1998 Meritage. Next a halibut and red
rock crab steamed napoleon with a gention sage, complimented
by a 1998 Chardonnay. Next, David Wood's montana cheese
stuffed, baked tomato over a slice of delicata squash.
The grand finale was the desert, roasted quince with
apple brandy ice cream. The final toast being a 1998
Pinot Blanc ice wine!
The wine cellar included
a collection of over 1000 Canadian wines, mostly local
hand picked to compliment the available menu items.
Each dish was a true masterpiece and was garnished with
fresh herbs or edible flowers that were picked fresh
from the garden.
After this dining experience that lasted almost 3 hours,
I came to the conclusion that I had experienced the
very best in dining!
Garden of Eden
The next morning,
I awoke and stepped out on my private balcony to beds
of flowers, tearing down the slopes towards the shore.
The scent of lavender in the air was a welcoming aroma.
I took the option to have breakfast in my room. The
staff treated me like I was a very special guest in
their home. There was not a lot of decision making on
"what to do", something I quite relished,
so I chose to take a stroll down the pebble beach to
explore for driftwood. Later, I enjoyed a complimentary
picnic lunch prepared for me, sitting on a bench overlooking
the sea. In the midst of a wonder of lush gardens of
flora and herbs, I felt like I was swept away to my
very own Garden of Eden, a place to partake for a short
time enjoying life's finest pleasures!
For information on Sooke Harbour House visit:
www.sookeharbourhouse.com
|
