Victoria, BC

Between Christmas and New Year I decided needed a break from Vancouver and headed across to Vancouver Island and down to the BC capital, Victoria. From here everything else in Canada is North!

The moment I arrived I loved the place.
Smaller, less hectic and a Victorian influence through the architecture of the older buildings. The Government building taking me back to my travels through much of Western Europe. There is something grand about the size of the buildings exterior and majestic with the green tops arching skyward. Some of the main streets are paved with enhanced bud lighting creating a lovely feel.

The walk along the beach is wonderful on a nice day. The amount of drift wood is amazing to see. They must clean it up a little for the summer as at present not many people would fit on the shore, though perhaps the wood does make for great seating on the pebbly beach. People collecting sticks for some purpose, practical or artistic unknown though great to make use of materials which would otherwise go to forgotten. Others had left their statement on the beach. Splendid views out to other islands as listen to the waves lap on the shore. Gull finding a juicy crab for lunch. Faces painted on the rocks.

The antique strip has some fascinating views and wonderful articles to find if you are looking for something in particular. Some nice pubs, cafes and places to sit and take in the atmosphere. Found a newly opened Belgium Waffle shop in the Markets which are definitely worth a try. There are some interesting shops and certainly you get a sense of the importance of products inspired by nature and the environment. Around the harbour many nice boats, tours and statues.

On the fine day a group of boys were practicing and filming their bike stunts on stairs, ledges, even through the garden! Certainly wasn't prepared for him to go over the fence ... hence head got chopped off!

On the last night I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast right in front of the Craigdarroch Castle. The Castle itself has a long history starting as a family home and feature of the area above the main city, then also served as a hospital, college, music school and now is a histroical building, parts of which are still under renovation in aim to get back to original look. Though with layers of wall paper over the years a full peel back in time may be too time consuming and thus expensive. My room in B&B was quaint, though possibly too many flowers on the walls!