Fairmont Empress Victoria

A gorgeous (gorgeous!) day in Victoria. We breakfasted early, then the kids, Paul and I went ashore. We walked along the harbour about a mile into the downtown area, past some cute houseboats, and some very attractive two-story, great view condos, to the Empress Hotel. The Hotel was less impressive than I remember -- no grand lobbies or anything. We walked through the tea room, then took a photo of the kids doing the "fancy" face. Walked on to the Avis shop, where we had a rental car waiting....

It's our last evening in Victoria and we seem to be taking things slowly (basically we're exhausted and can now only manage about an hour between tea breaks ... at most!). So, as Laura seems to have collapsed on her bunk, I have decided to bring you uptodate on our most recent Canadian excitement. First and foremost. The big news. I have two gorgeous new dresses! They are so so pretty! If you are attending a wedding with me this summer (at which I won't be wearing a bridesmaid dress) you will...

We headed out to Victoria on Vancouver Island by float plane which was a 45 minute flight and a spectacular experience. The views over Vancouver where incredible especially Stanley Park which is an incredible park with stunning sea and inland walks and teaming with wildlife (although still no Beavers spotted at Beaver Lake). On arriving into Victoria we took a bus out to the renowned Butchart Gardens which have been round for 104 years. The Butchart's built a cement factory on the island and ...

Caught a bus from the Pacific Central railway / bus station to Tsawwassen, a half hours drive south west of Vancouver, then a hour and a half ferry trip across to Vancouver Island. Then another half hour bus ride into Victoria, the capital of the British Columbia province. Victoria sells itself on its "Englishness" and is a real touristy place. It has a pretty harbour but is so commercialised! The biggest hotel is the 'Fairmont Empress' and apart from the cost, I think they've got that right ...

We took a seaplane to Victoria on Vancouver Island, We first toured the Bouchart Gardens. How spectacular. The clinmate there is truly advantageous to such beauty. Afterwards, we returned to Victoria dn toured the town including the Empress Hotel. We ate good food, took in the sights and then took the ferry back to Vancouver.

We drove to Tsawwassen to get the early ferry to Swartz Bay. From there we went to Butchart Gardens. I had gone to Butchart Gardens with my parents when I was 16, and it looked just as I remembered. The flowers were so colorful. However, it was quite unexpectedly hot. We had a refreshing lunch and lots of iced tea there by the Italian garden. Then we drove to Victoria. We had afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel at 5. Oh, I love those little tea sandwiches. We were the last seating, so our serv...

How the Term "Hooker" Came About Towards Downtown from Yaletown As one heads north along Hamilton, an occasional glance down the street will lock one's view on one of Vancouver's most riveting landmarks - the public library I visited in report no.1. After giving the full treatment to Hamilton and Mainland, it was time to leave this section of Yaletown in order to let Barbara have her first look at this Romanesque structure. Designed with the participation of Moishe Safdie, located near Homer ...

The Empress Hotel and a Bit of Canadian History (Part 1) The most elegant and historically meaningful structure in Victoria, with the possible exception of the Provincial Legislature Building, is the Empress Hotel, located on the edge of the Inner Harbour, right in the center of the city. Since we live two blocks from the hotel in an area of Victoria called James Bay, I never miss an opportunity, in my frequent daily outings, to walk right through the hotel just to soak up the atmosphere and ...

Last Stroll: July 30, 2007 Blog Written: January 18, 2007 Government Street -- From Inner Harbour through Downtown Government Street, yes beautiful Government Street, is undoubtedly Victoria's most famous street to see a varied cross-section of the town. Starting on the Stait of Juan de Fuca, it runs north for about four kilometers. Firstly, it passes through historic James Bay, where one of the attractions among the many historical homes is the Emily Carr House, then past the Provincial Legi...

Date of Event: June 2006 (last month of our stay in Victoria) Date of Blog: April 5, 2007 (from Prince George) --------------------------------------- --------------------- --------------------------- Il Vicino (The Neighbourhood) or My New-Found Respect for Construction Workers --------------------------------------- --------------------- ----------------------------- Disclaimer: While this blog might sound like a promotion for a real estate development, my only interest was as an observer i...