Guest Comments

The Times Herald - Living Section - August 31, 1999

by Jim Weaver

…….We chose to stay at Gingerbread Cottage, one of the many bed and breakfasts here…….. Our B & B had the best breakfasts we have experienced in more than 30 years of staying at such establishments…… 

Dear Vanessa, our stay here has been simply wonderful! You have made us feel as though we had come home. I think we have perhaps gained 10 pounds on your spectacular breakfasts!

The Lavender Room is sweet and we found a gentle sense of tranquility within. Thank you for your kind and generous hospitality…..We are looking forward to returning to the Gingerbread Cottage soon!

K&C Miller, Seattle, WA,, USA

…the Food was good beyond words and you have us feel very comfortable.

A, K & E Watkins, Port Angeles, USA

We take away warm memories of you and your cottage. You have a special way of sharing your home and your heart that made us feel gifted by you. And then there’s the magnificent meals…! We look forward to coming back to Victoria and to see you again. In the meantime, we will hold on to our memories, each and every day. B. & A. Armstrong, Regina, Sask. , CA

Vanessa - Thank you so very much for your warm hospitality. You are an unbelievable hostess and incredible cook. You made us feel right at home. Our taste buds came alive from your gourmet cooking. The Gingerbread Cottage is definitely an experience! We will tell our friends in New Hampshire

S & C Hill, Hampton, New Hampshire, USA

Vanessa, you are a wonderful hostess and an extraordinary cook! Your breakfasts were truly out of this world. Your B & B is charming with so many extra touches that mean so much - the lavender bath salts, lavender massage oil, down comforters, feather pillows, wonderful soft, luxurious bed with the lace sheets, etc. etc. etc. But what makes the Gingerbread Cottage so special is you - your warmth and caring personality shows how much you love what you are doing and your efforts to make everyone feel that they are welcome. This is a real home-away-from-home.

We will heartily recommend the GBC to anyone traveling to Victoria.

J. & J. Johnson, Mercer Island, WA, USA

Dear Vanessa,

We gratefully thank you for your warm and inviting hospitality. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to stay with you in beautiful Victoria. There is no doubt in our minds that your home is the most comfortable in all of British Columbia. Our deepest thanks goes out for the time and special care you took when preparing our morning meals. Your gift for the “Gourmet” rivals the best on the North American Continent. We look forward to spending time with you in the future. May God bless you and keep you until we meet again.

J & J, Michingan, USA

Gracie di cuore fer l’ottrima ospitalita e fer l’ottrima cucina.

S. R., Milano, Italy

Vanessa, beautiful Vanessa,

It’s true that you cook delicious gourmet breakfasts, it’s also true that your cottage is lovely and inspiring. And what is the best of all, what makes the difference, is your presence! How you inhabit this place, how you fill it with your generosity and your desire to please us. You made us feel comfortable because or your simplicity.

And then, we should remember our landlady and her pink house in the cooking book we bring with us.

Sonia & Alain, Kitimat, BC

Vanessa,

What a wonderful B&B! Great bed, great hospitality and sensational food. We’re only sorry we cannot stay longer.

C. & P. Clark, Melbourne, Australia

Dear Vanessa,

Thank you for everything. Breakfast is very delicious. Room is very beautiful, and you are very kind. So we had a good time in Victoria. Please come to Japan, Sapporo, and Our Home. Thank you so much!

Kentaro and Yuko, Sapporo, Japan

Vanessa,

Your gourmet breakfasts were unique! A very talented woman - look forward to using your two books and recommending your recipes to our Yellowknife friends and family.

Expect future visits from other Yellowknifers as we sill definitely recommend your lovely B&B. Also hope to have you catering in Yellowknife sometime!

With Love, Louise & Stewart, Yellowknife, Canada

We can’t believe our luck in having stumbled upon the best B & B in all Victoria. Although this is our first B & B experience, I’m sure, now that all future B & B’s will be slightly disappointing and cause me to dream of coming back here…

Goes without saying that the food was wonderful, but we also greatly enjoyed visiting with such a dynamic and interesting host. I feel we could learn much from you…..

M. & L. Collings, Seattle, WA, USA

Vanessa, Breakfast was DIVINE! We had such a truly lovely stay! You are so warm & made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. Your house is so charming! We’d love to keep in touch and will be sure to tell everyone we know. God bless you!

Love, Melodie & Shannon, Chesapeake, Virginia, USA

Vanessa!

GINGERBREAD COTTAGE IS QUITE SIMPLY

“THE BEST”

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!

Ron and Gwynne, Alice Springs, Australia

Dear Vanessa!

We spent 10 glorious days with you and enjoyed every minute of it - from your singully delicious mega-huge breakfasts to your exotic mouth-watering Thai dinner…and so on! We thank you so much for making our Canadian vacation so delightful. Best wishes for the B & B and your many other future endeavours. We’ll miss you…so let’s keep in touch!

Baci, Karen & Michel, Milano, Italy

Dear Vanessa,

Thank you so much for your gracious & generous European hospitality. I never thought I’d get to stay with Canada’s “Martha Stewart” - I learned some new tips about hospitality and cooking in observing your videos - and by your service to us.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in getting to know you and your home. May God bless you abundantly and your home & heart. Thank you

Justin & Catherine, Snohoma Valley, California, USA

Je te remercie du fond do coeur pour ton hospitalite sans borne et la chaleur.

A la prochaine, j’espere

Patrick, Calgary, CA

Thanks Vanessa for your wonderful breakfast. We can’t speak very well English, but you and your nice house will be forever in our minds.

Forza Atalamts, Bolzano, Italy

Dear Vanessa, It is always exciting to meet a kindred soul. Your hospitality is beyond description, your cooking superb, your sharing of experience so sincere and appreciated. You are a wonderful person with caring energy! Thank you for both sharing your home, your energy and your caring spirits. May your guidance be rich. In loving friendship, Gloria, Calgary, CA

Dear Vanessa,

Thank goodness for the internet! Our long weekend get-away became a gourmet experience. The raving to our friends has already begun! Thank you for your lovely warm hospitality, the little extra personal touches, and the breakfasts that dreams are made of. We wish you the best of luck!

John & Kirsty, North Vancouver, CA

Five absolutely incredible days and nights! Meeting you for the first time was like being reunited with our best friend. You are so warm and friendly - making us feel immediately comfortable and very much at home in your Gingerbread Cottage. When the word gets out about you and all the wonderful things you do for your guests, you will have a waiting list that’s miles long.

Thank you for the magic you created. We have never in all of our life tasted food like yours! Seriously! Each and every meal was like no other. And as we watched you prepare it with ease we sould see the LOVE that went into it as well. That must be your secret and that is what will always separate your B & B from any others! The memories we’ll take back to Arizona will last us a lifetime.

You are truly in a rare category where only the finest people reside.

Love, Linda & Dave, St. Gilbert, AZ, USA

Vanessa von Schellwitz

Coming to Canada from Salzburg Austria, Gingerbread has been a big part of my life since early childhood.

Gingerbread has a long history, since medieval times it has been used because of its ability to stay fresh and wholesome for long periods of time, thus making it possible to take on early voyages and pilgrimages.

We hope to hear from you!