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Port Call: Victoria, BC, Canada!
When Dotti and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary, we went to Seattle, because that is where we went after our wedding on June 10th, 1976. We continued on to Victoria, BC because it had sounded like a fun place to visit. Now, as we celebrated our 30th anniversary, we returned to Victoria, after passing through Seattle once more. This time we had Jim and Tammy with us, and we were very excited about the visit. The cruise was nearly over and we were determined to make the most of this final port call. On the way off the ship they once again scanned our room cards, to check us off, and then once we walked down the gangway, they checked them again. They didn’t bother checking our passports, on and off the ship in Victoria. 
Once on the pier, there was no way to just walk away from the ship in this direction. The bow of ms Westerdam is pointing in the general direction we want to travel, but we first had to go through a building beside the pier, where they would check our cards and then turn us loose on the town.
We hit the pier at 6:45 p.m., and as you can tell by the color of the sunlight, the sun was on the way down already. (The official sunset was at 7:09 p.m.)The temperature was 65 ° but it would drop 12 degrees before we got back. This was the first day of autumn, but the clear skies and the warm temperatures made this the most summer-like port stop we made. 
Dotti isn't really that thirsty; she was just being nice and holding my coffee while I took the picture. ☺ Tammy Dotti and I all brought some coffee with us as we came off the ship, but it was soon gone as we started walking towards town. We were all a little confused here as to what we were going to do exactly. We were not oriented in our minds as to where we had to go in order to reach downtown.
The ship had pulled into a pier that was located outside of the inner harbor, actually in the Juan De Fuca Strait. (See sidebar.) We didn't know that at the time. We had been given a map of the inner harbor area, but it did not extend out to the ship's position at dock. So, we had a destination in mind, but we had no idea how to get there, because we didn't know where we were. Tourists!
We were routed through building on the right, where they had put up a couple of tables where they checked our room cards before sending us on our way.
The sky was blue, but sunlight was weak and quickly turning orange. The shadows were already beginning to look dark, as they were growing very long. This ship had been our home for nearly a week, and we were growing attached to her. But this would be our last night aboard, after we returned from Victoria, that is. 
As always, we were joined by other ships, with passengers coming to enjoy the same sights we were seeing. Other than keeping us in the bay, rather than tying up to the pier, I can't say that having other ships in the same port as we were in really impacted our visits to the various port cities. These towns are used to having a large inrush of visitors and they are built to handle them.
Standing in the parking lot of the building where they checked us through was a friendly guy who was wearing a black top hat and green coat with long tails. He seemed happy to see us and asked if we preferred to take a bus, or to walk downtown. We asked how long the walk would be and he said it was less than a mile. After discussing it quickly we decided to walk. He gave us a map and some directions on how to get to downtown Victoria. The most important item was to turn left on Oswego Street, and that would lead us into town. So off we went! 
Crossing the parking lot we passed by a double-decker bus. Off in the distance we could see a sea wall with people, looking like miniatures, walking along its top. It was a beautiful evening for a walk, and many people were taking advantage of it.
We are out on the Dallas Street sidewalk now, heading over towards Oswego, and the red of sunset is painting everything. We thought the houses were very attractive here, so naturally we convinced Tammy, one of our very attractive ladies, to pose for a picture in front of this one. She is still holding her coffee cup, but we were about to put our cups in a trash can along this road.
On Dallas Street we passed by a Smart car. This two-seater, sort of a VW bug gone midget, gets a combined city/highway mpg of 40+. It is shorter than the Cooper and looks pretty sporty for a tiny car.
This car was an element in the Da Vinci Code book, and later the movie. On the back panel is says, "fortwo" and I think that pretty well describes it.
Looking back along Dallas Street the way we came, off on the left are the piers and ships, and closer is an assorted collection of driftwood piled up by the ocean's continuous motions. Tourists are bunched up on the sidewalk, as the double-decker bus moves past, heading for downtown. Jim and Tammy are looking out across the street, while Dotti looks out over the water while talking on the phone.
It was 6:56 p.m. and the sun was rushing down towards the horizon. As we move farther away, things take on a different perspective. The ships look smaller, and the building that we were checked through as we departed seems a lot smaller than it did. The black opening in the front is a sliding door that we passed though on our way out, and it is 20 feet tall, but it almost looks like a window from here.
When we reached Oswego Street (point B on the sidebar map), I was reminded of the town of Lake Oswego that is just south of Portland. We turned left and began our walk towards the downtown area.
As we walked along, we first noticed that the houses were quaint and very appealing, almost cottages. We next noticed that there were a lot of cats! They were on the steps, and running around the yards. I snapped a picture of this light colored one up on the very top of the roof of this house. It was sitting there as pretty as you please, licking its little paw. Another cat came running up beside us right after that. After seeing all the cats running around this neighborhood, I found it very strange when, as we were later walking back to the ship on Oswego Street, we saw a mouse running along a window sill of a restaurant, and it was as bold as Reepicheep! We were amazed that a mouse could be running around that much in the open with that many cats around. Apparently the cats are very well fed and they just ignore the mice. ☺
When we hit the downtown end of Oswego Street (point C on the sidebar map)we turned left and went down Belleville Street a short ways. We came to the Gatsby Mansion, and the ladies thought it looked inviting. ☺ I am not sure if it was the Inn part or the Restaurant part that they were thrilled about, but I think it was that Buffet Brunch sign that they were smiling at.
The Gatsby Mansion was built in 1897 by a man who made a fortune in the "Gold Rush." It looks like a really nice place to stay. Maybe next time we are in town. ☺
It is just past 7:15 p.m. and the sun is below the horizon now. The sky still is well lit, but twilight is settling in, and Rod Serling would be so pleased. We are looking across Belleville Street across the Inner Harbor towards Victoria. The boats in the marina are pushing their empty masts in the air, patiently waiting for their owners to come out and play.
This "shoppe" has something for everyone it seems. It has ice cream and it has liquor. (Perhaps they serve a "Sweet & Smashed" where you get both? ☺) The moat and bridge idea is cute.
Moving back along Belleville, to where we came in, at Oswego Street, the light is definitely fading fast. Dotti and Tammy are waiting at the corner for us, while I was stopping to take a couple of pictures.
We passed by the Hotel Grand Pacific (Sidebar map it is labeled E), and I thought it was pretty impressive. There seemed to be a lot of nice places to stay in the nice-looking town.
There she is in all her glory: The Empress Hotel. We would be seeing more of her before our visit was done. We are now at Menzies Street, after a right turn and a few steps of walking we were beside the place where a guided horse drawn carriage tour of the town could be had for a price.
Group shot. The lady who filled out our paperwork also volunteered to take this picture for us. It was 7:24 p.m. and we were ready to go. (See Sidebar Map to trace our route.)
The cart rented from "Black Beauty Line" by time, and we paid for 30 minutes. The driver asked us if we wanted history, or to visit downtown. I was the only one who was interested in the history tour, and so we did downtown. It was a good choice. (I have no idea what the historic tour would have been...maybe next time. ☺) In any case, we all enjoyed the tour. 
This is the lady who took the last picture. She was nice enough to pose for one of her as well. The Hotel Grand Pacific is behind her.
The tour is officially underway. The lady driver was very friendly and told us that her horse, who was named Rudy, was not the one she normally used. Pat, her regular horse was not available on this night. However, she said that Rudy was actually better mannered than Pat, so all was even better than normal. ☺
Tammy just saw something interesting by the harbor. It was a great night for a carriage ride. We never could have pulled this off in any of the Alaskan cities. The rain and cold would have made it a lot less pleasant. The weather in Victoria couldn't have been any better for our evening visit. 
Still on Belleville Street, this is the Parliament Buildings, lit up like a Christmas tree with over 3,300 lights. Victoria is the capital city of the province of British Columbia, and this is where the legislature meets to pass laws for the province.
Francis Rattenbury, the architect who built these buildings in 1893, was only 25 years old at the time, which is very impressive when you think about it. 
Riding along Belleville Street and looking to the left we see the marina in the Inner Harbor. We didn't realize it at the time, but the strip of sidewalk running along the water—called the Inner Harbor Promenade—would be where we would be doing our last bit of sightseeing in Victoria. All the way down on the end, where the yellow light can be seen, is the Information Center, where down a tunnel-like passageway we found some very clean public restrooms. There were entertainers set up a various points along the walkway, but there was still plenty of room between them, where we could find a quiet spot to enjoy the harbor view. It was clean, felt safe, and it looked like a fun place to spend some evening hours.
In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo asserted that the printed book destroyed architecture as form of total art, and instead of cathedrals that tell stories with statuary and carvings in the walls and doors—stories both mythological and historical—we have structures serving a purpose that is not art, a step removed from all that went before the 15th century. Perhaps he was right, but this 19th century building reminds us that art sometimes is merely expressing beauty rather than a story, and the Parliament Buildings appear to be such an expression, with lights aglow.
The Empress Hotel (see sidebar) is the centerpiece icon of Victoria. It faces the beautiful Inner Harbor, is physically large enough to demand your immediate attention, and then is beautiful enough to reward your commandeered eyes admirably. In this twilight setting it almost looks like a fitting site for a horror movie, with old brick and irregular lighting starting to appear. But this is a real lady, proud and beautiful, and as the night came on her glow lit the entire area about her.
The architecture of an earlier day is what lends Victoria its visual charm. I am very glad that they had the foresight to hold on to it, rather than tearing it down and building yet another reproduction of all the other modern cities that you can visit today. A society that forgets its history is like a man with amnesia, not knowing who he is. It is a form of death, because if you don't remember where you have been, in a way, you have never been there.
The light continued to fall as we moved along and it added something rather than taking it away. We were very much looking forward to the rest of our carriage ride through Victoria! |
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