An early November visit to Victoria, BC may offer a variety
of weather and sights but we were able to enjoy some sunshine that offers the
best of great fall colors among the many tree lined streets. We did see some clouds but they didn’t stay
long and views were spectacular.
 |
| Cedar Hill Links |
The morning mist covers the nearby golf course giving a
peaceful view. The heron stands at the
edge of the pond which allows a reflection of him on the rippled water. Ducks and geese visit the course regularly,
too. Unobstructed morning sunrises are
amazing.
 |
| My-Chosen Cafe |
Our grandson chose a great place to enjoy lunch at. My-Chosen Café has originality, an outdoor Critter
Corner for the big and little ones to enjoy, a pizza place, a Sugar Shack for desserts
and the best lunches we’d had in awhile.
It was very busy with great service, definitely a very popular spot for
great reasons.
 |
| Hatley Castle |
This is the Hatley Park National Historic Site. It sits on the waterfront and is home to
Royal Roads University, with this being their main campus in Colwood. Previous to it becoming a public
degree-granting university in 1995, it was the Royal Roads Military College
since 1940 when it was commissioned to train reserve officers for WW2. There is now a small Canadian Military
Museum in the lower level of the Hatley Castle.
 |
| Royal Roads University |
The Hatley Castle was originally built in 1908 for the
wealthy James Dunsmuir who was the Premier of BC at that time. Once he and his wife had passed away, the
family sold this to the federal government in 1940 who planned it to be the
home of the Royal Family when the war broke out. The royal family didn’t make that move so it then
became the Military College which Queen Elizabeth did visit in 1983.
 |
| Victoria wildlife |
We did see quite a variety of wildlife while in
Victoria. The giant Mammoth with a young
one is a driftwood sculpture by Alex Witcombe and sits on the Royal Beach
Park. The peacock was one of five who
live at Royal Roads University. This
deer was one of many that we saw on our drives around the city. They have a large population of deer
here. Deer can be seen near our home, too,
but we sure don’t have any peacocks or mammoths.
 |
| Gonzales Observatory |
The weather station was built in 1914 and was known as the
Gonzales Observatory. It recorded
weather and took seismic and astronomical readings. Environment Canada abandoned the building in
1989. It was then purchased in 1992 and
turned into a wilderness park that covers 1.75 hectares. The views are great from up here.
 |
| Victoria International Marina |
A nice walk around the waterfront is a definite must
when in Victoria. Waterfront offers
several large apartment buildings for residents to enjoy the unobstructed views from. This marina is the first luxury built marina
in Canada. It offers “world class
moorage, concierge service and superior amenities” for the wealthy to
enjoy. This is a quiet time of the year
for boat trips but apparently they’re very busy in the summertime.
 |
| Seagull serenity |
Victoria offers so many opportunities to sit by the water
and enjoy the serenity it can offer.
There are miles of beaches, several rocky viewpoints, grassy parks and
also paths that follow some of the bay’s waterfront to be walked, run or cycled.
 |
| Ross Bay Graveyard |
Victoria is rich in history, it is the second oldest city in
Western Canada and became incorporated as a city in 1862. Ross Bay Cemetery was opened in 1872 and is
the oldest surviving formal landscape design in BC. This cemetery became the
final resting place for many famous people, including Emily Carr, Billy Barker,
Sir James Douglas who was the first governor in BC, as well as many premiers
who followed him.
With only two days to spend in Victoria visiting wonderful
friends and our incredible grandson, we were lucky to be able to see so many
great sights that Victoria offers. Not
enough time to do it all but we sure enjoyed what we did see. Until next time……..
