Capturing the Art of Nature
Victoria Again
Definitely a great week-end to enjoy a time of rest in Victoria
Category
General Collections
2016
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Despite it being a city, I find short visits to Victoria quite relaxing and a nice change of pace for my ‘busy’ life style. Carolyn and I set off for a three night jaunt in the city of Victoria for our spring get-a-way. We had excellent weather for the time there and were able to get out and enjoy walks in the fresh warm air and just relax in more effective ways then we get at home in the routine.
Our adventure began Friday morning as we packed up and took the electric car off the charger and onto the highway. We grabbed a coffee en route and were soon pulled up to the ticket gate at the terminal. A short wait and we were loaded and waiting in the line for lunch. Though over-priced, I still enjoyed the burger which I don’t buy all that often anymore. The cruise went smoothly in the still air and with the ship being less than full there was lots of space to settle down in once we had finished eating. I went on deck and captured a few photos through active pass. I always seem to gather some photos here, generally the same ones but it is the only spot on the sailing that seems to capture my attention. So I gathered some traditional photos and then went back inside to read for the rest of the cruise.
Once docked the drive to town went quickly and soon we were parked in the Mayfair Mall to kill some time over a coffee. We even went for a stroll through the mall. Now what you may not know is that this was quite amazing for us as we both hate shopping, so walking through a mall is a rare event. We didn’t buy anything which really was not unexpected. Done killing time we continued on our way to Abigail’s Hotel where we quickly signed in and moved the car to where it could get a nice charge. We moved into the same room as last visit and so felt quite at home in no time.
Once settled, we walked up to the market on Yates and bought some snacks for the room, then at 5pm we came down to the lobby to partake in the appetizers. It was enough with the amazing mushroom soup to make it a meal, topped off with a few snacks in the room. The evening ended with a visit with my cousin who lives in Victoria.
The next day, we went for a walk to the downtown mall and there we did find some new tops for Carolyn, further down the road we came across a store where I was able to find some shirts. So it was a successful day. We enjoyed lunch at a Pho Restaurant and then after a rest we went for a second walk, this time it was through Beacon Hill Park where I gathered a few nature photos. The view from the lookout is quite enjoyable. While enjoying the spot we watched a guy flying some kites in the wind, he was doing well keeping them all going. Then for dinner walked to the home of a friend of Carolyn’s where we enjoyed a pleasant time chatting and eating.
Sunday was quieter but we did go for a longer walk along the roads in the downtown core of the city. We ate a simple lunch in the room and rested the afternoon. Dinner was Sushi in a restaurant not far from our old haunt – the Magnolia Hotel. It was a decent meal with Carolyn’s local friends and then it was good bye and we were back to our room for an early night. Monday came with a whimper as it was time to pack and head home. But first we enjoyed another hot breakfast courtesy of the hotel. They do put on a good meal and evening snack. As the ferry was only running even second hour we decided to just head out to it to ensure we didn’t miss the next sailing so we ended up waiting in the terminal parking lot for 80 minutes. But that was fine, we did make the 1pm sailing and enjoyed a quiet cruise back home. It also wasn’t overly crowded which was nice. I did get out to gather a few photos near the start of the trip as I hadn’t taken many over the years of this area. I even managed to forego taking more through the pass. Well we slid into port and the last drive to home was all that remained before being mauled by our dogs. I guess I could say it was a good time and I enjoyed the restful aspect of the adventure, need to return soon.