We're off to Vancouver Island today to Victoria the capital of British Columbia. We drive through the early morning mist to Tsawwassen in Delta the BC ferries departure port. By the time we reach the port the mist has swallowed the sun and become a full blown fog. The large ship unload and load cars and passengers rapidly. The turnaround is much faster than British ferries. Being out of the tourist season the ferries not full but there's a party of noisy school kids and a coachload of Japanese tourist with their big expensive digital cameras. Including tripods and telescopic lens!
The mist lift during the hour and a half voyage through the Georgia Straights and islands. After an onboard breakfast Dave and I wander around the decks while the Nancy knits and Nancylee works.
Disembarking at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal at little the town of Sidney we drive the 30 minutes to Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and find a parking bay under the Empress hotel. The popular Victorian Hotel, famed for it's English 'Afternoon tea'
Victoria British Columbia Canada
Victoria, British Columbia is full of life! Victoria has the mildest climate in Canada, and is a place so green all year that flowers fall out of the sky and even the lamp posts bloom. It is no wonder that it is called The Garden City! The wild beauty of the Pacific coast and the adventure of the great outdoors are within the city limits and ocean and mountain vistas will follow you wherever you go.
Victoria remembers its colourful history with First Nations totem poles, heritage architecture and afternoon tea, and bustles with the energy of a university town, having the University of Victoria, Canada within its limits. Shop windows are full of British imports, Native art and the latest trends. Restaurants and cafés serve the freshest cuisine. The harbour is alive with the romance of an era when tall ships moored alongside the wharf and evenings glitter as lights twinkle and cast their magic from atop the landmark British Columbia Legislative Buildings.
The Garden City is a year-round tourism destination that offers a friendly, safe haven for all visitors. Getting here is very easy, and, once here, you will feel a million miles away. With a clean environment and charming ambiance, it is no surprise that Victoria, BC is one of the world's favourite destinations. Source - Victoria Tourism website
One of the many piece of street sculptures. This one is a movable steel globe suspended in water
The Carrillion bell Tower a gift from the Netherlands in 1957
The Harbour in Victoria
Genteel Sightseeing transport
Toffee apples in a Chocolate shop
Mad Moose Ilett
Victoria is a beautiful town, unspoilt by commercial modernism. No high rise glass skyscrapers here. It retains its wide tree lined Avenues, lined with brick built Victorian and early 20th century buildings. There are many small boutique shops and upmarket tourist shops selling some beautiful clothes and objects. The wool shop we find is a really large shop stuffed with such a variety of wools and yarns. There are some really stylish knitted designs with some great yarns. I find a pattern for a small shoulder wrap that would look great over a simple black top. The yarn is recycled from silk saries spun by women in Nepal.
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