2013 was Eve's first visit to Canada. I'm an old hand at Canada and had previously been to many of the places we saw on the mainland. Somehow I had never got to Vancouver Island, despite the very positive comments so many folk had given it.
Getting there was a breeze. You take the bus from downtown Vancouver all the way to Victoria. The bus has to go a long way to the ferry terminal. The driver then appeared to ignore all the traffic directions, but drove us onto the correct ferry. No struggling with baggage on gangways. All we had to do was find a seat with a view and, at the end of the crossing, find our way back to the bus.
The hotel we had selected in Victoria was inexpensive, but not altogether convenient. First, it was well out of the city centre and second, it had no proper dining room. What it did have was a bar operated by a third party. As a bar it was pleasant enough, with good beers and patrons who welcomed us in their midst. But the bar menu was an unimaginative selection of burgers. It did not open at all in the morning, and the hotel could only manage a very basic 'breakfast in a bag' to take to our room. (In fairness to the Howard Johnson Hotel, it was adequate and healthy and only $2.)
So we got to know the local buses pretty well in our searches for a good dinner.
Our itinerary allowed us 3 nights and 2 full days on the island, which is hopelessly inadequate. We have seen only a tiny fraction of the sights.
We got there by local bus, using a very inexpensive day pass. The driver of the first bus gave us admirably clear and accurate directions when we had to change. The return journey was even better - we were picked up at the Gardens by an express going directly to the city centre.
The Butcharts employ 50 gardeners and the result is a floral treat of great beauty at any time of the year.
I've left out photographs of the several acres of ground devoted to raising seedlings, the fountain with ever-changing displays, the merry-go-round, and several thousand other gorgeous plants. There were even water lilies in full bloom in September.
Needless to say, Eve was in her element, and full of admiration for the designers and cultivators of the gardens. They (the gardens, not the cultivators) are not a cheap excursion, but certainly worth every cent. Even the gift shop was memorable for its huge range of garden-related merchandise and the assistants' knowledge - even to which seeds could be legally taken into New Zealand.
All the tourist literature recommended Barb's Fish and Chips on Fisherman's Wharf. No wonder Barb can afford all that advertising - the prices were scandalously high. So we ate Mexican from a nearby competitor.
So we had wheels for the day.
Our first destination was Swan Lake, which was not really an appropriate name that day because we saw a lot of wildlife, but no swans. It was a very pleasant reserve and a nice meander around the paths. We had chosen this lake for its birding reputation. We each carried binoculars and I had my camera attached to a monopod, purchased expressly for these situations.
There was an otter in the distance but you cannot see it in the photograph. There were also grebes at extreme binocular range. I thought they were the red-necked species.
I was close enough for the bird to notice me, but far enough away that I had to use full zoom. The sharpness of the image is due to the monopod reducing camera-shake.
No, I don't know how this little bird (20% larger than a sparrow) got its surname. Another coup for the monopod.
There were a couple of joggers circuiting the lake at a pace we could not match on bicycles, but not many other people. Just before we completed our walk we met another birder armed with similar bird-spying equipment. We had a most enjoyable chat with Cheryl Redhead, took each other's photos and are still in e-mail contact. She was able to identify the distant grebes as pied-billed. I emailed her a photo of a couple of LBJs (little brown jobs), that are only slightly less annoying to the birder than the very common birds-you-can-hear-but-not-see. Even with a good photograph and a good field guide I couldn't identify them. They turned out to be young brown-headed cowbirds. "Common bird, but tricky juvenile id." So I don't feel too bad about being stumped.
In the afternoon we visited Thetis Lake. There weren't many birds here, but plenty of people swimming, walking their dogs or, like us, just walking.
We returned to Fisherman's Wharf on our last evening and studied the quaint houseboats and the tourist vessel designed to imitate a pirate ship. We ate slightly less expensive fish and chips from one of Barb's competitors, whose scraps had attracted two seals so close you could almost touch them.
The following morning the rental car lady was as good as her word and delivered us to the ferry terminal. The plan was that we would have lovely views of the islands on our way to Seattle, but th weather let us down. There was thick mist, which only eased slightly during the journey. Never mind, we met some very pleasant fellow travellers and conversation passed the time.
Getting there was a breeze. You take the bus from downtown Vancouver all the way to Victoria. The bus has to go a long way to the ferry terminal. The driver then appeared to ignore all the traffic directions, but drove us onto the correct ferry. No struggling with baggage on gangways. All we had to do was find a seat with a view and, at the end of the crossing, find our way back to the bus.
The hotel we had selected in Victoria was inexpensive, but not altogether convenient. First, it was well out of the city centre and second, it had no proper dining room. What it did have was a bar operated by a third party. As a bar it was pleasant enough, with good beers and patrons who welcomed us in their midst. But the bar menu was an unimaginative selection of burgers. It did not open at all in the morning, and the hotel could only manage a very basic 'breakfast in a bag' to take to our room. (In fairness to the Howard Johnson Hotel, it was adequate and healthy and only $2.)
So we got to know the local buses pretty well in our searches for a good dinner.
Our itinerary allowed us 3 nights and 2 full days on the island, which is hopelessly inadequate. We have seen only a tiny fraction of the sights.
Day One - Butchart Gardens
Every gardener should pay a visit. The gardens were established by the wife of a local businessman and are still owned by the family.We got there by local bus, using a very inexpensive day pass. The driver of the first bus gave us admirably clear and accurate directions when we had to change. The return journey was even better - we were picked up at the Gardens by an express going directly to the city centre.
The Butcharts employ 50 gardeners and the result is a floral treat of great beauty at any time of the year.
 |
| A tuberous begonia |
 |
| The Sunken Garden |
 |
| A small sample of the mass of dahlias on show |
I've left out photographs of the several acres of ground devoted to raising seedlings, the fountain with ever-changing displays, the merry-go-round, and several thousand other gorgeous plants. There were even water lilies in full bloom in September.
Needless to say, Eve was in her element, and full of admiration for the designers and cultivators of the gardens. They (the gardens, not the cultivators) are not a cheap excursion, but certainly worth every cent. Even the gift shop was memorable for its huge range of garden-related merchandise and the assistants' knowledge - even to which seeds could be legally taken into New Zealand.
All the tourist literature recommended Barb's Fish and Chips on Fisherman's Wharf. No wonder Barb can afford all that advertising - the prices were scandalously high. So we ate Mexican from a nearby competitor.
Day Two - Lakes
When we had arrived to pick up our Rent-a-Wreck car in the evening of day One the office was unattended. We waited for 10 minutes and it was still unattended. But we have a phone! The number must have switched through to a cellphone because we made contact straight away. The lady was embarrassingly apologetic, gave us a free insurance waiver and late return. "Tell you what. You keep it overnight and I'll run you down to the ferry terminal in the morning."So we had wheels for the day.
Our first destination was Swan Lake, which was not really an appropriate name that day because we saw a lot of wildlife, but no swans. It was a very pleasant reserve and a nice meander around the paths. We had chosen this lake for its birding reputation. We each carried binoculars and I had my camera attached to a monopod, purchased expressly for these situations.
 |
| Part of the lake edge |
 |
| Belted Kingfisher |
 |
| Spotted Towhee |
There were a couple of joggers circuiting the lake at a pace we could not match on bicycles, but not many other people. Just before we completed our walk we met another birder armed with similar bird-spying equipment. We had a most enjoyable chat with Cheryl Redhead, took each other's photos and are still in e-mail contact. She was able to identify the distant grebes as pied-billed. I emailed her a photo of a couple of LBJs (little brown jobs), that are only slightly less annoying to the birder than the very common birds-you-can-hear-but-not-see. Even with a good photograph and a good field guide I couldn't identify them. They turned out to be young brown-headed cowbirds. "Common bird, but tricky juvenile id." So I don't feel too bad about being stumped.
In the afternoon we visited Thetis Lake. There weren't many birds here, but plenty of people swimming, walking their dogs or, like us, just walking.
We returned to Fisherman's Wharf on our last evening and studied the quaint houseboats and the tourist vessel designed to imitate a pirate ship. We ate slightly less expensive fish and chips from one of Barb's competitors, whose scraps had attracted two seals so close you could almost touch them.
The following morning the rental car lady was as good as her word and delivered us to the ferry terminal. The plan was that we would have lovely views of the islands on our way to Seattle, but th weather let us down. There was thick mist, which only eased slightly during the journey. Never mind, we met some very pleasant fellow travellers and conversation passed the time.
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