A Winter Walk in Victoria

Our quarterly trip to Victoria this winter was delayed two weeks due to both Carolyn and myself getting the nasty stomach bug going around. Two weeks earlier the weather was sunny and cool but by the time we were able to visit the snow moved in and general panic gripped the area. The day before our departure the forecasts were for several inches of snow and I was worried about the drive to the ferry. Come Sunday morning I could see that the road was clear and a look at the highway cameras showed mostly clear roads. We left the house a bit early just in case. The drive to the ferry went smoothly and after a visit at the Tsawwassen Mills Mall to kill some time we arrived at the ferry without incident. The drive in Saanich also was without issues. Though there was some snow and ice on the walks, we had little issue with getting around.

The next couple of days were quite cold and a little more snow came along though not really anything to worry about. On Wednesday my cousin Jim arrived and we went for a walk along the local roads, Beacon Hill Park and then along the shoreline heading west to the Breakwater Bistro where we stopped for a coffee and a scone. Conversation along the way was enjoyable, Jim talked about his recent trip to Vietnam where he was cycling from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi in the north, 2200km of which they actually cycled about 800! He greatly enjoyed the time there.

Our walk along the roads was over some packed snow and we needed to be careful but as we got to the park and then along the waterfront the path was mostly clear and dry. So, the walk was not difficult and we were able to concentrate on the sights and our conversation rather than on our feet. I managed to gather a few photos along the way concentrating mainly on seascapes once we reached the water. Though the day was dullish with a predominate spread of gray, the area still offered some lovely textures that seeped through and offered lovely microcosms of beauty. One really can find the loveliness of creation wherever you find yourself, if you just stop to look.

One of the conversations we had was about retirement. Jim had started a number of years before me and was wondering if I was still enjoying it after almost three years. I expressed how I was enjoying the freedom more every year and thoroughly enjoyed not having a busy schedule. We both agreed that having regular scheduled events can be a bit of a negative even if it is just getting to a regular weekly golf game or coffee meeting. The notion of having to go when one doesn’t really feel like it can be a bit negative. The pain of retirement! In summary we are both really happy with our live styles at the moment and wonder about those who don’t handle retirement well.

Done with coffee and our scones, we set off back to my hotel. This portion of the walk saw us heading through the roads mid-town. Here there was a bit more snow to deal with but most could be easily avoided. At this point of our walk, we were really too engrossed in our conversation for me to take time to notice things to photograph. So, I didn’t take any more. I am not really much of an urban photographer and was not concerned about the lack of photos. Our time together was mostly for friendship and sharing our lives with a good measure of exercise thrown in to keep our minds healthy. We finally arrived back at the hotel where Jim came up to my room to get a gift from my mother which I had forgotten to bring down earlier. It did give him a chance to chat with Carlyn for a bit.

Though the snow was present and the temperature low, the city remained a lovely location to get out and walk. There was still much to see and experience as one wanders through the area even in the grayness of a winter day. I do enjoy the more compact nature of the region compared to home which is spread-out and not as conducive to walking. We do have many parks around home but one needs to drive to get to them. It just seems quite different in this area of Victoria. Perhaps I just really like the views of the Ocean. Having grown up with those views I guess it should be no surprise. Now to wait for our return in early May.