First stop on Vancouver Island was Butchart Gardens. Jennie Butchart started the gardens in 1904 in the Limestone quarry that her husband had excavated near their house. She brought in topsoil from nearby farmlands to line the floor of the quarry and then planted a variety of trees and plants to create the first of the gardens, the Sunken Garden. Later they added the Japanese Garden, the Italian Garden and the Rose Garden. The gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit. Once again the autumn (fall) colours were predominant. The flaming red Japanese Maple tree was my favourite tree. I also rubbed the nose of the boar; it’s just like the one outside Sydney Hospital. Now I just have to visit the one in Italy.