Theme Park

I've mentioned before that sometimes during the summer months I get the feeling I'm living in a giant theme park when I'm in downtown Victoria. I got that feeling yesterday evening when I was enjoying the mesmerizing music-box mime of Pierre St. Pierre and one of those horse-drawn carriages trotted past.

Pierre St. Pierre

While passing the Causeway this afternoon I was happy to see that an old favorite has returned to our city. This is Pierre St. Pierre working his mysterious magic on a young tourist. The lad is, I'm sad to say, appropriately dressed for this cold spring.

Rapt Attention 2

To continue yesterday's theme, it's not just musicians that fascinate the young. Here's a performer whose musical mime casts a spell on everyone who stops to watch, Pierre St. Pierre. (Above, May 2015) (Below, July 2016)

June Choices!

As I wrote yesterday, "Every year I put together a calendar for friends and family, of photos I have published on this blog for the last year or so. However, it's always difficult to make decisions about which photos to use. I am hoping visitors to this blog will help out. Every day for the next few weeks I will publish two or three photos from a given month and hope that comments and choices made by visitors will help me make a final decision which photos to use in this year's calendar. As an incentive, I will offer an online downloadable/printable file of the calendar to anyone who helps me make a choice."

Thanks to everyone who has given me their opinions so far, and it really helps when you give reasons for your preference.

Below are my favorite June 2016 photos. There are four to choose from today. From now on there is a steady stream of events every weekend through til autumn. June starts off with the Oak Bay Tea Party and the Vic West Skateboard Competition - two of my favorite events. Anyway, here's four photos of Victoria in June. Which one do you prefer?

Oak Bay Tea Party Midway (I like this photo because carnival midways usually look sort of trashy but this one looks so green and rural.)

Pierre St. Pierre - Street Performer (In Summer the Inner Harbour Causeway is a never-ending program of excellent street performers. Pierre is one of the best.)

National Aboriginal Cultural Festival (another great event in June)

Vic West Skateboard Competition (These four photos are a set, no need to choose between them.)

Pierre St. Pierre

During the recent Victoria International Buskers Festival I was pleased to see that the organizers included some of our local buskers in the program. Anyone who looks at this blog regularly will know that I have a special fondness for our local street performers who are out there sharing their art with us for many months each year and enlivening our streets with their talents. Pictured today is one such, Pierre St. Pierre, who never fails to mesmerize children with his clockwork mime and nostalgic French cafe music.

Pierre St. Pierre

Here is one of my favorite summertime street performers, Pierre St. Pierre, consummate musical mime. Later this year I hope to do some video of his performances since the lilting French Cafe music he plays adds a powerfully nostalgic air to his expressive movements.

Pierre St. Pierre

It's always a treat to watch mime Pierre St. Pierre work his magic down by the Inner Harbour Causeway. He never fails to attract an appreciative audience, particularly youngsters who watch his formalized movements in fascination. (He's also a photographers' dream model - bold bright contrasting colors and periods of perfect stillness coupled with an unvarying and mysterious expression.)

Pierre St. Pierre

Pierre St. Pierre is a talented mime who regularly performs above the Inner Harbour Causeway. He's another one of the gifted buskers that appear here during the summer season. By his concentration he manages to create a unique and quiet performance space around himself that seems to isolate one from the strolling crowds that pass. His costume and subtle gestures accompanied by the French cafe music he plays on his accordion create a wonderfully nostalgic mood.

New Faces

Every year new performers wishing to obtain permits to perform on the Inner Harbour must audition. In part this accounts for the high quality of the arts, crafts and entertainment that are on display. Above is the automated accordionist, Pierre St. Pierre, a delightful addition to the roster of artists you may meet when you visit Victoria. His mime is formidable and his nostalgic accordion melodies add a bittersweet note to the Causeway. Below are The Cooper Sisters, new faces providing truly sweet harmonies. I enjoyed the performances of these entertainers today and I wish them the best of luck and success this season.