Victoria

Bengal Lounge

Victoria is a young city - only about 150 years or so - but it is steeped in British tradition.

The Fairmont Empress Hotel is impressive.  Instead of taking in a traditional tea, the group of us went to the Bengal Lounge for Pimms.  Leather chairs, a ferocious tiger above the fireplace, Indian curry on the buffet.... I felt as though I had stepped back to Colonial India.  The cocktails tasted of herbs and were garnished with cucumber (Pimms Rangoon?)

A group of us stayed at the Huntington Inn, right inside the Inner Harbour, and an easy walk to downtown.

Gatsby House

One of the highlights was getting together for a pre-wedding meal at the Gatsby House (circa 1900) with  Rob and all his siblings, most of the kids, and most of the partners.  It was raucous fun, a memorable evening.  And all we had to do was cross the courtyard to lay our heads in our beds.

What truly astonishes me about Victoria though is how close it is to such majesty.  The forests are amazing cathedrals, the ocean is humbling.  Everything seems larger than life.  Wilderness is only an hour's drive from the capital.

Goldstream Park, French Beach, China Beach....  time spent gazing in wonder at just how green a fern can be, or how much a cloud can look like a wave (or is that vice-versa?)

My bags came home weighted with souvenirs - rocks collected along the beaches!

Goldstream Park

French Beach