Victoria, BC, Canada (July 9)

Victoria, capital of British Columbia, is one of Canada’s most beautiful cities. Located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island just across the Salish Sea from Port Washington, Washington, USA, the  Inner Harbour with Parliament House, the Fairmont Empress Hotel, and the Royal BC Museum make an impressive site (sight!). A few blocks north is Chinatown, one of the oldest in the country. A few blocks west is Fisherman’s Wharf, with colorful restaurants and floating residences. And you can see Mt. Olympus in Washington.

We arrived on Gay Pride Day and watched the entire city celebrate with a big parade and festival. Every Saturday and Sunday, a “water taxi ballet” takes place in the inner harbor, choreographed to classical music with the cute little water taxis doing pirouettes and synchronized routines. And the weather was a perfect 70 degrees with bright sunshine and beautiful flowers everywhere.