 The Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC |
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The Empress Hotel, in Victoria, BC was our final night's stay in Canada. We took the ferry across from Vancouver. On our way down the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island, we stopped at Butchart Gardens. This was originally a limestone quarry. When it was mined out, the owner's wife had the quarry converted to a sunken garden. It is absolutely a breathtaking place for lovers of flowers. The colors and variety will knock you out. And the setting is fantastic. This is a seriously good place to visit.
Victoria is a charming city, perhaps the nicest and most livable city I have ever seen. It is gracious, lovely, has an amazingly beautiful inner harbor and wonderful weather. It would be hard to think of, much less find, a better place to live.
We checked into the Empress Hotel, a really amazing hotel and once again had a wait for our room. So, we took off and went to the Parliment Building, almost across the street. Went on the tour through it and it is thoroughly British. Great architecture. There are lights outlining the structure's angles and windows which at night make it look like a faery castle. Quite a special place. After a lovely dinner, we walked down along the inner harbor and soaked up the night life there. A very active area and a perfect setting for artists, performers and general people watching.
The next day, we were up early again to catch the ferry back to Vancouver. Had a brief tour of this incredible city as well as Stanley Park. Finally, it was off to the dock to board the ship for our Inside Passage cruise.