Victoria Summer Walk

There is nothing so lovely or enlivening as a walk around Victoria, B.C., and when it's sunny and low 70's, it is pure bliss.

The American Volkssport Association has a local group called Olympic Peninsula Explorers which I joined earlier this year.

Our annual Canadian trip was this past weekend of July 24th, and our hosts and hostesses were so gracious and welcoming, it felt like we were coming home.

As we waited for everyone to gather, we watched the boat ballet in the inner harbor.

Once everyone was together, we headed out, past the 1,100 plus restored cars that had gathered for the weekend from all over the NW.

It was reminder to me of the days when I helped my father restore the 1932 Model A Ford and later he was interested in a 1931 Buick, but it was the first experience that taught me how to take apart, and put back together, a combustion engine.

Victoria water taxi ballet...

This information has served me well with my own cars. I saw a 1949 Ford convertible, one of my cars from the past, but no 1955 Ford T-Bird. But then we didn't walk past all the cars, either.

What sort of amused me was the high level gloss paint on these restorations, when those of us who once drove some of these cars in their original condition knew the paint job was no where near what can be accomplished today.

Huge car show with restored vehicles from early years.

It was also the Busker's Festival on the other side of the harbor, but we were not able to break away from our own group before our ferry deadline, so I'm going to mark this on my calendar for next year.

City gardens featured sweet peas
along with edible kale and lettuce.

Our 'guide' from the Wanderers was well-versed in local knowledge and walked us through some well cared for neighborhoods with sweet gardens and curbside decorations to inspire us.

I particularly liked the gnome homes on Pilot Street, and the 10-foot tall holly hocks seen in a back alley cut-through all in the Jamestown area.

The Garden City Wanderers hosted the OlympicPeninsula
Explorers in the waterfront park in Victoria, BC.

This area has many Victorian homes, but is also a desirable location for those wanting to rebuild with 'green' and modern designs.

Gnome home 'base' planted at
the base of a maple tree.

Incorporating the whimsical exterior 'little folks' residences on a shady street only made our walk that much more enjoyable.

Full view of the gnome home... I intend to do this someplace.

Another view of the gnome home.

Closeup of room and entry.

Another gnome home.

Breakwater walkway has recently been completed for enjoyable walks. 

We reached the edge of Vancouver Island, near where the cruise ships come in, and then returned via Pilot Street, passing more curbside entertainment.

Another interpretation of a fairy cottage.

These flowers are called a name related to eggs, but now I've
forgotten it... sunny side up?

Brilliant lilies!!

Thistle or artichoke? Or just that
awful stinging nettle BC size?

Peach colored rose has delicate
scent... would like to find it for
my own garden.

Interesting gate...

Last of the R2AK rowers returning to Victoria?

There was plenty of gentle joking about our upcoming presidential race and warnings that if we wanted to seek asylum after November it was probably going to be causing Canada to sink into the Baltic Sea with all the folks running over the borders.

I always meet new folks and this was no exception.

The food was delicious, served as a picnic overlooking the Fisherman's Wharf area. There was a broccoli salad with raisins and grapes that was so refreshing and crisp!

3 p.m. ferry took us back to Port Angeles, WA. It was warm
until we cleared the harbor and then the gale force winds
drove most of us back inside until arrival.

My personal walking goal was the 5K, but with walking to the ferry in Port Angeles, walking around and then off the ferry in B.C. to the park, then a delightful walk past Tudor Printing (again) in the Jamestown area, I reached 16,576 steps or about 8 miles!!

I was feeling just a little worn out by the time I got home, but a hot bath and some post-exercise vitamins restored everything to normal on the morning after... such a wonderful memory!

Approaching Port Angeles; see, there's no one on deck!

Tahoma for Tea and more

    Saturday started out quietly and then Jey-hu reminded me we had an 'afternoon tea party' to attend. His business is installing entertainment systems (home theatres, intercoms, security, etc.) and a client of his was opening up a Chinese Tea Room so we were invited to attend. It was a lovely event featuring the Chinese artist, Liang Wei, who has developed quite a following internationally. (You can see his website by clicking on his name.)

    After the tea, we drove a short distance down to a viewing spot to see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and watched a couple who had recently gotten married have their pictures taken among the old pilings. An interesting choice for such an event. I captured a shot of the groom checking out the time on his watch and I wondered if he was concerned about making a honeymoon airplane deadline, or was he getting bored with all the women directing him to stand in certain places while the photos were being taken? Or both? But we had our own agenda for the day, so we left the happy couple on the wierd beach and headed over the bridge and up the island. There are now two bridges over the Narrows and there is a toll for those who wish to leave the Olympic Peninsula heading east. "Galloping Gertie," the original bridge renowned for its undulations and sometimes even violent movements, constructed in the late 1930's, twisted itself into oblivion in the high winds of November 1940 and ended the joy ride that many people drove miles to experience - that of driving on a bridge in motion.

    After lovely scones and cookies, there was no reason to stop for anything else to eat, so we just zipped along under clear and sunny skies to the ferry boat at Kingston which would deposit us in Edmonds. 

We saw two "Cobras," the AC Cobra sports car popular in the 1960's and one was a red one with the white stripe down the middle of the hood and the other was a traditional dark blue. 

The occupants of that one were cheerful and waved at us. So Jey-hu waved  back. We arrived at the ferry just after one had filled up so we had a little bit of a wait. We used the time wisely taking pictures of ships transiting Puget Sound.... There were three (3!) of these behemoths heading out - probably for Alaska - all within a short time of each other. I pondered the numbers of people who were on board and whether or not this was their first shipboard experience. As Jey-hu and I were discussing cruising,

an older fellow approached us and wanted to talk about the camera and the telephoto lens we were using. He was originally from Holland but settled in the U.S. long ago and then to Whidbey Island about a decade ago. He shared his sailing experiences with us and he apparently was a photographer himself at one point in his life. He might not have been much of a sailor,

by his own report, but he was interesting to talk to and that's what this journey is all about... making contact with other life forms!