| Another perfect day with beaming blue
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| | landscaping and fragrant flower beds. Sea
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| skies, great temperatures and no humidity
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| | planes were landing and taking off, and
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| greeted me yesterday. After a lovely
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| | the tiny local harbour ferry boats were
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| strengthening breakfast and some business
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| | zipping around on the water.After gazing
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| issues, Clare and I set off by car to
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| | at the Empress Hotel and the downtown
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| explore British Columbia's capital
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| | area from the west side of the Harbour,
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| Victoria.We started by parking our car
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| | we decided we were going to explore
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| pretty close to "Mile Zero", right next
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| | Victoria's next-door neighbour:
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| to Beacon Hill Park. This expansive city
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| | Esquimalt, a much more basic area that is
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| park is right next to the waterfront and
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| | home to a large naval base. Esquimalt is
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| at its southern end you have a perfect
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| | definitely not as scenic and dressed up
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| view across the Juan de Fuca Sound to
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| | as Victoria, but it still appeared to be
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| Washington State's Olympic Mountain
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| | a pretty tidy place. We continued to head
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| range.Beacon Hill Park has beautiful
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| | west on suburban roads and ended up
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| landscaping, hundreds of flower beds, a
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| | having a beautiful nature experience at
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| petting zoo with screaming peacocks,
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| | the waterfront of Albert Head Lagoon. We
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| serene shady ponds hosting various
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| | drove in through curvy roads in a shady
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| families of ducks, an assortment of totem
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| | forest, parked our car, and walked on the
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| poles and a great variety of shade trees,
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| | beach, besides hundreds of stranded
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| many of which I have never seen in
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| | wooden logs, to a shady corner at the
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| Toronto. The whole waterfront around
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| | west end of the lagoon where Clare and I
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| Beacon Hill Park reminded me very much of
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| | had a beautiful chat about life, human
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| California and seeing the odd palm tree
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| | relationships, changes in lifestyles and
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| just reinforced that image. I had to
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| | mentalities in the new China and other
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| remind myself that we are still in Canada
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| | esoteric topics.Around 5 pm we decided to
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| here.Our next step was to explore the
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| | head even further west and we decided to
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| waterfront to the east along Beach Drive.
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| | find another hidden lagoon, called
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| We moved past lovely well-kept houses and
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| | Witty's Lagoon which is part of a
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| various inlets and bays and about 3 km
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| | regional park system. We found the
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| east of downtown we arrived in the Oak
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| | entrance and parked our car since only a
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| Bay area. When we saw the Tudor-style
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| | footpath takes you down to the lagoon.
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| gables of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel we
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| | Sheltered from the heat by a lovely
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| decided this needed further exploration.
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| | overhead forest canopy, we walked down a
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| We stopped the car, went through the
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| | steep slope past the Sitting Lady
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| lobby and outside the back door and saw
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| | Waterfall. Along the way we saw hundreds
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| one of the most beautiful patios and
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| | of wild blackberry bushes that were just
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| backyards on the ocean. The hotel, just
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| | getting ripe, and we sampled some of
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| like so many other places in Victoria,
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| | nature's bounty. After about 20 minutes
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| has gorgeous landscaping and a multitude
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| | of walking beside a marsh on the left
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| of brilliantly coloured flower beds,
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| | hand side, we finally ended up on a beach
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| right next to the Pacific Ocean.Coming up
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| | at the Southern tip of Vancouver Island
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| next we checked out the Oak Bay Marina
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| | that offered a perfect view of the
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| and then turned inland towards the quaint
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| | majestic Olympic Mountains range.18
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| Oak Bay shopping area, bedecked in
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| | minutes of uphill hiking later and we
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| hanging flower pots, and featuring many
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| | were back at the car, ready to drive
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| outdoor patios. We knew an exploration of
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| | downtown where we were picking up
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| the Empress Hotel and the Provincial
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| | Haishan, Clare's husband, for dinner. The
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| Parliament Buildings was on our menu, so
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| | perfect meeting place was the Empress
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| we started heading downtown on Yates
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| | Hotel, of course. We picked him up and
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| Street. We turned right at the waterfront
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| | drove back over the Inner Harbour Bridge
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| and to find a parking spot in this
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| | and reached our dinner destination: the
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| bustling neighbourhood, we ended parking
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| | Spinnaker Brew Pub at the Western End of
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| on Johnson Street, right in front of a
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| | Victoria's Harbour. On the outdoor patio
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| retail store that had large mechanical
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| | we had a gorgeous view of the Victoria
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| doll dressed up as an old lady with a big
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| | Harbour, looking down at the condo
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| hat in front of it. The doll was able to
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| | buildings, ships and sea planes that were
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| open and close its eyelids and move its
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| | still going back and forth. It was a
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| head from side to side, much to the
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| | little chilly outside at that time, but
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| fascination of the local tourists.We
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| | the restaurant supplied us with blankets
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| filled up the meter and made our way
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| | to protect us against the evening
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| along the waterfront along Victoria's
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| | cold.Having strengthened ourselves after
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| serene Inner Harbour Area. Past various
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| | a long day of sightseeing we arrived back
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| buskers, mimes and outdoor performance
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| | at the house at about 9 pm and given the
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| artists we slowly made our way towards
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| | fact that I had pretty much been awake
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| the Empress Hotel, a gorgeous
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| | since 4 am due to jetlag, I thanked my
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| chateau-style grand hotel dating back to
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| | gracious hosts for their hospitality and
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| 1908. Just southwest of it are the
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| | made my way to bed.It's now just about
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| intricately styled Parliament Buildings,
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| | 2:15 am, that means I get another 3.5
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| built between 1893 and 1898. With
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| | hours of sleep before I have to get up,
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| expansive lawns and flower beds out front
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| | pack my bags, eat a brief breakfast and
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| and introduced by a statue of Queen
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| | then get dropped off by Haishan on his
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| Victoria, they offer an impressive visual
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| | way to work at the Victoria Bus Terminal.
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| delight.Having strenghtened ourselves
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| | From there I'll have to say goodbye to
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| with a tasty turkey sandwich and a
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| | pretty Victoria and make my way back to
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| delicious ice cream, we slowly walked
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| | the mainland by ferry and bus, to check
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| back past the Empress on Government
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| | out my next destination: Vancouver. I am
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| Street and checked out the various retail
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| | already excited...Susanne Pacher is the
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| stores. This area is just hustling and
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| | publisher of a website called Travel and
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| bustling with people, and we saw several
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| | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals
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| street musicians and bands. Many of the
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| | with unconventional travel and is chock
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| retail stores are located in historical
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| | full of advice, tips, real life travel
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| buildings that have been painted in
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| | experiences, interviews with travellers
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| bright colours. Just as our meter was
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| | and travel experts, insights and
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| expiring we briefly checked out Market
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| | reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| Square, an outdoor market area with many
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| | contests and many other features. You
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| ecclectic little shops.Back in the car we
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| | will also find stories about life and the
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| crossed the bridge at the north end of
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| the Inner Harbour and checked out the
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| | our own personal life-long
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| west side of the harbour which features a
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| beautiful boardwalk, flanked by upscale
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| condominium buildings, most of them
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| retirement homes, surrounded by luscious
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
|
