May 22, 2016

May 22 Victoria

   

   After breakfast, we all drove to the Elk Lake / Beaver Lake Trail for a 10 km hike on a groomed path through the forest.  The sun filtered through the trees and there were open sections along the water where we enjoyed full sun.  The temperature was about 16 C. We walked for almost two hours then we went back to Bob and Margot’s house for lunch.

   In the afternoon we all drove to downtown Victoria and walked along the Inner Harbour.  As it was the Sunday of the Victoria Day long weekend, there were lots of people around the harbour enjoying the sunny afternoon. We watched seaplanes land and takeoff and strolled along the marina looking at the boats, and the 12 person mini ferries scurrying about the harbour.  We wandered over to the Victoria Parliament Building to get a closer look at the drum bands playing from Canada and neighbouring states.  The bands would be marching in Monday’s Victoria Day Parade along Douglas Street.  We walked all around the building and enjoyed the quiet at the back of the building, looking at the fountain and the memorials there. When we walked to the far side, we discovered a rose garden in bloom. We took a tour of the interior of Parliament Building, viewing the British Columbia coat of arms, the assembly chamber and the special stained glass windows for the Queen Victoria 60th Jubilee and the Queen Elizabeth 50th Jubilee. There is dome high above the entrance lobby. The interior of the dome has four murals depicting British Columbia’s 4 industries - agriculture, mining, fishing and logging. In the last room viewed, we saw a red cedar Coast Salish Indian traditional inland river canoe, called Shxwtitostel, which had been carved by the 28th Lieutenant Governor of B.C. and learned the story about the canoe. We learned about the British colonies on the west coast that joined together in 1866 to become British Columbia.

   In 1843 Fort Albert, later to become Fort Victoria, was established by the Hudson’s Bay Company. After petitions were circulated the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island was established in 1855.  In 1866, the British colony of Vancouver Island and the British colony of British Columbia united leading to the entrance of British Columbia to the Dominion of Canada in 1871, as the sixth province.

   When we exited the Parliament Building, a high school string orchestra was playing by the front steps.  We took a water taxi across the harbour to get to Spinnaker’s Gastro Brew Pub for a drink before dinner.  We decided to order dinner also.  Larry had a Jameson Ale beer, pizza (Italian Sausage, Pulled Pork and Bacon) with a salad and I had a chicken burger with fries and lemonade.  All the food was delicious.

    We walked back to where the car was parked in 15 minutes then returned to Bob and Margot’s house for a relaxing evening at home.

   Total distance walked 16.09 km