Victoria

We'd never been to Victoria and had high hopes for an atmospheric Victorian provincial capital, loaded with charming Victorian houses and such. There's a smattering of such, as we found it, but the rest pretty much just a big 21st century city, with government buildings and all the usual businesses and retails and restaurants one sees everywhere else, at least in northern America. We wandered the old town a bit but spent rather more of our time in the pretty Beacon Hill public park. The next day we returned downtown--we were in a motel overnight--in order to catch the ferry to Port Angeles.

Definitely not Victorian, but of interest nonetheless

Commonwealthish

Floral cafe

Totems outside some of the government buildings...which were
closed for a government employee strike

Deco Echo

Victorian

Ditto; the home of Emily Carr, noted BC artist and writer, now a museum
of her work

With some great interpretive signage outside

Another beautiful home, mostly for its landscaping and hydrangea

Now taking in the out-sized sculpture at Beacon Hill Park

And color

Feathered friend

Big beautiful city park

Huge turtles for this latitude; in a row

Lots of outdoor sculpture

Now near ground zero

Vicki enjoys a white sangria and frites; for me, a Negroni,
and the oysters, all on happy hour

Next day we are back in the harbor area, admiring the big buildings

And such

Provincial parliament

Hotel Grand Pacific; or possibly something else

Mostly there to catch the ferry to Port Angeles, WA, USA; interestingly
one has to pass through US customs and immigration both before boarding
and also upon arriving at Port Angeles; the anxiety, new, in the immigration
area was palpable...

This guy followed our ferry all the way out of the harbor before
taking off ("bandits at 11 o'clock, low")

At sea, note the rather fully loaded container ship and the high-riding
tanker...