Victoria BC - Part 1

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 views of cottages and luxury homes on various small islands. I felt tremendously happy to be back in my home country.

Upon navigating the roads and finding our hotel, we walked up the hill to find this local brew house -- Four Mile - outside Victoria city. Victoria is famously known as the "garden city of Canada" so even this brew house had a very lovely garden out front, greeting visitors. Stained glass and wood beams decorated the interior.

For lunch, I ordered turkey, which is a rare meat in Japan and curry soup; both were extremely delicious. If you are in the area, be sure to go! Visit the Four Mile website HERE. 

Four Mile House - outside and in

Later, I requested to my father to drive along the "scenic marine route". I found this on Trip Advisor; the road hugs the coastline of southern Vancouver Island and offers great views of the ocean. You can pass by old houses, luxury mansions and the University of Victoria. We pulled off at a small park, which gave us view of the bay and Pacific Ocean.

Along the Scenic Marine Route

I will post more photos from Victoria, BC, Canada soon. Be sure to come back and visit.

Enjoy traveling!