Totems

Yesterday's totem stands peacefully among tall trees. Today's totem is in the heart of the city, directly opposite the Legislative Assembly Buildings.

Water Lilies

French impressionist Claude Monet painted about 250 canvases of Water Lilies. It's easy to see why. These were photographed on the grounds of the Gatsby Mansion on Belleville Street.

The Gatsby Mansion

Doesn't this look like a lovely veranda to have lunch? This is the Gatsby Mansion, a boutique hotel and dining establishment that occupies one of Victoria's early Queen Ann style residences on Belleville Streeet just down the block from the Robert Bateman Gallery and the Legislature. It overlooks the Inner Harbour where the Coho and Clipper dock. The house itself was originally built by Robert Pendray in 1890 and was then called Huntingdon Manor. A later owner re-named it "Gatsby Mansion" after the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. There is an interesting short history of the house and surrounding buildings you can read by clicking HERE.

Hands of Time 11 - Cupping Dogwood Blossoms

Here's another in the Hands of Time sculpture series by Crystal Przybille. This one is located directly across the street from the Legislative Assembly Buildings on Belleville Street. It's appropriate that it should face the British Columbia Legislature since the flower in the sculpture, the Pacific Dogwood, is our Provincial Flower. "The sculpture symbolizes Victoria as British Columbia's Capital City, and the importance of appreciating the present and nurturing the future."