Victoria

On our first night we got the water taxi across to the main bit of Victoria. I really liked the water taxi because it was very low down and near the water! When we arrived there was lots of music and street entertainers! It was very cool!!!

We wandered around for a while then went to Earls a big restaurant chain in Canada. It was surprisingly good! The next day we went to an All-star Converse shop! I got a really cool pair that only arrived that day!! I thought Victoria was a really nice city with lots to explore! T.T.F.N (Ta Ta For Now-Tigger) xxxxxxx

We left Ucluelet shrouded in morning fog but as we made our way away from the coast and back into the mountains the fog lifted and we had unsurpassed views again of mountains and lakes. We had decided not to stop in Coombs on the way back as once was enough. After 3 hours Eilidh and I were hungry and needing a stop but Gordon had that look. He was staring intently ahead at the road and view (essential really bearing in mind there was still a bit of RV rallying going on) and playing across his face was the idea that this was probably a six hour drive and we had to keep going. After some persuasion we finally stopped at a small town called Ladysmith perched high on a hill overlooking the water below with views of the mainland Coastal Mountains in the distance. We found a very smart and pleasant coffee shop and had panninis and coffee. The nearer we get to Victoria and Vancouver the higher the number of good coffee shops we find in each area. Ambling back to the car we met a man out walking his pet of 19 years. He swore she was the most loyal and rewarding pet ever. She was a white parrot (cockatoo perhaps?) riding up on his shoulder. I snapped a pic but not being the expert it was into the sun and the bird has a white glow all round it – perhaps the photo could spark a mystical cult.

Several hours later we were on the outskirts of Victoria and the dawning realisation that we had forgotten to look up directions to this place. After consultant of maps most of which did not give enough detail we made a guess and headed right over a bridge as this was a westish area and it was a harbour. Our destination was West Bay Marine Village. After Eilidh prompted me I remembered our BC Atlas had city maps and was able to find our destination. Eildih meanwhile had been following instructions and had the laptop open in front of her searching for a wireless signal.

The site was breathtaking as we were parked on the marina edge looking over a collection of boats and the most funky and architecturally original float homes – these were not house boats but houses built on floating docks. I want to live in one … as Eilidh said above we took a water taxi and explored the city and Earl’s by night. There is no equivalent to Earl’s at home but it is a little like a Di Maggios but with a much more eclectic menu and has a bar and screens and good décor, in fact nothing much like it at all.

Our second day in Victoria we walked into downtown all along the water past old houses and condos and condos. It was a unique experience having the wild and salty smelling water and small beach area on one side and modern city living on the other. The walk took about 45 minutes and came out downtown at the Parliament buildings and Wharf side. We strolled around the more interesting and funky shops in market square and stopped for lunch and a very large jug of strawberry marguerittas in a Mexican café. Suffused with a warm pink glow we continued exploring the city which has a very recognisable and accessible shopping/restaurant area which is why it is considered British as that is more like home even if the architecture and pleasant laid back attitude are not so familiar. What was even better was the museum was open till 10pm which meant we could still go and visit the highly informative and beautiful First Nation floor and then the Titanic artefact exhibition which was very well done and finally an exploration of land and sea environments in BC dating back to the ice age. The large life size woolly mammoth surrounded by real ice and then a thunderstorm made Eilidh leap in the air.

We have to be up and away from the site by 7.15am tomorrow so we may be a little bleary eyed.

This is a cop-out by me in terms of this post, time is odf the essence and we need to be going. So my contribution is the pictures below. We all know that my photographic skills are at least better than my English ones anyway. Victoria was great though!