Eurodam to Alaska : We came , we saw , we photographed .

[TheCalicoCat]

And as we neared the Johnstone Strait we were on Orca alert since this is where they are supposed to congregate .

 

Is the Johnstone Strait only traversed on Vancouver round trips? (Do Ships traverse the Johnstone Strait when approaching Victoria from Sitka? Is that part of the "scenic cruising" described on an itinerary?)

[TheCalicoCat]

If possible, please provide Daniel's contact information.

 

We are not sure what to do in Victoria just yet. Thinking about Fisherman's Wharf & the habituated seals and/or the Bug Zoo (travelling with an 8.5 year old)... We have a full day.

[scubacruiserx2]

Is the Johnstone Strait only traversed on Vancouver round trips? (Do Ships traverse the Johnstone Strait when approaching Victoria from Sitka? Is that part of the "scenic cruising" described on an itinerary?)

 

I think that it was scheduled as part of our Seattle to Seattle trip but we did it earlier and longer to make up for the lost day in Sitka .

Here's Daniel's photo and his Tour's by Local's Link :

https://www.toursbylocals.com/TBL/WebObjects/ToursByLocals.woa/1/wo/hLCCtImNpUxx5wLc1J2VRw/2.67.1.3.1.0.17.0

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We went on the top deck to take a look around

The Coral Princess was practicing parallel parking

Video clip :

 

And a helicopter pad was nearby

The helicopter take off video :

 

The Coral Princess was allowed to disembark before us . I suspect that it was because of the EMS vehicle that greeted them .

[TheCalicoCat]

I think that it was scheduled as part of our Seattle to Seattle trip but we did it earlier and longer to make up for the lost day in Sitka .

Here's Daniel's photo and his Tour's by Local's Link :

 

Thanks.

[scubacruiserx2]

After meeting Daniel our first stop was Fisherman's Wharf

We saw seaplanes landing near here

And there are also houseboats here , some with Caribbean colors

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was the inner harbor , where we parked behind the British Columbia Parliament Building and walked to the harbor .

They have several memorials that we passed

Before reaching the front of the building

where we crossed the street to the harbor .

[scubacruiserx2]

The British influence is strong here and with the buildings , gardens and lawns we almost felt like we were back in England . Which is where we were 1 year ago with our oldest grandson , on a Baltic cruise from Southamption .

And of course there were more totem poles

Another Victoria landmark that we stopped at is Roger's that dates back to 1885 .

[MicCanberra]

Victoria is such a beautiful place.

[Smeecanada]

Sounds like a very fair trade off. Although, I would be disappointed in missing Sitka. I think adding the Inside Passage and the longer stay in Victoria is a nice bonus.

 

So many ships come into Victoria for such a short time for a very beautiful port. Hope you enjoyed your visit to Victoria. I very proudly get to call it home.

 

 

 

Yes , there was a big storm in Sitka so we skipped it , leaving longer hours in the other ports.

[upwarduk]

Victoria is such a beautiful place.

 

And looks the same as it did in 1982!

[perfect match]

I loved the houseboats! I always thought it would be fun to live on one, but I don't think I'd want it to be in Alaska. I definitely prefer a warmer climate. :D

[MicCanberra]

I loved the houseboats! I always thought it would be fun to live on one, but I don't think I'd want it to be in Alaska. I definitely prefer a warmer climate. :D

Victoria's (British Columnia's) climate is much more temperate than Alaska's but it would still get cold being on the water.

[upwarduk]

Victoria's (British Columnia's) climate is much more temperate than Alaska's but it would still get cold being on the water.

 

 

Very similar to the UK!

 

 

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[scubacruiserx2]

Sounds like a very fair trade off. Although, I would be disappointed in missing Sitka. I think adding the Inside Passage and the longer stay in Victoria is a nice bonus.

 

So many ships come into Victoria for such a short time for a very beautiful port. Hope you enjoyed your visit to Victoria. I very proudly get to call it home.

 

We had really hoped to visit Sitka for wildlife since we had a small boat excursion in hope of seeing sea lions , otters , bears , puffins or whales . And while the inside passage and extra time was nice and we did enjoy Victoria , we had really wanted to do both .

[scubacruiserx2]

And looks the same as it did in 1982!

 

Was there ivy on the Wall of the Empress ? The photo in our guide book showed ivy .

[scubacruiserx2]

Welcome to Chinatown

A Terracotta warrior to go

Pink snow

It was a windy day when we were there and the Cherry blossoms were were in bloom (which I've never seen before ) . When the flowers fell , it looked like pink snow .

[scubacruiserx2]

Fan Tan Alley

23 1/2

[scubacruiserx2]

Seeing this record shop reminded us of Chinatown in London

Daniel asked us if we wanted Bubble tea . We have never tried it before so we were excited to try it .

While we waited we did what we like to do . Pat shopping for our daughters and DIL and me taking photos . The girls all got bamboo purses , made in China of course .

Our Bubble tea , Chai for Pat

and lychee lemongrass for me .

Notice the huge straws , they are for sucking up the tapioca 'pearls' , which taste like gummy bears . The owner had made this dragon on the floor from Canadian coins .

[scubacruiserx2]

I loved the houseboats! I always thought it would be fun to live on one, but I don't think I'd want it to be in Alaska. I definitely prefer a warmer climate. :D

 

We may need a house boat here .

We broke a 100 year old record for rainfall in 1 hour at the airport , 4 inches in 1 hour !

And it's been raining for 4 days straight and expected to rain for 5 more . ;p

[Smeecanada]

Was there ivy on the Wall of the Empress ? The photo in our guide book showed ivy .

 

 

A lot of the ivy was trimmed back when they did a major renovation to the outside last year. It's growing back. The Empress has new owners and they are putting a fair bit into renovations. The iconic sign was replaced as well with a more energy efficient one.

[Snwwhte]

Was there ivy on the Wall of the Empress ? The photo in our guide book showed ivy .

 

 

 

They just finished a major renovation that took the ivy off as it was harming the building. (At least what we were told)

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Was there ivy on the Wall of the Empress ? The photo in our guide book showed ivy .

There was in September 2012.

[MicCanberra]

They just finished a major renovation that took the ivy off as it was harming the building. (At least what we were told)

 

 

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It certainly isn't good for the brickwork.

[perfect match]

We may need a house boat here .

We broke a 100 year old record for rainfall in 1 hour at the airport , 4 inches in 1 hour !

And it's been raining for 4 days straight and expected to rain for 5 more . ;p

 

We have gotten a lot of rain here, too. Not quite ready for a houseboat yet, though. :D