OF LUGGAGE & LAVENDER - PART IV

As I said in Part III the ferry ride to Victoria Island was uneventful.

In fact it could be called boring.

Luckily it was short.

Still I thought the view was nice.

Pulling away a gull stays with us for a while hoping for food.

Another ferry returning from Victoria coming to our starboard and passing us.

After we docked our bags were placed on the coach and we headed off for a fantastic picnic lunch and free time at the magnificent Butchart Gardens.

I realize i cannot compete with the photos on the official site but then again the following are ours and will always remind us of our visit.

You almost do not know which way to turn. Every corner offers a new colorful array and fragrances to match.

It's a wonderful World of Color worthy of Disney.

Who's the photo-bomber?

The hills are alive, literally!

A happy couple

On the left Susan takes my "Where's Waldo" photo through a whale sculpture fountain. Below is the making of  the photo as taken by Buck.  Thanks Buck!

Don't fall in!

Japanese

Gardens

are so

peaceful!

The harbor peaks through
an opening in the Japanese Garden

Afterwards we checked into the Royal Scot Hotel which appears to be run and-or owned by a very capable Asian family where we had a wonderful German style dinner.

The Royal Scot has
great knockers!

That should answer any questions you might have about the city’s eclectic diversity!

Susan and I decided to use the free time to walk around Capitol City and view the sights at night.

How quaint! (Semi-stinky but quaint!)

Government building
Above and below

Storied Empress Hotel

This is a robot that prepares
and dispenses ice cream!

Saluting the Navy!

Government Building at night!

     It was a good choice and it allowed us to get tired enough to have a nice sleep.

After breakfast we sat for an expert lecture about the history of Victoria given by John in the Royal Scot Hotel.  Then a guided walking tour of the island followed with time left for lunch on our own.

CRESTS OF ALL THE CANADIAN PROVINCES

The Bastion Square Market is marked on one end by the Hudson Bay Company Medallion with famous names in Canadian history emanating outwards in 8 directions. It boasts many booths and vendors selling a vast array of items from tiny souvenirs to large wooden furniture.

For lunch we found a sushi restaurant a few blocks off the tour and then had reminder of our childhood with brown bonnet ice cream cones.

A totem protects the
entrance to the museum

Then we met the group at the Royal BC Museum.

The main exhibit was Lyuba - A perfectly preserved four month old baby Wooly Mammoth from nearly 42,000 years ago!

















And here is an example
of a beautifully preserved
20th century female.












 The museum also had a remarkably well done replica of the Grand Hotel and many of the rooms and shops from the turn of the 19th century

The next leg of our trip was about to start as we all met back at the Royal Scot Hotel for a departure to the Sydney Ferry Terminal a trip to Washington State’s Friday Harbor.

That ferry ride and our days at Friday Harbor will be Part V.