Vancouver Island: Day 9
This has been a day to explore Victoria . Where to start? The shops were just opening after breakfast at 10 so I decided I just had to do something serious about my inappropriate  summer attire. A warm sweatshirt would do. So I finished up buying a Moroccan cashmere jumper for $450. I actually fell in love with a cashmere and silk ensemble but that was over $1000, but I'm not THAT cold.
There is an exciting waterfront which is such a buzz this week with the 150th anniversary and hundreds of people were out enjoying the entertainment .
There were so many planes and little toot boats skipping about for Peter to photograph so I took off to the new museum. The history of this northern zone is all new to me and I found the displays and dioramas so fascinating.
Eventually we met up again and wandered through the glorious Empress Hotel . Such opulence from a bygone era.
By then it was time to board the huge coach which would take us to Schwarze Bay, the ferry terminal. The coach actually drove us on to the ship and then we scrambled up several flights of steps to a huge lounge with a wide variety  of food . Think of the Cook Straight ferry but only an hour and a half trip. That took us back to Tsawwassen where we re-boarded our coach and did the hour's drive back to the CBD and delivered the passengers off at their various hotels. We just say we're at the Sheraton which seems to impress. We don't let on We're in the cheap apartment block next door.
All in all a fascinating couple of day's vacation. We are happy to be tucked back home again now though .