Day 32 Victoria

What a day, what a day, filled with surprises! As we were preparing to leave for brunch at Willie’s Bakery the young girl from the campground came by the trailer with a message from John and Roger. We knew it was actually Joan and Roger, our friend Julie’s sister and her husband. They had been following the blog and knew that we were in Victoria. We made plans to meet for lunch under the Carillon, in front of the museum. We have visited with Joan and Roger many times over the years as they came to Ontario to visit so we were very much looking forward to the visit on their turf.

Willie’s Bakery was a real treat. Cliff and Liz had been there before so it was a ringer for breakfast. A lovely little patio in the heart of downtown, we sat in delightful surroundings and enjoyed good, bold coffee and a delicious breakfast.

Enjoying breakfast on Willie's Bakery terrace.

Following our ease into the day, we went our separate ways as Cliff and Liz headed off to meet up with their daughter Joanna and her friend Morgan. David and I were looking forward to our time to putter through downtown discovering the countless treasures that lay in wait. We started out on foot exploring neighborhoods that presented themselves. Everywhere you look there is something to discover.  Window boxes overflow with blossoms. We even saw bicycles with flowers planted in front baskets. Statues, totems and interesting “street decorating” are everywhere.

Even back allies are decorated! Plants everywhere and the outside wall of one building painted like the sky

Beautiful flower boxes

Although it was still quite early, and a holiday, Capital Iron was open for business – and what a business it is! Where else I ask you, can you buy a crystal glass, shower curtain, shoes, a pipe organ, hot tub, chainmail and a musk ox in one easy stop? This was three floors of unbelievable. I have heard it said that such-and-such a place has anything you could ever want. Well, this is actually the place that really does. David and I wasted an hour foraging through shouting to one another to “Come look at this!”

Capital Iron

I told you there was a Musk Ox ... for $4000!!

Puttering back to the Carillon in front of the museum we met Joan and Roger. Although, as I think we proven time and again, we are quite capable of finding fun, it’s a special treat when you have a “local” as a companion – especially locals as lovely as Joan and Roger. Being very open to whatever they had in mind, we shortly found ourselves at the inner harbor boarding those little water taxis I have come to love. Harbor tours are great since they reveal a view of the city you can’t get any other way – so much to see and learn. Our skipper, a retired government employee (originally from N.S.!!), told us he had loved watching these little boats scoot around the harbor. When he retired he was looking for something to keep him busy and loves his decisions to sign on here for a part-time job. He certainly knows his stuff.

He tells us that Harbour Air Seaplanes operates out of Victoria and is the largest seaplane company in the world. Fun to watch them take off and land! On one point of the harbor there are two totems. We learned that, in the past, it was actually the largest totem in the world at 137 feet. However, it was hazard to the seaplanes at that height so had to be taken down and chopped into three pieces. Two remain on the site. The third was brought back to the reservation. On the pilings that pepper the harbor they have built purple martin condos! Apparently the birds disappeared from the area and the introduction of “free housing” has encouraged their return. We sailed by a pirate ship. These are really cute tours for families. Everyone dresses as a pirate and boards a galleon headed for sea. A nasty pirate in a dory lies in wait with the key to a treasure. As they approach, the kids fire “water” from a canon, to sink the boat and steal the treasure. Really looked like a lot of fun! I could see taking Cecilia on that in a few years. We learned about the three pods of Killer Whales that live in the straight just outside the harbor. Having resident pods is the secret to the “guarantee” on their tours. I learned (had no clue) that apparently Killer Whales have a very high infant mortality. So high in fact that although the whales have names, the baby born in J-Pod in July won’t even get a name until he is 12 months old! Victoria Harbour is home to seals who sun themselves on the rocks as we float by, and countless seabirds. It is also an international training site for military vessels. Today a four mast sailing ship from Norway was in dock. Next week apparently a Russian vessel is expected. They use Victoria Harbour and the surrounding waters to train young sailors. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Victoria by water before heading to Fisherman’s Wharf for lunch.

Our lunch of fresh halibut was indeed delicious. Served from Barb’s Fish and Chips window, the line was lengthy so we had a pretty good idea, even before it was our turn, that this was the place to be. Eating lunch right on the dock kept us in the heart of the action and made the perfect launching point for exploring a whole other world. An entire little community of people live and work here on the water. A completely alternative lifestyle, it was fascinating to spend an afternoon considering what life must be like for those folks who reside in The Float Home Village. The narrow streets that run between the houses are docks. No driveways or garages here, but each home has a boat tied to the first floor. Most homes had bicycles on a house rack by their front door – after all, where else would you put it? As the whimsical decorations would indicate, these are people with a different view of life.

With Joan and Roger in front of Mile 0.

Our little boat in front of The Float Home Village.

Where locals store their bikes.

Down a dock "street" of moored houses.

Feeding harbour seals. They were very friendly, when you had fish in your hand.

Perhaps best summed up by the sign someone had placed in their front window … “This is my home. It is not for sale. I couldn’t begin to put a price on this lifestyle. The rhythms of the water and wind have soothed my soul. There is an ease, a peace by the water. It cannot be explained, just experienced. Highly recommended!”

Deciding to walk back downtown from Fisherman’s Wharf provides the chance to see the other side of this southern tip of the island. Looking over at the snowcapped mountains, we marvel at how, on this hot day in August, we can still see snow from a place that rarely sees more than 2-3cm of snow annually! The boats, divers, fellow wanderers and the pleasant company make for a lovely stroll back along the seawall. We passed the spot that marks Mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway – we have now done the whole thing! A walk through Beacon Hill Park brings us back inland to the downtown core.

Sharing a bench with a local.

Marking the spot where Terry Fox was to have finished his run. The monument has a quote form him - "I believe in miracles. I have to."

True to my word - still drinking local!

Back at the campground David and Liz cooked dinner together. While the goulash was delicious and used the leftover meat that needs to go before we cross the border, the comedy routine of those two sharing a small kitchen was hilarious! Our day ended, led by a discussion of The Bard and the Banker, with Cliff and me (with s couple of Google assisted prompts from Liz) reciting The Cremation of Sam McGee – oh the funny things you do while on vacation!

Day 31 Victoria

A lazy, hazy day of summer, this may actually be my first. Cliff and I both slept in until 7:00 for heaven sake so we should have realized that today may have been a little slower-paced than we’ve been accustomed to! Sitting around outside in the sunshine, dragging breakfast out for a couple of hours, Cliff finally got started on his Kobo birthday present. I think really it’s just because David, Liz and I all have Netbooks that mesmerize us and he feels left out not plugged in!

Cliff has the cool kid toys now too!

Finally we got ourselves together and headed to The Butchart Gardens, a local tourist attraction. Mr. Butchart made his money in concrete, and Mrs. Butchart, wanting to rehabilitate an abandoned limestone quarry, began to establish the now famous gardens in 1904. We meandered through 55 acres of gardens that have been growing for over 100 years. The property has been divided into rose gardens, Japanese gardens, bog gardens, sunken gardens… you name it, and they have it! The riot of colour is overwhelming, the variety impressive and to realize the amount of work involved in the maintenance, let alone the establishment is unbelievable.

Hedges three stories high! Don't know who trims those babies??

Sunken gardens

Formal Italian Garden

Fountains everywhere.

A Monkey Puzzle tree that is as sharp and prickly as it looks!

Dancing Ross Fountian

A huge Sequoia planted as a seedling in 1934 ... just a baby!

Tacca - a bronze replica of a marble statue in Florence that was cast in 1620. This little pig is almost 400 years old!!! Rubbing his snout is supposed to bring luck. As you can see from the shine, loads of people have tested that claim in the last 400 years.

These are Gunnera leaves. They grow wild out here and we have seen roadside clusters taller than any of us. They are related to rhubarb but have massive leaves. They are believed to have gotten here on shipments from China when the leaves were used as packaging. Largest plants I've ever seen,

It was funny though, toward the end of our time as we wandered down, just outside the actual gardens, to the beach and dock site they used to offer boat tours to their visitors, I paused to rest on a bench in the woods. Away from the visual distraction of the vividly coloured flowers, I realized I felt much more serene than I had felt all day. I thought that I was relaxed as I wandered through the beautiful flowers. Sitting in a simple wood with nothing but the naturally occurring tress and undergrowth around me I realized a couple of things. Just like there can be sound and light pollution, there maybe can also be “visual pollution”. The riot of colour, while stunning, can also require energy to appreciate. I also suspect that while some folks may be garden people and derive energy from the beauty in the garden, some folks like me, are fed by the raw and natural beauty of a plain forest or expanse of sea. Probably way too much thought for a simple walk in a garden but my thoughts nonetheless as I sat on the bench and realized the exit of a tension I hadn’t even realized I felt!

My view from my bench in the woods.

We went back downtown during the early evening. We considered several other eating stops but knowing we had a winner in the Bard and the Banker we went back there as everyone wanted to try something else on the menu. We wanted to be downtown late in the evening since we have been told several times that we really shouldn’t miss the Victoria Symphony Splash happening tonight in the inner harbor. As a celebration of the civic holiday the Symphony, situated on a barge in the inner harbor played as dusk approached. I mentioned that several people had told us about it … my favourite was the young lady in the gift shop at The Empress. She told us that it was really cool. “The orchestra would play the 18 ½ music in time to the fireworks display.” It took me a minute to realize that she was referring to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture!!

Parliament building at night where the crowds sat to watch Victoria Symphony Splash.

All kidding aside though, everyone here has been very friendly and helpful. Waiting in the throngs of people for the show to begin we chatted with the people all around us and met folks from as far away as Texas and native British Columbians. Everyone is very friendly and the exchanges have been a very pleasant part of our days here. After a splendid evening appreciating life on the waterfront we headed back to the trailer to introduce Cliff and Liz to Bananahammock, and end the day with a little healthy competition.

Day 30 Victoria

My day started with another early morning saunter. One of the many joys of traveling with Cliff and Liz is that Cliff, like me, is an early riser. This morning I had the pleasure of his company as I discovered the treasures only available at 6:00 in the morning! The early morning mist was thin enough that we could manage to see one another as we walked side by side for the first part of our toddle around the harbor. We were happy enough with one another’s company and our Bailey’s laced coffee to ward of the dawn chill. Before long though the fog started to lift and the world around us revealed riches galore. A bald eagle glided overhead as if to show us the way to interesting stuff! We were smart enough to listen. I noticed as we reached a boardwalk that stretched around the harbor that there was a gigantic pink starfish at the water’s edge. Getting very excited, as only I can do (!), I noticed another, and another, and… we began to count. At 18 I stopped realizing that what I thought might be a rare find was just one of countless starfish that pepper these waters and are so big and pink that they didn’t look real. As well, there were fishing boats, shrimp boats, tour boats and charters, crab boats, coast guard vessels, sail boats and dories – sounds like a line for a song! The variety created such an interesting view but the fog was still too thick (combined with my limited talent!) to translate that to a picture. As fisherman started to arrive Cliff and I paused and noticed some mysterious “water fountain fish”. Don’t know what else to call it since we really couldn’t discover the cause, but along the water’s edge, tiny fountains of water would arch into the ocean periodically. Like a clam squirt, only bigger, they created a random rhythm much like a Disney fountain (only smaller!). We may never know they answer to that one but it was fun to watch, and speculate, nonetheless.

Our misty world shrouded in fog, slowly revealed a warm day of glorious sunshine. By the time we had packed up to go, the clouds had once again descended and we were enveloped in a grey, misty world. Don’t like the weather? Just be patient – it will change!

The road out hadn’t improved any since our trip in and David carefully motored our way along the edge of the cliff to the less remote east side of the island on our way south to Victoria. I never tire of the views as we drive. The roadside scenery is just spectacular and only the vigilant traveler will benefit… when she has a driver patient enough to stop when she shouts, yet again, pull over! Been trying to keep this under some control while driving with guests but sometimes the view is just too tempting …

Come on ... can you blame me?

This time our trip through MacMillian Provincial Park yielded, if not an actual parking spot, a spot that David felt was safe enough to park our considerable bulk. The hike through Cathedral Grove to stand in awe of the ancient Douglas Firs was worth every effort we made to get there. There are trees along this surprisingly short trail that were standing when Christopher Columbus was foraging about looking for stuff – and they were old then!!! Cliff mentioned that he expected a dinosaur to materialize over the next rise, and it certainly wasn’t hard to imagine. The lichen draped branches of the very old giants that watched over the waist high ferns screamed primordial! I don’t think the pictures really show the incredible heights but here they are…

Everything draped in moss ... Fern Gully/Jurassic Parkish...

Look at the size! The trees - not me!!!

Had to include this to give an idea of just how big these are.

Dwarfed standing in a crack in the trunk!

In front of an 800 year old tree. The fallen one in front of it shows that even the smaller ones are as big around as I am tall!

We tried to stop at a little place that our friend Mary had suggested. Goats on a Roof was a funky little spot in Coombs Village. At least it looked like a funky little spot as we drove by. The little town was hosting a Bluegrass festival at one end and an antique car show at the other. Consequently there was no place to park our massiveness and we moved on to the next little town on our list. Ladysmith was an instant historical town since the buildings had been moved from other locations and reassembled here – guess that’s one way to do it! It was a colourful little town with a local bakery that tempted us with their giant cinnamon buns.

Colourful buildings in Ladysmith.

After awhile though, even happy wandering needs to stop and it’s time to land in one spot for a bit. The campground in Victoria looks like a lovely place to do just that, another awesome campground in a city that makes for great urban adventures. We are just 13 minutes from the heart of downtown Victoria and since Liz claims to know a great pub, we are set up in record time and off we go.

Apparently Liz knows her pubs! The Bard and the Banker first opened its doors at a bank in 1886. Beautifully restored it has more than 30 beers on tap, many of them local, so this is the place for me!

The Bard and the Banker

My (good) choice!

A stroll of downtown Victoria, not surprisingly, built around the harbor, was proof for me that the next few days promise bliss! The stately parliament buildings grace one shore, the beautifully Empress Hotel another and the third side of the harbor teems with a market, buskers, and throngs of people spilling from the downtown shops and restaurants. I will spend some happy times here, I can just tell!

Parliament buildings with a harbour aquarium in the water (the white thing in front). Glass below the water level to view the underside of Victoria harbour.

The Empress Hotel

Army, Sea and Air Cadet parade that just "happened" by. I'm sure they were there to welcome us!

"Plaster Man" - one of the many street performers on the waterfront.

Interesting find like this red tree are everywhere!

Hedges grown/trimmed like whales.

Even the downtown bike stands are interesting!