Victoria Trip - The City
Just days before Christmas Jamie and I took the Victoria Clipper to Victoria and had two days of holiday fun in
the capital of British Columbia. We had a gift certificate from Jamie's parents to stay just about anywhere we wanted in the the city. Since it was the off season, the Canadian exchange is good and because we were returning on a
Monday, the rates were very cheap. As a result we stayed in the fancy Empress Hotel that is prominently featured on
the shoreline. The hotel was very festive, decorated with several Christmas trees throughout the main floors. Our first order of business
was High Tea. Jamie was very excited from the experience: little sandwiches, pastries and fine tea. I wasn't so excited about the price, the person who cuts the crusts off the bread must get paid very well.
In the evening after it got dark we went to Buchart Gardens which is described on the next page. The next morning we shopped around the
city. There were at least three permanent Christmas stores and we were there supposedly on the off season. We also
visited Victoria's small China Town. It featured Fan Tan Alley, one of the narrowest alley's in the west. Finally in the evening we
went back to our ship and cruised back to Seattle.
Jamie and the Empress Hotel
Jamie and the lobby tree at the Empress
me and one of several trees at the Empress
high tea
Parliament at night
Victoria's China Town
the narrow Fan Tan Alley in China Town
Victoria -> Buchart Gardens
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December 22-23 2002