Thursday, October 24, 2013

Last day in Victoria. Day 17

This is our dedicated dada who on most nights brings out the AAA travel book and researches where he is going to take us next...of course he lets me "weigh" in.  It has been wonderful to have Andrew plot our course.

View of the proximity of the ocean from our flat
Bobo's wet suit drying out...I will miss this little area.
It is fun to see people walking by our little place each
day.  There are so many walkers.  I love that about a place that
has good walking paths and access to neighborhood corners
with shops and restaurants and downtown.
I passed this way on a run one day and I got so excited
because I haven't remembered much about our honeymoon,
but I remember this little flower shop.  So I had to take
everybody back on our last day!

19 years later.....
 



Our Canadian money

Another favorite spot so I had to take some pics.

I feel Victoria settled me a bit.  Maybe it was having a feeling of
staying in a home, the number of days we had, and the warmth and
friendliness of the people we met.
I continue to realize what I would love in a hometown:
I love walking everywhere
and being able to have walking access to food stores
and favorite restaurants.
Interesting houses with creativity and personality
hearing church bells
beautiful parks
running, walking, and biking paths
No cell phones (because it would have been too expensive in Canada)
in two weeks with the exception of one 10 minute call to my mom.
A reminder of the "old days" when Andrew and I would make a plan
without phones and there is a certain freedom in not having a phone.
 I became somewhat accustomed and have
not jumped back into a lot of phone use (in addition to being in the
National Forest in the last days without some reception).




Bakery Weekend!!!  I believe this is #9!!

 
We "yummed" it up!


The next stop was off of Dallas Road there was this great quote on
a plaque in front of someone's home.  Well we stopped by to take
a picture and we met the owner of the house and.... 
.....he invited us into his workshop to show us the process
of sandblasting.  He was so kind and gentle.  We found out
he was from Novia Scotia and Newfoundland and was a
clergyman.  We had a nice chat.  The quote he sandblasted was written
by a newspaper man, he puts these art pieces out to bless people as they walk by....
He also showed us how he sandblasted glass.
We are "tripping" as we take our time to meet such a lovely man.
I love hearing people's stories, I am continually reminded,
everyone has one!
More of his work.


This is a "shout out" to the Langfords....the Elijah Anderson
house, one of Bobo's good friends is Elijah. 
Beacon Hill park we returned to that day because we had
read about a petting zoo.
No petting zoo but peacocks!  Hello to Emeline they said,
(our little friend in Monterey).  Deveraux wanted to take a
picture with them for Emeline but was also a bit timid, so she was
 trying to get in the same frame but not too close.
 



I liked this statue





Had to get another picture of the Fountain Pond I loved.
It is like a gravitational pull...this boy to water!




"sneaking up to the peacocks"

 
So next stop...downtown with my two sweeties as
my bigger sweetie had some college football to
attend to....we hit the shops and had a great time
together.  Bobo is drawn to clothing that is for cooler weather.

Dev showed Bobo where we sat at the Empress for our tea.
We slowly walked home, catching the lights coming
on at the capitol. 

 

Standing at the capitol and looking towards downtown and the Empress.
 
 
 
 
Then we found this cool statue honoring fallen fire fighters.

Flower from my Bobo 
 
 
One night before bed, I look over and Bobo
whose mouth looks dark.  I ask him,
"what is it?"
he responds, "Just a leaf."
Pause
"A fall leaf"
(as if that made it better)
(we have been talking so much about fall leaves while seeing them)
then a smile.



We had such a sweet ending to a beautiful stay...
I love that we soaked it up on our last day!


Bobo was so excited.  We found a hockey puck in one of the stores
and I bought it for him as a souvenir.  So behind him is his new hockey puck,
Deveraux's skates which he uses, and the mop (hockey stick).
He was showing his hockey set up in his "room".
A lot of packing to do as we head out in the morning.
Bobo was so tired, he was happy to just fall
asleep on my lap in the middle of my packing!
I took Deveraux out after 10 pm when we finished loading the car
to see the lights on the capitol (as promised).  We then took about a
half hour spin in the car  looking at all the people and shops downtown,
listening to our favorite songs on the trip.
Thank you Victoria, for giving us such a lovely holiday!

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