Victoria has thus far presented herself as the graceful fair lady I expected her to be.
Of all the major Canadian cities, only Victoria ever stood out as a possible forever home city for me, if only for its climate. I have wanted to walk her streets for a long, long time. I have now visited the capital city of all the provinces and territories I have visited and only have Yellowknife, St. John’s, and Iqaluit left.
Mrs. H and I pulled into town mid-afternoon and she directed me to her favourite hotel, a Traveler’s Inn located in a convenient location. I quickly left her to take a nap while I set off on foot to scope out downtown, about fifteen minutes away.
I was surprised by how many people were out and about and I found the crushing crowds a bit shocking. I haven’t been surrounded by so many people since the last time I was in downtown Vancouver, almost a year ago! It was exhilarating, with all these different types of people from all social classes hurrying about and the most amazing smells spilling out of the restaurants. I was a tad overwhelmed, but it was pleasant because Victoria isn’t that big. I wouldn’t have done so well in a truly populous metropolis!
I bought an ice cream cone and enjoyed it as I scoped out the major landmarks I hope to visit in the next few days. I will be doing a lot of exploring on my own, but Mrs. H will also be showing me ‘her’ Victoria.
Some parts of downtown felt very old, like what I imagine streets in the 17th and 18th century might have been like. Other parts felt very modern. The city has a nice skyline where the diverse architectural styles complement each other. I look forward to exploring!
a palm tree outside our hotel 🙂
This brewery has tours; so this picture is a note to myself to try to book one. 🙂
entrance to Chinatown
I love the expression on this lion’s face
a street in Chinatown
dragon statue in Chinatown
a street near downtown Victoria
a street near downtown Victoria
downtown Victoria
downtown Victoria
downtown Victoria
Empress Hotel
Empress Hotel
downtown Victoria
visitors’ centre
downtown Victoria
downtown Victoria
Empress Hotel
plaque about the James Cook statue
statue of James Cook
Netherlands carillon
Netherlands carillon
the carillon ringer has to climb this staircase and then climb a ladder to ring the bells
Royal BC Museum
dinosaur footprints (moved from the Peace River Valley)
Thunderbird Park
all the electrical boxes in town are covered in pictures to prevent grafitti
Thunderbird Park
behind the Empress Hotel
cool bike rack
this condo complex is called The Waterfall
another electrical box
cherry tree
