Wine and cycling in Kelowna
As I was planning to do a combined Vancouver island blog, I decided that Victoria is worth it’s own post!
Ferry
The BC ferry took us from Vancouver Twawwassen to Swartz Bay in just 1.5 hours. An enjoyable ferry ride with the sun on our face and the wind in our hair, altogether with spectacular views of the Gulf islands.
A few days before departure, I took upon the advice of a colleague to move the whale watching tour from Victoria to Tofino, since the whale sighting chance is increasingly higher in the Pacific Rim National Park. This gave us a full day to explore the British Columbia capital.
Victoria in one day
For this day I was thrilled to use the Lonely Planet’s walking tour from their guide book, only the other way around suited us better.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Our first stop was Fisherman’s Wharf, a 5-10 minute walk from our quaint hotel. Among the yachts and fancy boats stood colourful houseboats and various floating shops and eateries.
Huntingdon Manor
Distinctive about Victoria are the old style buildings, including the Huntingdon Manor, as we walked by it served as a teahouse and hotel.
Pride Parade
As we got closer to the center, the distant noise became louder, as this day was the Pride Parade, luckily we could also glance a bit of the festivities.
Parliament building
When the last part of the parade passed by, we crossed the street to the Parliament building, a sight not to be missed in Victoria. Here we joined the free guided tour.
From the Parliament Building towards the center is the inner harbour with more charming views of the bay.
China town
Turning right Johnson St Bridge where we came into Chinatown, be aware not to pass the narrow Fan Tan Alley. A passageway that was used for opium dens and gambling clubs, but now houses record stores and trinket shops. At the end of the alley we were greeted by the Chinese gate.
From here we walked back on Government Street with its modern stores and plenty of restaurants.
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