Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, the self-styled “City of Gardens” donned her most lovely, welcoming face for us today. As the Sea Bird eased gently into the winding harbor, the sun rose above a mill-pond sea.
We docked in the very heart of British Columbia’s provincial capital just before the call to breakfast. Keen to arrive at Butchart Gardens early enough to see the dew still glisten on the myriad roses—as well as beat the anticipated weekend crowd—everyone boarded our buses promptly. Josephine and Lisa, our knowledgeable, entertaining tour guides maintained a lively commentary for the half-hour trip to the world-renowned attraction. All agreed that such a reputation was fully merited. Just as with Galapagos and Machu Picchu, no one comes away from Butchart Gardens disappointed.
The beds were ablaze with dahlias, delphiniums, my-love-lies-bleeding, nicotiana, as well as a hundred varieties of rose. In the shady areas, too, flourished more horticultural treasure troves: hostas, ferns of several kinds, begonias and impatiens. Fifty-five acres to bring delight, and not a little envy, to any gardener’s heart. The gardens, initially created in 1904 by Jenny Butchart from her husband’s exhausted limestone quarry, are still owned by her descendants, but now tended by an 80-strong army of gardeners and part-time assistants.
A barbeque lunch on the upper after deck awaited our return. The warm sunshine stayed with us. The Royal BC Museum proved the main attraction for the afternoon, where the season’s special exhibit of recently excavated dinosaurs from China had been held over—just, it seemed, for us. A few chose instead to enjoy the late summer weather by gently exploring the city, mingling with a Saturday throng of visitors and locals.
All aboard once more for an evening cruise out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca with its misty backdrop of the Olympic Mountains. While circling Race Rocks lighthouse, we found three species of marine mammal: Steller’s and California sea lions and harbor seals, all basking on the rocks. We could easily see the color differences between the massive bulls of the two sea lion species. We returned to our dock and were able, once more, to join the populace enjoying the street entertainment along the nearby causeway. We watched an energetic troupe of marimba players, a precarious, fire juggling acrobat, a duet of barely teenaged girl fiddlers, and variously talented crafts-people. What a delightful way to conclude our day in Victoria!
