Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of activity going on with the whales. For the most part, they were hunting and swimming in circles, which is pretty cool, but not a lot of surfacing or jumping out of the water. We mainly saw orcas, including a little baby orca that was born in the spring. I took a lot of pictures, but they kind of all look the same, so I'll give you the best ones!
Because we didn't see a lot of whale action, the tour guides brought us over to see some harper seals and a bald eagle by a lighthouse.
Even though we didn't get to see any cool jumps or breaching out of the water, it was still a very cool experience! About three and a half hours after leaving the docks, we came back, took off our fashionable pants and jackets, and I set out to see more Victoria!
Victoria's streets are extremely clean and lined with flowers. Hanging baskets from street lamps as well as magnificent arrangements by sidewalks.
I know this is very childish, but look at this street name. Yes, I'm a twelve year old boy. Moving on!
This is the Parliament building of Victoria. Right outside is a giant Coastal Redwood that serves as a Christmas tree come December. Just look at that trunk! There is also a statue of Queen Victoria, the longest reigning queen of England, and the namesake of both the city and the Empress Hotel.
My first stop I was heading to was the Royal British Columbia Museum, but I got sidetracked by a food truck festival. That is where I had my first ever poutine! If you're not familiar, poutine consists of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. These ones also had pulled pork on. I'd just like to go on the record as saying that I've never eaten as many french fries as I have on this trip. I don't even like french fries that much, but they just keep showing up. This meal however was delicious.
Ok, finally getting to the Royal BC Museum which was chock full of great exhibits and information. They have a special exhibit going on now about the Gold Rush and gold throughout history. They also have a lot of life-size and miniature dioramas. Dioramas are my favorite things ever. Around the museum is quite a bit of First Nations art and artifacts.
This museum was great. I really had a good time walking through and learning about British Columbia. My next stop was Chinatown, the old in Canada, though probably the smallest too. A lovely day for a walk, I took my time getting there. You know you've arrived in Chinatown because the street signs turn from normal to ornamental. Even the bike racks have transformed!
Next stop is the Victoria Public Market. Fairly new, I kind of liked it more than Seattle's. This one is geared more towards my age group and very 21st century. There were a bunch of unique food stalls, flower sellers, teas, and artisan olive oil. I actually look through this store that had jugs of different infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. You take a bottle from the racks below and fill it up on your own. It was actually a really cool concept.
My last stop for the day was Miniature World. If you remember me saying how much I love dioramas, I was in total heaven here. Everything was miniature. Different themes, such as fairy tales, circus, Camelot, and even historical events were miniaturized!
I was so happy when I left, nothing could top it for the rest of the night. One last look at the Empress and I set off back to my homestay. I had a small dinner on a patio downtown and soaked up the Canadian sun. Victoria was beautiful and everything I hoped it would be.
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