These next 2 pics were taken from the balcony of our room on the 11th floor of The Executive House.
We were told that High Tea at The Empress Hotel was a must-do. So, we did, to Dale's chagrin. Actually, he was a pretty good sport and we had fun. But, it's quite a dainty and upscale affair. One we'll probably only do once! This is the Empress.... We were told that there is actually a hotel within this hotel that is very exclusive - only for those who can afford it, such as the Queen of England, who stays there on her visits to Victoria.
The tea and "crumpets" were wonderful! What are crumpets anyway?
Gratefully, this was our only scheduled event.... We enjoyed wandering around Victoria on foot, exploring streets full of shops and restaurants. Some of what we saw on foot....
1) Parliament - Victoria is the capital of British Columbia
2) Craigdaroch Castle - We took the very interesting tour and learned a lot about the Craigdaroch family and their rise from poverty to immense wealth by way of the coal industry. Interestingly enough, the wood used in the elaborate woodwork all throughout the castle is white oak from Arkansas!
A view of the city from the castle tower room.
3) Seals! - 3 seals had made their way to the pier by some houseboats and restaurants and a woman was feeding them fresh fish.
We also took a "harbour hop" on a Harbour Ferry, to the relief of our exhausted feet that had been walking all over the city for 3 days!
While on it, we spotted this boat, which was used in WWII for something (now I don't remember for what), and on which Winston Churchill has traveled.
After our tea experience we rented bikes for a couple of hours, which boosted Dale's sense of manliness a bit I think. This is my favorite picture from our ride.
I must add, that on our ride back from Victoria to Seattle, we met a woman from TX. There are Texans EVERYWHERE! :) Ironically, her name was Tina.
2 comments:
That is SO great you did that trip! I have looked at that exact one except ours was a day trip where we just spent the day in Victoria. But I remember the hotel and the tea times and could picture Dale enjoying his tea almost as much as Doug would! That's the trip we're planning next summer for our anniversary, too. It didn't work out this summer, so that gives me more time to plan more things!
We miss you guys and love keeping up with your blog. That's like a trip for me! When I'm stressed at school, I'll get on your blog and just look at your pictures. They are so calming and beautiful. So you can never post too many pics for me!!
Wow! It looks like you had an amazing trip. It's always refreshing to sleep in and not have a schedule :)
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