Me on my e-bike or electric bike along the shore of Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)
And so it begins again!
After a quick airport breakfast at Chili’s, I’m off to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada for a few days before boarding a Holland America cruise ship for my Alaskan cruise.
I’ll be traveling with Rosie who I met some nine years ago on a Rick Steves Greece tour. And we’ve since traveled together to Turkey with my dear friends Alice and John who are driving up from the Seattle area to spend some time with us.
The first country I ever stepped foot in, outside my birth country of the U.S., was Canada. I was a teenager and my family was living in the Seattle area at the time. My dad liked to take us on little adventures and crossing the border from the U.S. to Canada was a pretty big deal. It was an adventure likened to that of the astronauts who had recently landed on the moon. Okay, granted, not quite as world reaching and historical, but grand for us.
To quote astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, who famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Canada was my beginning, my giant leap into wanting to explore the world around me. That teenager, with all her open-eyed wander, still lives in this 68-year-old woman’s body.
See you in Vancouver.
Getting in a quick breakfast at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport before boarding my direct flight to Vancouver. Next stop, Canada. (May 29, 2024)
Good morning from downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Had a hearty breakfast before beginning our bike riding tour of the city. More on that to come!
Good morning! Views of downtown Vancouver from the 24th floor of our hotel room at the Blue Horizon Hotel, with a balcony. (May 30, 2024)Our room with a balcony view on the 24th floor of the Blue Horizon Hotel in downtown Vancouver. (May 29, 2024)Our room with a balcony view on the 24th floor of the Blue Horizon Hotel in downtown Vancouver. (May 29, 2024)Morning views of downtown Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Morning views of downtown Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Morning views of downtown Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Rosie and me on the balcony of our 24th floor hotel room at the Blue Horizon Hotel in downtown Vancouver. We’re ready for our biking tour of the city. (May 30, 2024)
It’s been six years since I’ve been on a bike, so even though I was looking forward to seeing Vancouver on this 5-hour, 16-mile e-bike tour, I was still apprehensive. But I survived with some soreness and absolutely enjoyed the experience.
We saw quite a bit of Vancouver as we traversed the city on its mostly bicycle-dedicated lanes. From the Port of Vancouver while cruising along the seawalls with views of the North Shore mountains to even more sites at Stanley Park and its gorgeous natural trails. We were gifted with gorgeous sites during an even more gorgeous day.
And, there was more. We pedaled to the food market on Granville Island for lunch and from there we made our way through the neighborhoods of the Olympic Village, Chinatown and Gastown.
Although I was peddling and steering, the e-bike or electric bike did its job to power me along. So, thank you e-bike.
Come see the beauty of Vancouver from my e-bike tour.
Me on my e-bike or electric bike along the shore of Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)We began the morning on our Grand City tour with instructions from Frank our Cycle City Tour guide in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)And, so we begin on our five hour journey around Vancouver’s wonderful bike lanes. Rosie and I got the hang of our e-bikes and with smiles on our faces are ready to roll. (May 30, 2024)Canada Place Cruise Ship terminal at the Port of Vancouver was our first stop on our bike ride. It’s also where Holland America docks for our Alaska cruise on Sunday.. Those clouds look ominous, but it turned out to be quite a beautiful day. (May 30, 2024)Views of the North Shore mountains by the Port of Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The seawall at Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The harbor and sea well at Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Getting in a selfie with Rosie along the harbor and seawall of Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Deadman’s Island, in Vancouver’s Coal Harbor, is connected to Stanley Park along a short bridge. This was once a scene of a bloody battle. (May 30, 2024)The entrance totem pole to Brockton Point Totem Pole in Stanley Park, a stop along the way to see a collection of totem poles. (May 30, 2024)Getting in a selfie with a totem pole depicting a gray-haired aging person like me at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Stanley Park, another stop along our bike ride in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The aging, gray-haired person totem pole at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Stanley Park, another stop along our bike ride in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The totem poles at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Vancouver’s Stanley Park represents a number of indigineous nations. From a sign at Brockton, “The totem was the British Columbia Indians Coat of Arms. Totem poles are unique to the North West Coast of British Columbia and lower Alaska. They were carved from Western cedar and each carving tells of a real or mythical event. They were not idols, nor were they worshipped. Each carving on each pole has a meaning.”The totem poles at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Vancouver’s Stanley Park represents a number of indigineous nations. Each totem pole has a different meaning. The one to the right honors the Raven Chief of Skedans and depicts the chief’s hereditary crests. This is a copy but the rectangular board at the top of the original pole covered a cavity that held the chief’s remains. The totem pole to the left is Ga’akstalas depicts many important figures in Kwakwaka’wakw culture. (May 30, 2024)From left, the Oscar’s Maltipi Pole, the Beaver Crest Pole, the Chief Wakas Pole, the Kakaso Las Pole and the Sky Chief Pole at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Vancouver’s Stanley Park represents a number of indigineous nations. From a sign at Brockton, “The totem was the British Columbia Indians Coat of Arms. Totem poles are unique to the North West Coast of British Columbia and lower Alaska. They were carved from Western cedar and each carving tells of a real or mythical event. They were not idols, nor were they worshipped. Each carving on each pole has a meaning.” (May 30, 2024)This sculpture, titled SHORE TO SHORE by St’uminus Master Carver, Ts’uts’ umult Luke Marston at Brockton Point Totem Pole in Vancouver’s Stanley Park was carved in cedar then cast in bronze. It is a tribute to the ancestral connection between this area’s aboriginal and Portuguese communities. (May 30, 2024)This “A Girl in a Wet Suit” on a rock in the water along the north side of Stanley Park in Vancouver. The bronze statue was unveiled in 1972 and represents Vancouver’s dependence on the sea. (May 30, 2024)A close-up of the life-sized 1972 bronze sculpture of “A Girl in a Wet Suit” along the north side of Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The tunnel entrance to Beaver Lake at Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The tunnel entrance to Beaver Lake at Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)From the tunnel into the forest on the way to Beaver Lake in Stanley Park. We walked our bikes through this rocky road yet picturesque forest area. (May 30, 2024)Views of a bridge and forest area on the way to Beaver Lake in Stanley Park. (May 30, 2024)From the tunnel into the forest on the way to Beaver Lake in Stanley Park. We walked our bikes through this rocky road yet picturesque forest area. (May 30, 2024)Beaver Lake at Stanley Park was once home to many Indigenous peoples. For thousands of years, the area was occupied by First Nations people and newcomers before their eviction in the 20th century. (May 30, 2024)Beaver Lake with its floating blanket of lily pods which are said to harm the native aquatic species below by starving the water of light and oxygen will be removed. This beautiful area of Stanley Park was once home to many Indigenous peoples. For thousands of years, the area was occupied by First Nations people and newcomers before their eviction in the 20th century. (May 30, 2024)Beaver Lake, often described as a jewel in the center of the Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Beaver Lake, often described as a jewel in the center of the Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Riding through the tall trees forest at Stanley Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)Getting in a selfie with a 500 to 600 year-old red cedar tree as we ventured into Stanley Park’s interior forests. It’s amazing this grove of ancient cedars and towering Douglas-fir trees are hidden and yet continue to flourish in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The canopy of gorgeous tall trees in a forest of trees at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The Douglas-fir tree to the left is said to be some 1,257 years old. (May 30, 2024)Me at the base of the 1,257 year old Douglas-fir tree inside Stanley Park’s forest of ancient cedars and towering Douglas-fir trees. (May 30, 2024)The Morton Park area by English Bay in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The “A-maze-ing Laughter” sculptures by Yue Minjun at Morton Park across from English Bay in Vancouver states “May this sculpture inspire laughter, playfulness and joy in all who experience it.” (May 30, 2024)Me experiencing joy at the “A-maze-ing Laughter” sculptures by Yue Minjun at Morton Park across from English Bay in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The “A-maze-ing Laughter” sculptures by Yue Minjun at Morton Park across from English Bay in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The “A-maze-ing Laughter” sculptures by Yue Minjun at Morton Park across from English Bay in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)The beach of English Bay just across from Morton Park in Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)We rode our bikes across the mile long Burrard Bridge along the bike lane to Granville Island to take our lunch break. (May 30, 2024)We parked our bikes at a free bike parking lot on Granville Island where we stopped for lunch. (May 30, 2024)Walking towards the Public Market on Granville Park for lunch. (May 30, 2024)Entering the Public Market on Granville Park for lunch. (May 30, 2024)Inside the Public Market on Granville Island. (May 30, 2024)Inside the Public Market on Granville Island. (May 30, 2024)Views of Granville Island where Rosie and I sat outside of the Public Market during our bike tour break. (May 30, 2024)Views of Granville Island where Rosie and I sat outside of the Public Market during our bike tour break. (May 30, 2024)Views of Granville Island where Rosie and I sat outside of the Public Market during our bike tour break. (May 30, 2024)Views of Granville Island where Rosie and I sat outside of the Public Market during our bike tour break. (May 30, 2024)After lunch, we continued our bike riding tour and stopped to see views of Vancouver Olympic Village originally built for the 2010 Winter Olympics. (May 30, 2024)After lunch, we continued our bike riding tour and stopped to see views of Vancouver Olympic Village originally built for the 2010 Winter Olympics. (May 30, 2024)We also made a quick stop at Vancouver’s Chinatown, considered the largest Chinatown in Canada. (May 30, 2024)We also made a quick stop at Vancouver’s Chinatown, considered the largest Chinatown in Canada. (May 30, 2024)We made a quick stop at Vancouver’s Chinatown, considered the largest Chinatown in Canada. (May 30, 2024)From Chinatown it only took a few minutes to ride to Gastown. (May 30, 2024)Gastown was stablished the same year that Canada became a nation and is the oldest neighborhood in downtown Vancouver. Named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman who opened the area’s first saloon, Gastown burned to the ground in what is known as the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886 that destroyed most of the newly incorporated city of Vancouver. (May 30, 2024)And, this was the end of our biking tour, which was also where we began, at Cycle City Vancouver on Hornsby Street. (May 30, 2024)
It was a day of friends, food and fun in Vancouver.
Rosie and I began the day with a morning walking food tour in the Gastown area of Vancouver.
Gastown is considered the original settlement that became the core of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and a national historic site.
After eating our way through five different places, the best treat was at the end of the food walking tour when Rosie and I met up with Alice and John.
Here’s a peek into full second day in Vancouver.
After our food walking tour Rosie and I met up with dear friends Alice and John who came in from the Seattle area. Here we are at Canada Place where the cruise ships dock. From left: John, me, Alice and Rosie. (May 31, 2024)Rosie and I began our second day in Vancouver here at the Dominion building for our morning food walking tour mainly through the Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)The Dominion Building on the edge of Gastown was Vancouver’s first steel-framed high-rise. This 13 stories building was completed in 1910. (May 31, 2024)The 1st stop on our morning food walking tour of the Gastown area of Vancouver was this wonderful sweet shop called Purebread. (May 31, 2024)Inside Purebread in the Gastown area of Vancouver, the 1st stop on our morning food walking tour. (May 31, 2024)The delicious treats at Purebread in the Gastown area of Vancouver, the 1st stop on our morning food walking tour. (May 31, 2024)The delicious treats at Purebread in the Gastown area of Vancouver, the 1st stop on our morning food walking tour. (May 31, 2024)The Crack Bar at Purebread, the 1st stop on our morning food walking tour in the Gastown area of Vancouver, packs a seriously sweet punch with its butter sugar, pecan-pie tasting filler. (May 31, 2024)The 2nd stop of our morning food walking tour was Meat & Bread along W. Hastings Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area. (May 31, 2024)The 2nd stop of our morning food walking tour was Meat & Bread along W. Hastings Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area for a taste of their Porchetta sandwiches with pork meat, crumbs of crackling and salads verde. Delicious! (May 31, 2024)The Porchetta sandwich at the 2nd stop of our morning food walking tour at Meat & Bread along W. Hastings Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area. Absolutely delicious. (May 31, 2024)Me enjoying my Porchetta sandwich during the 2nd stop of our morning food walking tour at Meat & Bread along W. Hastings Street in Vancouver’s Gastown area. And being photobombed by our food walking tour guide, Landon. (May 31, 2024)Street art in the Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)Street art in the Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)Walking through the streets of Vancouver’s Gastown area to our next venue during our food tasting tour. (May 31, 2024)Walking through the streets of Vancouver’s Gastown area to our next venue during our food tasting tour. (May 31, 2024)The Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)A mural at the Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)Street art in the Gastown area of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)One of many shops along Water Street, considered the main street of Vancouver. It’s something I don’t see anymore, a record store. (May 31, 2024)The 3rd stop on our morning food walking tour was Meet, in Vancouver’s Gastown. Its menu is vegetarian based. (May 31, 2024)The 3rd stop on our morning food walking tour was Meet, in Vancouver’s Gastown. Its menu is vegetarian based. (May 31, 2024)Butter Chikkin Poutine, a vegetarian dish in a rich creamy tomato curry, gravy and Mozzarella on a bed of crispy fries- topped with cilantro and kachumber, a mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and unripe mangoes. (May 31, 2024)Blood Alley Square in Vancouver’s Gastown area. (May 31, 2024)Mural in Blood Alley Square in Vancouver’s Gastown area. Blood Alley Square has a gory name, but its history isn’t specifically linked to anything particularly gruesome. According to Elizabeth Walker’s Street Names of Vancouver, it was officially named in 1972 and says it used to be the scene of “blood-spilling fights” and drunken brawls. I’m not sure what the mural and the alley have in common, if anything. (May 31, 2024)Mural in Blood Alley Square in Vancouver’s Gastown area. (May 31, 2024)Getting a selfie with our our small, but lively morning food walking tour group at our 4th stop at Gringo in the Blood Alley Square at Gastown in Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)My chicken, real chicken, taco on a flour tortilla at Gringo the 4th stop of our food walking tour in the Blood Alley Square at Gastown in Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)This six-storey “flatiron” shaped narrow Hotel Europe building on the triangular corner of Powell Street and Alexander Street surrounded by construction in the Gastown area of Vancouver was commissioned by hotelier Angelo Calori and built in 1908-1909. (May 31, 2024)This six-storey “flatiron” shaped narrow Hotel Europe building on the triangular corner of Powell Street and Alexander Street in the Gastown area of Vancouver was commissioned by hotelier Angelo Calori and built in 1908-1909. (May 31, 2024)One of many shops along Water Street, considered the main street of Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)The Gastown area of Vancouver with the Gastown Steam Clock at the corner of Cambie and Water streets. (May 31, 2024)The Gastown area of Vancouver with the Gastown Steam Clock at the corner of Cambie and Water streets. (May 31, 2024)The Gastown area of Vancouver with the Gastown Steam Clock at the corner of Cambie and Water streets. (May 31, 2024)The Gastown Steam Clock in the Gastown area of Vancouver. The clock, designed and built by Raymond L. Saunders in 1977, to cover a steam grate. And yes that’s steam coming out of the top of clock through the steam pipes. Also love the vintage lamp post next to the clock. (May 31, 2024)We made a quick stop, just for a look see and pass through at the Waterfront Station between Vancouver’s historic Gastown and Canada Place cruise terminal. (May 31, 2024)We made a quick stop, just for a look see and pass through at the Waterfront Station between Vancouver’s historic Gastown and Canada Place cruise terminal. (May 31, 2024)The Waterfront Station between Vancouver’s historic Gastown and Canada Place cruise terminal. (May 31, 2024)Views of the Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver where Rosie and I will be soon boarding our Hollander America ship for our Alaska cruise. (May 31, 2024)Views of the Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)The 4th stop of our food walking tour was take-out sushi from Aburi Restaurant for a picnic tasting at Granville Square overlooking the Canada Place cruise terminal. I’m not a sushi fan but Rosie enjoyed it. (May 31, 2024)And our 5th and last stop of our food walking tour and where we excitedly met up with Alice and John, was Mink Chocolate just across from the Canada Place cruise terminal. (May 31, 2024)Inside Mink Chocolate, the 5th and final stop on our food walking tour in Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)Inside Mink Chocolate, the 5th and final stop on our food walking tour in Vancouver. (May 31, 2024)Entrance to the Vancouver Art Gallery. In all honesty, it was a bit disappointing. But I did like seeing the work and learning about Canadian artist Emily Carr. (May 31, 2024)Our very small sample of Mink Chocolate’s delicious Chocolate. Alice gave Rosie and me chocolate bars from Mink. (May 31, 2024)Entrance to the Vancouver Art Gallery. In all honesty, it was a bit disappointing. But I did like seeing the work and learning about Canadian artist Emily Carr. (May 31, 2024)Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871-1945) is widely recognized for her paintings of the Pacific Northwest Coast landscape. Apart from a brief period of study in Europe, she spent the greater part of her life living and working in Victoria, BC, where she struggled to receive critical recognition. Her work was informed by several influences including Indigenous cultures, French Post-Impressionism, and the mentorship of many artists that she befriended in Victoria. The Vancouver Art Gallery acquired its first painting by Carr in 1937, which was followed by the first exhibition of her work in 1938. (May 31, 2024)The exhibit room of Emily Carr’s “A Room of Her Own” exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. (May 31, 2024)The works shown here are a selection from the Trust of Emily Carr’s sketches in oil and charcoal on paper. While still directly tied to the landscape, these simplified sketches that reduce natural forms into investigations of planes, curves and masses are some of the most formal of her career. (May 31, 2024)The works shown here are a selection from the Trust of Emily Carr’s sketches in oil and charcoal on paper. While still directly tied to the landscape, these simplified sketches that reduce natural forms into investigations of planes, curves and masses are some of the most formal of her career. (May 31, 2024)The works shown here are a selection from the Trust of Emily Carr’s sketches in oil and charcoal on paper. While still directly tied to the landscape, these simplified sketches that reduce natural forms into investigations of planes, curves and masses are some of the most formal of her career. (May 31, 2024)In 1907 Emily Carr travelled to Alaska, a trip that would inspire her to document Indigenous carvings throughout the Northwest Coast. Totemic sculptures became a reoccurring subject in her paintings from 1907 to 1913. “Carr’s use of Indigenous art forms in her paintings has been criticized by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous art historians and scholars since the early 1990s. Carr proclaimed to document a “disappearing Indigenous culture” by undertaking frequent sketching trips in the province and painting totemic sculptures and villages. She was sincere in her effort to represent Indigenous villages and culture in her work, but naive of her own colonial response to Indigenous cultures and the exploitative and romanticizing effect of her artwork” according to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s label description. (May 31, 2024)Rosie and I ended our day having a wonderful dinner with Alice and John at Little Bird Dim Sum in Vancouver. Good food, fun conversations and great company. So grateful for your time. Miss you two already! (May 31, 2024)
Our last full day in Vancouver, before boarding our Alaska cruise ship, was a daylong sea and land visit along British Columbia’s coastline to Vancouver Island to explore the beautiful Butchart Gardens and capital city of Victoria. Queen Victoria named the area British Columbia when it became a colony in 1858 until 1871, when it joined Canada.
We rode the 90 minute ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island on a day tour. The first stop was at the world-famous botanical Butchart Gardens of spectacular themed gardens, exotic plants, streams, ponds and fountains.
And after 90 minutes of strolling through the gardens, while dodging raindrops, we headed to Victoria.
Named for Queen Victoria, the city was a British settlement established in 1843, 43 years before Vancouver. It is considered one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest.
Its two most famous buildings are the historic Parliament Buildings (built in 1897) and the Empress Hotel (opened in 1908) along with Chinatown and the Inner Harbor.
Come with me as we explore the continued beauty of the Pacific Northwest on Vancouver Island as we sum up our time in Canada.
Me at the entrance of Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Entering the ferry terminal on our tour bus to take the 90-minute ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Our Westcoast Sightseeing tour bus driving onto the ferry to park for our 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Our Westcoast Sightseeing tour bus driving onto the ferry to park for our 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Our Westcoast sightseeing tour bus and other buses parked inside the ferry for our 90-minute ride to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The rather comfy and spacious passenger section on level 5 of our ferry ride to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Rosie and me on the 90-minute ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island to visit Butchart Gardens and the capital city of Victoria. (June 1, 2024)Views of the Gulf Islands the ferry cruises to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Views of the Gulf Islands the ferry cruises to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Views of the Gulf Islands the ferry cruises to Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The map of the beautiful Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. The weather actually changed several times during our 90 minute walk through the gardens from cloudy to some blue skies to rain, or more like a light drizzle for a short time. (June 1, 2024)The entrance path in Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. This area was a limestone deposit that was exhausted in 1908 and abandoned when Jennie Butchart conceived the idea to transform this barren pit into a garden. By 1912 the development of the garden was underway and it was completed in 1921. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (june 1, 2024)Getting in a selfie at the beautiful Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden Lake at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden Lake at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden Lake at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Sunken Garden Lake at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Me at the Ross Fountain at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. This smaller quarry was a source of limestone in the 1860s. The Ross Fountain commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the Butchart Gardens when it was installed in 1964. (June 1, 2024)The Ross Fountain at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Walking through the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Heading through the Rose Garden to the Japanese Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Rose Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Tori Gate entrance to the Japanese Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Walking down the stairs into the Japanese Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)A dragon ornament at Japanese Garden of Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.The Star Pond at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island was designed by Jennie Butchart’s husband, Robert, in 1931 for his collection of ducks. Robert was in the cement production business and came to the west coast of Canada because of the rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production. (June 1, 2024)Getting in a selfie at the archway into the Italian Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. By this time of the visit, it began to drizzle. (June 1, 2024)The Italian Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Italian Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Italian Garden at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The drizzling stopped and the sun was coming out as Rosie and I were enjoying our gelatos at the Italian Garden of the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Next and last stop of our tour in Victoria was its Chinatown. Here, Rosie and me are standing under the Gate of Harmonious Interest in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island. This is the second oldest Chinatown in North America, after that of San Francisco. The Gate is adorned with intricate red and gold decorations that represent themes of unity and harmony. (June 1, 2024)The Gate of Harmonious Interest in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island. This is the second oldest Chinatown in North America, after that of San Francisco. The Gate is adorned with intricate red and gold decorations that represent themes of unity and harmony. (June 1, 2024)Views of Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Entrance to the Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard and Pandora Streets in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island is filled with filled with quirky shops through a narrow alleyway. (June 1, 2024)Entrance to the Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard and Pandora Streets in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island is filled with filled with quirky shops through a narrow alleyway. (June 1, 2024)Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard and Pandora Streets in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island is filled with filled with quirky shops through a narrow alleyway. (June 1, 2024)Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard and Pandora Streets in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island is filled with filled with quirky shops through a narrow alleyway. (June 1, 2024)Exiting the Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard and Pandora Streets in Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island is filled with filled with quirky shops through a narrow alleyway. (June 1, 2024)Views of Victoria’s Chinatown on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Gray skies and drizzle followed us on our walk from Victoria’s Chinatown area to the harbor. But we did stop at this grand building, the Bard & Banker Pub, for a late lunch/early dinner. (June 1, 2024)Inside the Bard & Banker Pub in Victoria on Vancouver Island where Rosie and I stopped for a late lunch/early dinner. (June 1, 2024)My fish and chips late lunch/early dinner at the Bard & Banker Pub in Victoria on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Views of Victoria on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)An old English gas lantern with views of Victoria’s Inner Harbor on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Views of Victoria’s Inner Harbor on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)Views of Victoria’s Inner Harbor on Vancouver Island. (June 1, 2024)The Fairmont Empress, more commonly known as The Empress, opened in 1908 and is one of the oldest hotels in Victoria on Vancouver Island. The Châteauesque-styled building, facing Victoria’s Inner Harbor, is considered one of Canada’s grand railway hotels. (June 1, 2024)The Kwakiutl Bear Pole commemorating the 1866 Centenary of the colonies on Vancouver Island and the mainland as British Columbia. Also in view is the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria. (June 1, 2024)The British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. (June 1, 2024)The British Columbia Legislature Cenotaph, also known as the War Memorial to the Unknown Soldier in Victoria outside the British Columbia Parliament Buildings. (June 1, 2024)The British Columbia Legislature Cenotaph, also known as the War Memorial to the Unknown Soldier in Victoria outside the British Columbia Parliament Buildings. The bronze statue and granite cenotaph war memorial commemorates the sacrifices of Canadian Forces personnel and citizens during both World Wars, the Korean War and peacekeeping missions. (June 1, 2024)The British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Atop the central dome is a gold-covered statue of Captain George Vancouver. He was a British Royal Navy officer best known for his 1791–1795 expedition, exploring North America’s northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of what are now the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. (June 1, 2024)The bronze statue of Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days—was longer than those of any of her predecessors—constituted the Victorian era. The 13 foot or 4-meter statue, outside the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, was completed in 1914. (June 1, 2024)The bronze statue of Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days—was longer than those of any of her predecessors—constituted the Victorian era. The 13 foot or 4-meter statue, outside the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, was completed in 1914.Back on our tour bus and at the ferry terminal on Vancouver Island for the 90-minute ferry trip back to Vancouver. (June 1, 2024)
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