Fuchsias

As well as some lovely ocean views and a bit of forest, Saxe Point Park also has some well-tended flower beds and I couldn't resist these luscious fuchsias.

Looks Warm...

Looks warm...but it's not! The waters off Saxe Point are usually this clear blue. Apparently one of the reasons this area is popular with scuba divers is because the water is so clear. But in this area they always wear wet suits, as do surfers further up the coast on the famed Long Beach because though it looks warm and inviting, the North Pacific is a cold ocean. If your boat should tip over while you are out on the open water the cold will kill you in about 45 minutes.

Mushrooms?

We've had a couple of good rains now and the air has got that autumn sharpness so I thought I would check out the bush in Saxe Point Park to see if I could find any mushrooms to photograph. It seems I'm a little premature. No mushrooms were in sight. I suspect we need a few more rains and cooler weather. Saxe Point Park is beautiful even without mushrooms.

Love Locks?

On the rocky shore below the West Bay Walkway is this strange construction of flotsam and jetsam that has lately been attracting those mysterious people who like to put padlocks on fences at significant locations. Someone told me that lovers who plight their troth like to mark that pledge by locking a padlock at that location as a symbol of their undying love. Hmmm...

The Ripple Effect

Walking around Langford Lake on a section of raised boardwalk I was peering over the edge looking into the water when I realized what a lovely pattern the breeze was creating on the water's surface. - Fern

Jammin'

Another bright and beautiful day today and the causeway was almost as busy as mid-summer. I was lucky to catch one man band Dave Harris doing an afternoon performance when he was joined for a few numbers by Marty Lewis on harp and vocals. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Lunch With A View

Victoria has a number of seaside restaurants that boast a nice view but for my money the best of them is Red Fish Blue Fish below the old Customs House on Wharf Street. Judging by the lineups at this place, the food is great; if it's even half as good as the view, it must be. I've not eaten the fish but the chips are excellent.

What the...?

So, the unusual rigging on this ship caught my eye as I wandered around on the docks below Wharf Street yesterday. It intrigued me to the point where today I looked up the ship's name, Amara Zee, online. That strange rigging on top is not, as I guessed, a fishing platform for some unusual kind of fish or fishermen. The ship is a performance vessel and is here to perform "Nomadic Tempest", an experimental rock opera performed on a tall ship. On the preview video it looks like an incredible spectacle - it's on tonight and I may drop down the the harbour to see what I can see. Here's a link to the website - Caravan Stage Company.

Weather

We've been having a lot of weather lately and a lot of skies like the one above. Sometimes it'll be overcast then the sun will break through then it will rain then the sky will clear again and the sun will come out. It'll be autumn cold one day then summery and warm the next. I'm not complaining - it could be earthquakes and tornadoes and though the rain is hard on cameras, it's good for the forests.

Leafy Orcas

Surfing the crest of a grassy aquamarine wave, these two Orcas, mother and calf, are swimming on the corner of Government and Humboldt Streets by the Empress Hotel.

West Bay Walkway 4

The West Bay walkway is a great place to view the cruise ships moored at Ogden Point.

Thing of the Past

This isn't Victoria but it's emblematic of this whole area; the neighborhood cornerstore. We all bought our first candy at these local shops but demographics change and the big chain stores become ever popular they are slowly disappearing. - Fern

West Bay Walkway 3

This small balancing rock sculpture has been erected recently and, though I generally prefer my nature unmodified, I quite like it. It looks like a good wind would blow it over but that delicacy is part of its charm.

West Bay Walkway 2

Here's the view from Rainbow Park looking west towards the West Bay Marina at the westernmost end of the Inner Harbour.

West Bay Walkway

I've been neglecting one of my favorite spots this last few months so I returned to the West Bay Walkway for a stroll this afternoon. It offers such great views that I enjoyed revisiting it again immensely. Here we see the Coho car ferry leaving the harbor on its afternoon trip to Port Angeles, Washington.

Blues Bash

Throughout the summer the Inner Harbour hosts a steady stream of festival events. The ladies above are watching a group performing as part of the Vancouver Island Blues Bash. You can see the group they were watching a little more clearly through my telephoto lens in the photo below.

The Causeway

Although the curvature caused by the fish-eye lens is quite pronounced in this photo I like this view of the Empress Hotel from the small square at the northern end of the causeway.

Inner Harbour Causeway

Once school's back in the tourist season dies down a bit though the cruise ships continue to keep the Inner Harbour busy until mid October. Here, through a 17mm fish-eye lens, is what the Causeway looked like last week.

Under and Over

The Galloping Goose Trail has several bridges that cross over busy roads on it's way across thru Victoria and southern Vancouver Island. There's something about about a trail like this that makes you want to follow it doesn't it? - Fern

Antique Eye Candy

There are a number of stained glass windows here and there throughout Craigdarroch Castle - one in the smoking room features Sir Walter Raleigh smoking a pipe - but I find the one pictured above to be the most attractive. A hundred years ago when there were no big-screen tvs or brilliant HD monitors, something as bright and colorful as this window must have been very satisfying.

Tile in the Tower

In a comment on yesterday's post JoJo mentioned the tile floor in the tiny round topmost room of the castle, providing the perfect excuse for me to post a photo of said floor. I think the emblems are Scottish - that's a general theme in the castle - but my knowledge of heraldry is scant to say the least. (Thank you JoJo!)

The High Life

At the very top of the Craigdarroch Castle staircase is a small circular tower with one of the best views of the city to be had. You can get some idea of the height by looking at my little black scooter parked far below.

Smoky

Looking towards the entrance to the Inner Harbour, this is what Victoria looks like today. Lots of forest fires in BC - according to a Global News report, the smoke that is turning Victoria orange is likely from the Pemberton area (Near Whistler Mountain).

Nice Bike Rack

The art of the Native Peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast is world famous and of course we have lots of it around here but I thought this was an especially nice modern example of it on a bike rack at Fisherman's Wharf. I don't know who did the Orca design but it is very attractive.

More Teak than a Thai Forest

Here's a couple of quick glimpses of what's available down in the Inner Harbour this Labour Day Weekend. It's the Victoria Classic Boat Festival.

Light and Shadow

I recently has a chance to go to an open house held in a print studio above the shops in Chinatown, and it was so exciting to be up above Fisgard Street and see some of the old architecture. I totally lost my mind tho and forgot to take any pictures in the actual studio and only pulled out the camera as I was leaving but I did get this shot of the backroom with the light flooding in the windows which I quite like. I also liked that that chair was pulled up in front of a door that led into thin air - maybe if you lost playing mah jong that was the exit? - Fern Long

Craigdarroch Castle IV

The amount of beautiful wood paneling through the castle is quite overwhelming. But is all perfectly fitted and looking splendid, even after more than a hundred years. Apparently all the woodwork was made in a factory in Chicago and then shipped out here and assembled. There are some fascinating details (see below)

Craigdarroch Castle III

One of the things that makes a visit to Craigdarroch Castle a pleasure is the way so many of the rooms have been furnished with period items and real attention to detail. Viewing these rooms is like a peek into the family life of an upper class family a hundred years ago. Above is the dining room table set for breakfast. Note the baby's high chair down at the far end. I am mystified by the odd-shaped item on the table that is pictured to the left. Does anyone know what that thing is? Below is another table laden with snacks and munchies up in the billiard room on the top floor.