A Victorian lunch on the veranda

Day 16
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sightseeing in Victoria

We hit the road at 8:55 this morning with ample time, according to the campground's proprietor, to drive to Tsawwassen and catch the 10 o'clock ferry to Swartz Bay at the north (opposite) end of the same peninsula as Victoria. Tsawwassen means “Land facing the sea;” it’s a “First Nation” (Native Peoples) word. We didn't make it to the land facing the sea in time. By the time we parked and purchased tickets, the 10 o'clocker was pulling out, so we spent a leisurely hour waiting for the next boat. Once in Swartz Bay, we took a double-decker bus into town.

Victoria had changed a lot since Frank was last there 24 years ago. Many more condo buildings ringed the harbor and there were more people and traffic milling about. The historic buildings were all as Frank remembered them, though. The Empress Hotel was as stately as ever, bedecked with flowers and ivy. The parliament building was still as impressive and the harbor was essentially the same although it may have had a few more boats moored in it.

We ate a late lunch on the veranda of the Empress Hotel. It was only about 60 degrees so the waiter sat us under a propane heater and gave us lap blankets. The food, ambiance and service were impeccable.

After lunch we walked several blocks up Government Street through a historic district that now mostly caters to tourists with souvenir shops and eating and drinking establishments. We bought tee shirts and other items while taking in the sights and sounds of what could be described as a hybrid city exhibiting both American and European characteristics.

There were numerous venders, artists and performers on the promenade that rings the harbor. One young couple was selling impressionistic drawings of streetscapes in Calgary, where they were from, and Victoria, where they now live. Frank commented to the woman that Victoria had obviously grown in the past 24 years. She confirmed this saying that there has been a mass emigration to Canada's west coast, most notably Victoria and Vancouver, especially by "Newlyweds and nearly deads." We could understand why. Who would live in Calgary where it is BRUTAL winter for 7 solid months each year over the southwest coast where palm trees grow? Make no mistake, the weather has been mediocre by our standards, but it's a lot better here than the rest of Canada most of the year. At least it has been dry most of the time--we could have just as easily had rain.

We paid extra to combine our bus and ferry fares for the ride back. We boarded a coach in Victoria and rode it onto the ferry--cool! It was amazing how many large vehicles fit on the ferry. There were three car decks and three passenger decks. It didn't seem wider or longer than the Seattle ferries we rode, but it did seem taller. All were big, to be sure.

It took 95 minutes at 19 knots to cross back to Tsawwassen and an hour plus to drive back to the RV park. We were tuckered out by the time we hit the hay in our little home on wheels.

Tomorrow: Vancouver! But we might sleep in a bit...