A fantastic place to stay!
We spent 3 months in this beautiful home while on sabbatical and enjoyed every moment of our trip. Don't let the age of the area fool you - the house has been fully renovated and has many modern touches, and the location is perfect. The house is situated on a quiet street in the James Bay area of Victoria. Downtown Victoria, the beach, a great grocery store, local restaurants/pubs, and Beacon Hill Park can all be easily reached by walking less than 10 minutes. We walked downtown and to the beach daily, and did the vast majority of our grocery shopping at the Thrifty's (like Safeway/Sobeys) 3 blocks away. We only used our car for larger excursions outside of Victoria during our stay.
The home itself is quite large with a sensible layout that provides ample space for a family or group to be comfortable. The three (2 on the main level, 1 upstairs) bedrooms are large, each with very comfortable beds and ample closet space.
On the main level, we made regular use of the large, well-appointed kitchen, choosing often to cook our own meals. Off the kitchen is a sunny sitting room with large windows, a comfy couch, and a large TV - a perfect place to read a book or relax with a good movie. Also on the main level is a large dining room, the main washroom (also well-appointed), laundry closet, and a large front parlour complete with a fireplace, chairs, and a couch that can be open or closed off from the dining room via sliding doors. We made great use of the parlour as a workspace during our visit as it was the perfect quiet place to work on a laptop or study reference material.
Upstairs, in addition to the huge bedroom, there is a second washroom and a large family room with a TV, couches, and skylights. Our kids loved to spend time in the family room to play and do their homework.
We also enjoyed the sunny back patio and the beautiful backyard which provided another great space for our kids to play. The patio is well equipped with chairs and a table, as well as a great barbeque - a perfect place to grill up something tasty.
Chris and his father Michael were fantastic hosts, providing quick and willing help with whatever we needed. We left wanting nothing more than to stay longer! Can't wait to return!