Victoria

Well what an interesting day! Left hotel at 6.30am for ferry, and ended up waiting sometime at the station for transfer bus and after all my mental questions about the arrangements, all was very simple, as the bus went on the ferry and delivered us to Victoria bus terminal. And this is where I need to be tomorrow morning at 8am for the bus to Chemainus that I have just booked on the internet.

Whilst in the bus queue I struck up conversation with a Victorian who hailed from England, I saw him again in the breakfast buffer on the ferry when he began chatting again. He had been to a Bryan Ferry concert in Vancouver, I said , ' He lives near me!' I nearly suggested sharing a table rather than talking across but thought maybe it would give the wrong idea!  Anyway, when I got off at the bus terminal we met again and he offered to walk me to hotel. 'Walk with me' appears to be the expression, which was the same with a lady I met later. She saw me looking at my map, and when I said I was looking for the Emily Carr house said,  yes ' Walk with Me.

The ferry ride was great including the breakfast- I had grabbed a banana from the hotel buffet but indulged in a full buffet and the very kind crew member delivered a decaf coffee to my table.  The water was like a mill pond, the journey through the island beautiful and an orca whale did a little performance too. I have learnt that Victoria has the only airport that can be closed because of whales. The seaplanes take off in the harbour, and if the whales come in, it is closed to protect them.

I couldn't  have my room when I arrived, as it wasn't yet lunchtime, so decanted a few things into my day pack and headed for the Emily Carr house, where I met the husband of the lady who Michael Portillo interviewed.

He has yet  thto seee episode as he has to wait for them to come up on Utube!  He was very interesting and I spent a pleasant hour in the house, feeling like I had stepped back in time. And unlike the gallery in Vancouver, I managed to buy some cards of her work.

From here I headed for the HoHo bus planning to do the full route, but when my tummy started rumbling and fish was mentioned at Fisherman's  Wharf, I got off in search of a meal. I wasn't disappointed, although telling them I don't want chips or sauces always causes consternation!  And everything is served in cardboard trays with plastic cutlery.

  I did my usual walk between stops, which resulted in missing a bus by about two minutes. I had gone to visit the breakwater the lady I met walked,  along every day, and the bus sailed by when I was nearly back!

Rather than wait for ages I did another of my walks and ended up chatting with two ladies from Minnesota who are staying in an Air bnb. Once back on the bus I decided to complete the loop, by which time it was time to get my room, so I took that option rather than go to Butchart gardens. Once settled in I went swimming and relaxed in the Jacuzzi, going out for some breakfast bits as I'll be too early again tomorrow for hotel breakfast.

I planned to have a glass of wine in the hotel bar, but discovered the restaurant closed at 8pm, so was sent over to the Days Inn hotel which has everything including a wonderful view over the harbour. However I contravened some local bylaw by taking my glass out of the bar to the vending machine. This was where the barmaid sent me for crisps ( well chips here). And I was followed by the barman, who said I had to leave my drink in the bar or it classed as drinking in public! What would Patrick have said if I'd been clapped in jail. I must ask him to give me the low down on all this! I can tell you I've seen plenty of public drinking, and I'm sure the person who swore at me in Vancouver city centre when I wouldn't engage with him, had either been drinking or on drugs.