Victoria week-end

I enjoy a short trip to Victoria, though it really isn’t far away, the need to ride a ferry to get there definitely gives it a sense of remoteness. This year we went during the summer rather than our usual spring trip. This meant we were there in the busy tourist season but also in the better weather. Now this year we were in the midst of a dry spell, so things were dry and dusty at home and unfortunately not much better in Victoria. It also meant that our favourite hotel was booked full and we had to find an alternate location.

We left mid-morning on Thursday and caught the noon ferry, though we were almost an hour early we just made it onto the next scheduled trip, the crowds were definitely there. The ride across was uneventful, we ate lunch in the café and read in the lounge afterwards. We tried sitting outside but the announcements on the PA system were so loud it got very irritating very quickly. Once we had arrived in Swartz Bay we had a leisurely drive to Island View Park. I always seem to stop by here as the beach is interesting with driftwood and the views of the islands quite entertaining. This trip saw many more people laying around in the sun which was a new experience as it always seemed so empty on my prior visits.

Done with the park we drove to Victoria and our hotel – The Abigail Hotel – but not before grabbing a coffee at the standard purveyor of legal drugs, namely Starbucks. The hotel proved to be very lovely. It was all that the photos made it out to be. Our room was very enjoyable and offered a very comfortable bed – one of the best I have enjoyed while away from home. Now the place was great but the hot breakfast and early evening Hors d'oeuvres were incredible. They even operate scent free and looked after Carolyn’s wheat allergy. Needless to say that after 3 nights we were very happy with the place and plan to return on our next visit.

We ate dinner with two of Carolyn’s friends who live in Victoria at the Breakwater Café. It was a nice meal and we enjoyed the sunset and a short walk on the breakwater after dinner. Friday saw us lounging around our room and walking into down-town for a few purchases. It was a nice walk, though a bit longer than we would have had from the Magnolia, it was still quite reasonable and we enjoyed the exercise. We enjoyed dinner with my cousin Jim at the Canoe Brewpub. The meal was OK but nothing that special certainly not up to the level of our hotel. I suppose if I drank bear, they would have had some nice choices of their own production which may have made the meal better.