Vancouver Island - Part 3: Victoria

We arrived late on Sunday morning and as it was such a glorious day, we had lunch overlooking the harbour. The boat show was in town, so the waterways were packed.

The water taxis were small but they certainly could move fast! After lunch, we went for a walk around the harbour

then went to check out Fan Tan Alley, which is the oldest China town in Canada

then back through Bastion Square where there were street stalls, musicians and performers

and past BC Government house

Monday saw us going for a long (12km) walk around the bay, via Fisherman's Wharf, past the cruise ship terminal to Holland Point Park

past Beacon Hill Park, Clover Point Park and up to Government House which is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. The house was closed for an official function (as we got talking to an elderly gent that was attending the 'tea party' as we walked there), so we walked around the beautiful gardens and saw all the Rhododendrons in full flower.  Just around the corner is Craigdarroch Castle, built for coal magnate Robert Dunsmuir and completed in 1890. It's not a castle by European standards, but more a large house which showed the family's wealth

Back into town and past the Empress Hotel, one of the oldest and most famous hotels in Victoria, built in 1904.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 5th May) we leave Victoria and head back to the mainland then cross (hopefully) into the US, drop stuff off at Badger then drive down to Seattle for a couple of days before we join our Alaska cruise.