Thursday 30th May 2013
Early start this morning 6.30am breakfast in the apartment with the great views over the city, the weather is find with high cloud. Leave at 8am and walk to the Fairmont Hotel for pick up for our Full Day Trip to Victoria Island. Picked up at 9.10am arived at the Tsaswwsen Ferry Terminal at 10.20am, quick walk through the terminal and back on board the bus and onto the Ferry. Ferry leaves at 11.15am these Ferries are large like the Spirit of Tasmania - without the sleeping cabins so like a small ship with over 200 cars, plus buses and semi trailers all on board and passengers. A reasonably smooth ride to Vancouver Island, coffee at Starbucks on board for Debbie & Peter, arriving at 12.45pm. Just before we arrive called back to board the bus so we can drive off.
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| 1/2 way passing Spirit of Vancouver Island - Sister Ferry |
Drive to The Butchart Gardens travelling through farm land. Weather has fined up so Debbie & Peter straight off into the gardens while Betty & Geoff have some lunch.
The Butchart Gardens covers more than 22 ha (55 acres) of a 53 ha (130 acre) estate. It began from an idea Jennie Butchart had to beautify the worked-out limestone quarry which had supplied her husband Robert Pim Butchart’s nearby Portland cement plant. The Sunken Garden, was followed by the Rose, Japanese, Italian and Mediterranean Garden. The garden is sill owned by the family. The sun has come out and the gardens have come alive. So much to see and so little time only 2 hours. The Roses are not in bloom yet so not much to see there at the moment. We over heard someone speaking to a gardener and they have 26 Glass Houses and it is a full time year round job maintaining the gardens with the plantings so there is always something for in flower for visitors to see. Met up with Betty & Geoff in a couple of places around the garden and back at the entrance for photos.
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| Glasshouse at The Butchart Gardens |
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| Sunken Garden |
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| Japanese Garden |
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| Iris at The Butchart Gardens |
Back on the bus and into Victoria for a brief city tour but it is raining again so out with the umbrellas for a quick walk around and a few photo's. Walk the main street looking some dinner but 30 mins is not long enough, so we decide to eat on the Ferry on our way back to Vancouver.
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| Victoria |
Back to our apartment at 9.45pm after another great day. Off to bed as we need to pack and be out of here and board our Cruise Ship Radiance of the Seas tomorrow.
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| View from our Apartment tonight 34th Floor |
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