Hangin' Out in Victoria

It's sure nice to take a day off here in Victoria. Wow, what a gorgeous town! The entire downtown can be explored easily on foot and there are lots of great restaurants, tea shops, and gelato stands. The city is very tidy with flowers everywhere. There are all sorts of street performers down on the warf including a me and a woman playing the harp. I watched a juggler and comedian who was quite the showman and drew a huge crowd.

The ferry ride coming into the harbor was just great. I watched float planes take off and land and the funny looking harbor ferries (they look like bathtub toys) putt by as we approached the dock. I was held up by customs for a short while since I don't think they believed me when I told them I was going to Alaska by bike. Or maybe they thought I had shifty eyes...

The hostel I'm stying at is right off Wharf street right in the center of town. Hostels are good since they are inexpensive and often there are interesting people to talk to. I met a 72 year old lady from Vancouver who still bike tours! The bad side of hostels is that the dorms have anywhere from five to twenty five people in one room and sometimes people are just downright inconsiderate. Last night, two women came in around midnight and proceeded to unpack what seemed like all of their belongings that were packed in plastic bags. They must have rattled around for at least twenty minutes.

I got going around eight this morning and headed down to the Royal BC Museum, which my guidebook said was not to be missed. They had a visiting exhibit from the British Museum that had representative art pieces spanning all of human history from all continents. It was very well put together and had some great artifacts including 2 million year old hand axes from Olduvai Gorge, a replica of the Rosetta Stone, Viking chess figures from the Isle of Harris, and Australian Aboriginal art. There was another section in the museum that had lots of BC First Nations (that's Canadian for Native American) totem poles and masks. There was also a Victorian/ Edwardian era replica street with all sorts of shops, a train depot, and even a silent movie house playing Charlie Chaplin movies.

After the museum, I went off to have tea and a currant scone with clotted cream and jam since this is Victoria after all and is supposedly more English than England.



After tea, I walked up to see Craigdarroch Castle, a mansion from the 1890s built by a a wealthy capitalist. The whole house is done in fantastic wood paneling and has beautiful stained glass windows. It's obvious the guy wasn't buiding this thing on a teacher's salary!




I am currently in an Irish pub enjoying a pint and listening to an Irish band.



Ahhhh, a last bit of comfort before heading out tomorrow for Sydney and the ferry to Salt Spring Island. I'll cut over to see Butchart Garden along the way. I hope to catch the ferry to Prince Rupert on the first of July so I have my work cut out for me since it's around 300 miles.
-- Post From My iPhone