Revisiting Victoria after many years
Victoria July 2008
Originally uploaded by Jan1ce. We knew we would arrive here about 6am and have to be back on ship by 1:30pm. I wanted to leave really really early so I could spend the whole time but by the time we were all up and ready, it was about 8am. We paid $6 for a return shuttle and off into the heart of Victoria we went. My original plan was do a hop on hop off bus tour but they hadn't started yet.
Nor had Victoria apparently. Many restaurants were still closed and since I thought it was a good chance to pick up at least one new bank card, neither were the banks - they opened at 9:30. We had a snack and a tea near the bank and I arranged to meet my friends at 10:30 at a Starbucks not far away. I told dad and Ruth that they had best make their own way and not get stuck with me and so off they went.
I wandered around some souvenir shops - how thrilling - and then waited at the Starbucks...and waited. I was at the wrong one and 15 minutes into an already shortened visit, Ann and Emma ran in and we spent that time chatting. When Emma went to work Ann and I drove around a bit and then went for fish and chips at Fisherman's Wharf before I had to head back on the shuttle to the ship.
Victoria was sunny and relaxing and I had forgotten how pretty. It seemed very quiet even considering how I'd just been to some very far flung and small towns. Ann said that's what she liked about it and I confess it did cross my mind - hm, could I live here? I don't think so but it was charming and colourful and all together friendly and polite. I saw two ravens, or were they crows, and a heron.
The passengers unanimously declared the visit far too short and many were vowing to come back another time to do it justice. I felt oddly proud. I gave a loonie to a little boy who was begging his mum for some Canadian money (she didn't have any) and then when waiting to back on board saw him still eagerly looking at it and then - horrors - it fell from his hand into the ocean. I did try to find him with another loonie but no joy. It hurt my sense of not disappointing but then I suppose I really should have learned long ago to let people be let down and get on with it.