Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

We said goodbye to San Juan Island and boarded the once-daily ferry from Friday Harbor to Sidney, British Columbia. After passing a rather gruff customs agent, we walked into the town of Sidney to catch the #70 Express bus into Victoria. We climbed onto the double-decker bus after paying with our "loonies". We got a nice taste of British Columbia residential architecture and infrastructure. Everything seemed like a bizarro version of America but distinctly better and more efficient.

After checking into the Magnolia Hotel and Spa located just a few blocks from the Inner Harbor, we went in search for food that was along our Frommer's walking tour. Yelp helped us find a vegetarian spot called ReBar, serving up modern vegetarian fare.

 
 
The interior reminded me of Cafe Sunflower, version 1.0. The menu was eclectic, and we settled on hot dishes to warm us up.

 
Andy's Monk Curry

 
My dumplings. I had serious entree envy after Andy declared that the curry was the culinary highlight of the trip so far.

After the late lunch, we did a modified version of the walking tour, visiting sites like: Trounce Alley, Bastion Square, Market Square, Fan Tan Alley, and Chinatown. One spot that wasn't mentioned in the guide was dedicated as Antiques Alley, unfortunately it was too late in the day, and the shops were closed.

Building up an appetite, we happened upon a gluten-free, vegan-friendly pizza place called the Joint.



Although it was good for my gluten-sensitivity and lactose intolerant stomach, I would say it was okay. I will have to give Victoria two thumbs up for being a gluten-aware city.



View from Thunderbird Park to the Empress.



Sunset in the Inner Harbor.



Our second day started with the deluxe continental breakfast at the Magnolia, then we caught the #72 bus to Butchart Gardens. The hundred year-old gardens are the crown jewel of the Victoria area. It's a collection of one family's Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and Italian Garden. My favorite were the Sunken Garden and Japanese Gardens, and of course, the thousands of dahlias we encountered along the way.



After spending the early part of the day at the gardens, we returned to downtown Victoria, grabbed some food, and walked to Beacon Hill Park to see the Olympic Mountains across the Salish Sea in Washington State. This park is underrated, and we were lucky to get there before sunset to see the views.



On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for a pint at the Swans Brewhouse and ate dinner at the Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant.