Monday morning we checked out of the hotel & jumped on a bus to take us to Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver. The bus then boarded one of the BC Ferries and headed for Sydney on Vancouver Island. The trip was actually quite interesting as it went through the Gulf Islands off the SE of Vancouver Island. It was a bit like Prince William Sound in Alaska but DRY! There were no glaciers either. I even saw a few puffins at one point. Apparently they occasionally see killer whales from the ferry.
Vancouver and the Gulf Islands are littered with lighthouses and it seems most of them are still in operation. Above is one was on one of the Gulf Islands we traveled past on the ferry to Sydney.
After landing in Sydney, to bus took us the final 40ish kms south to Victoria. First impressions were pretty good. The downtown area where we stayed is on a small harbour. It's quite the sight with the Parliament Building (below) overlooking the harbour. To the right of picture is yet another of Fairmount's many over the top hotels, The Empress. To the right, a busy harbour. It's picturesque & well worth a look if you get a chance.
Apart from some private boats (and some are very extravagant), there's a ferry that comes up from Seattle and a float plane port that seemed busier than Vancouver (and the aircraft were way closer!). It's another place that I would be happy just sitting & watching the world go by.
This "Undersea Gardens" is the biggest waste time & money in Victoria. Don't even bother going near it. It is badly kept & there just isn't much of interest to see. Save it for something more worth while. There are much better things to spent you time & money on in the area.
The Victorian locals are mad gardeners. The city has the most moderate climate in Canada. It has warmer temperatures in winter & rarely snows, (it doesn't even rain anywhere as much as Vancouver). In summer the proximity to the ocean keeps the top temperatures to the high 20's - low 30's. Consequently, the plants don't get frozen through the winter or roasted in summer so you can grow just about anything there. The city is very colourful with hanging baskets (above) lining the streets and the locals fanatical about having the best garden in their street. It certainly works for them.
This would never happen in Alberta or Australia! It's not even a French translation.
Victoria isn't just photogenic during the day, it's also quite the postcard in the evening.
