Rainy day in Victoria

Our first experience of a full day's rain. (Memories of Rotorua 3 years ago but not as hard). Nothing daunted set off for a walking tour of Victoria – Old Town. Ocean Island Suites is only a 10 minute walk from the inner harbour and we started our tour at the Parliament Buildings. A very interesting tour of the interior by timed ticket and then on to view the Helmcken House, reputedly the oldest home on Vancouver Island built on land given to his bride upon their marriage by the bride's father Governor James Douglas.

Dr Helmcklen's house

The house was donated to the Province by Dr Helmcken's daughter on her death a few years after her father early in the 20th the century.

Across Government Street to the Empress Hotel and the Crystal Garden. Managed to sneak in via the Crystal Garden to catch a glimpse of old world opulence and use the facilities!

The Empress (on the left)

On to Market Square and then to China Town and 'the world's narrowest street' Fan Tan Alley then back to Government Street and our walk back to the flat for lunch and a dry out!

Narrowest street

Still raining at 5.30 pm so we decided to abandon our plan to go to Butchart Gardens and view the fireworks in the evening and go instead to the park just two blocks away – Beacon Hill. Not much of a view to the Juan de Fuca Strait to the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Maybe the rain will clear tomorrow morning before we travel back to Nanaimo.

Mile zero marker

Terry Fox memorial

We found the Mile Zero marker of the Trans-Canada Highway and the touching statue commemorating Terry Fox's sad, mammoth attempt to cross Canada from Labrador which he was forced to abandon at Thunder Bay and plaque commemorating Stephen Fonyo's successful one. A walk through the formal gardens with colourful flower beds and. beautifully manicured lawns. We saw a terrapin the size of a small dinner plate in one of the small lakes, peacocks, and loads of squirrels.

World's tallest totem pole

Then on to 'the tallest Totem Pole in the world'. (We have noted a number of extremes on this trip – 'world's narrowest building', 'formerly highest building in the British Empire', 'Oldest building in ….' etc.) Back to the flat for tea with a bottle of Canoe - a lovely rose from the Okanagan Valley, a rest and blog writing!

Rainy day in Victoria

Victoria, Canada