Sanuk Canadian

This is part of a series. Click to see ONE and TWO . In the late afternoon, after enjoying a walk around Victoria city, we drove a little further out to see a beautiful, hidden beach. I have forgotten the name of this area - it was inside a national park, not far from the city. We found lots of Canadian geese swimming along and many locals just sitting on the sand, enjoying the sunshine. Photos: A lovely sandbar beach, just outside of Victoria.  After taking the ferry back to the mainland, my parents and I headed to the university, where I would attend four days of lectures regarding my graduate studies. The institution was located in the midst of farmland, far from much of anything. From 8:30 am to 4 pm, those four days consisted of studying, reading, and listening to talks. Truly blase, so not a photo was taken. After completing those study sessions, our threesome headed over to Vancouver. After much deliberation, and a discussion with a waitress at a local, countryside...

* This is a series. Part One is HERE .  My third official day back in my home country proved to be a winner weather-wise; we enjoyed a rare sunny day on the usually rainy west coast. My parents suggested to spend the day outside, walking. We agreed to explore Victoria's harbor front. Smack in the downtown core of Victoria city is the "harbor walk" -- a 3 kilometer (?) walk which hugs the bay. The starting point is the visitor information center, where there is plenty of parking, and ends at Fisherman's Wharf. Let's explore together! Views from the start of the harbor walk: Top L to R: Victoria city sign engraved with an orca whale / Sea planes abound and carry passengers on sightseeing tours + visits to neighboring islands. Bottom L to R: Harbor view / Water taxis! So cute!!  The walk was very pleasant and we observed both tourists and locals out, sunning themselves on the docks. The harbor walk takes visitors past many famous buildings -- The Fairm...

I had booked a relatively short trip to Canada in late August/ early September to visit the west coast of Canada. My original purpose was to attend four days of lectures at a university in British Columbia (a province in Canada which famously hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics); however, after a discussion with my parents, we decided to make a trip of it and spent several days on Vancouver Island, exploring Victoria, before attending the university on the mainland. Cutenekko / a passing BC ferry / Canadian flag at the stern Our family flew into Vancouver rather late; we headed out to catch the ferry to Vancouver Island the following morning. Our ship, The Spirit of British Columbia , departed at 11:00 AM, and would take 1.5 hours to arrive near Victoria. Inside, the ship had WiFi, a cafeteria and cafe, a private space which cost $12 CAD to use, tons of seats and a full, wrap-around deck to explore and enjoy the view. The ship puttered through narrow inlets, which offered great vi...