Sunday, December 28
After enjoying a soundless night, the last of Walt’s splendid panettone, and a relaxing morning, during which I caught up my travel blog and Walt walked around the marina to locate the trash and recycling bins, we donned our warm clothes, carried our refuse up to the bins in the parking area to deposit, and hiked up to the main road to catch the 1:30 pm bus to Victoria. Skies were silver-gray and the temperature was about 40 degrees F., but it was not raining, the wind was not blowing, and the neighborhood through which we walked was quite “up-scale” and attractively decorated for the holidays, and so we found our 15-minute stroll to be relatively pleasant.
The bus arrived on time and we clambered up to the top level so that we could see the sights during the hour-long drive to central Victoria through downtown Sidney and a number of nice suburban neighborhoods, along the waterfront and through some farmland, and into the city. We climbed off the bus near a huge outdoor sporting gear store, and Walt was able to purchase a very comfortable pair of waterproof hiking boots on sale. We then walked to the well-known “Market on Yates” to pick up potatoes, celery, and two tasty sausage rolls, and we reached our destination, Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, at about 3:45.
The afternoon’s extended organ work took the place of the usual 4 pm Choral Evensong and was quite well-attended. Each of the nine sections of Olivier Messiaen’s La Nativite du Seigneur (“The Nativity of the Savior”), written in 1935 when the composer was only 27 years old and one of Walt’s favorite organ works, has a title and associated Scripture verse, making each section a musical “meditation” or “reflection” on a particular event in the Christmas Story or on a related theological theme.
This “liturgy” began and ended with Christmas prayers, and Messiaen’s Scripture citations were expanded and read aloud before each portion of the music was exquisitely played by Donald Hunt, Christ Church’s Director of Music and Cathedral Organist, on the church’s magnificent pipe organ, which Walt absolutely adores. Both Walt and I found this to be a much more powerful worship experience than is provided by most traditional services of “Christmas Lessons and Carols!”
We walked from the Cathedral to the bus stop at about 5:30, worked on German exercises during the ride back to the North Saanich Marina past many creative configurations of holiday house and yard decorations, and found our way back to Braesail by the light of numerous glittering yard displays and of a creamy half-moon. Walt prepared a delicious Lamb Bourguignon for a late dinner, over which we discussed plans for a two-hour boat trip to Tod Inlet and an afternoon meander to and through the famous Butchart Gardens on Monday while weather remains cold but rain-free. To be done next: galley clean-up and bedtime routines following a wonderful afternoon of music and worship!
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 