2023 Canada – Vancouver to Victoria

A good night’s sleep is always a good way to shake off the jet lag and I slept pretty solidly through to about 7 am, which was pretty good in the circumstances. We had to be up early so we could pack up and taxi to Twassen, which is where the ferries to Vancouver Island sail from. We weren’t really sure how long it would take to get to Twassen, but we were thankful we’d given ourselves plenty of time. The 36 kms took the best part of an hour with many traffic lights and some roadwork induced traffic congestion. We arrived in plenty of time and it was a smooth process getting boarded.

Vancouver Island is known for it’s teeming wildlife and old growth forests and we were treated to a Humpback Whale coming close to the boat on our trip, which is apparently quite rare. I quickly snapped a bad photo. There are houses dotted all along the shoreline of the island, and I suspect many are accessible only by water.

The ferry travels the 60 odd kilometres in about 90 minutes end-to-end and these ferries are the lifeblood of Vancouver Island bring people and products to Vancouver Island. The coast line is stunning and it was enjoyable to just start slowing down to take it in.

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and is home to around 90,000 people. As you will see, it is known as the ‘Garden City’. There are hanging flower baskets lining all the main streets supplying a welcome splash of colour. We are staying at the Fairmont Empress Hotel which was built in 1908. It is superbly appointed and has a real ‘olde world’ feel. For those of you who followed our Cuba trip, it is everything that I’d hoped the Hotel Nacionale in Havana might be, but wasn’t. The grounds are beautifully kept and make for a spectacular welcome to the property.

Once we arrived and checked into the hotel, we decided to spend the afternoon checking out the downtown area. We started with lunch at ‘Bard and Banker’ which is a wonderful pub restoration with a real English feel. I had an English Ale and a BLT while Deb had some crab cakes. With stomachs full we wandered around the myriad of tourist-themed shops and a number of good galleries from painters to photographers. Interestingly, they talked about the strong artists presence being driven by the unique light here. We all so discovered the Chinatown area which feature Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada at just 36 inches.

We were tiring a bit by that stage, so stopped in at the hotel for a couple of drinks to recharge before heading out to take some evening photos of Government house, where the British Columbia government sits. While having drinks and looking out on the harbour, we struck up a conversation with a local couple who live on the island who talked how they might deal with a forest fire now that these are becoming more regular with the increasing temperatures and generally drier winters. The kayak out on the bay was their preferred option.

Tomorrow will be some more exploring around Victoria… so stay tuned.

Until tomorrow….