Yesterday was a sea day. We attended an enrichment lecture on whales, played in the casino, met friends for coffee, and went to another great production show. We also went to a candlelight concert featuring Bohemian Strings.
We didn’t get to port in Victoria until 2pm. It was really nice sitting on our balcony as the sun was finally shining.
We had no plans except to find a cathedral and a bakery. But what we found first was Aaron, a driver for Victoria Pedicab Company.
Aaron drove us around the lovely city of Victoria. For $100, we had a guided tour for an hour stopping wherever we wanted to stop. It was a bit chilly but Aaron gave us a warm, fuzzy blanket to keep us warm.
We began our journey along the waterfront.
We headed into the James Bay neighborhood where beautiful older homes were dispersed between newer, more modern homes.
Houses in the historic registry have plaques near the front doors. One house had an otter painted into their front steps.
And this was the house that Aaron said he could afford. A delightful little fairy house.
One tree was adorned with teacups. A resident, Rory Palmer, placed dainty porcelain teacups and a teapot in the plum tree in front of his house to honour his late grandmother.
We rode through the beautiful Beacon Hill Park.
The big bucket is a water spout for kids.
There were several giant Sequoia trees.
And lots of Canadian geese and peacocks. This peacock decided to make some loud noises while we were standing by the tree.
It was a canopy of fir trees!
A 128-foot totem pole was erected in 1956. It was carved from a 133-foot cedar tree by a Kwakiutl chief and is a memorial to the indigenous soldiers who died in World Wars I and II.
After the park, we headed to Christ Church Cathedral.
The Cathedral was built in the early part of the last century.
Next, we drove past the Empress Hotel. It was built between 1904 and 1908 and has undergone additions as well as a major renovation in 2018.
Driving past the hotel to its right is the Legislative Building.
At the right front corner is another totem pole.
Our last stop was a bakery of sorts called the Birdcage which has been around for over 50 years. A charming little place to get takeout coffee, tea, and pastries, as well as other necessities.
It was a fun little tour around the city of Victoria and I highly recommend taking the tour with Victoria Pedicab Company. And better still if you get Aaron who showed us the charm and whimsy of Victoria.
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