Welcome to Victoria

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Oh my Gosh, my first visit to Canada.  I've always wanted to go to Canada -- Whistler, Quebec, a train ride all for a future trip.  But for now, I'm visiting Victoria.  I'm jazzed.  We had drizzle. 

Today's excursion includes a trip through the city, and wow, it is beautiful.  The architecture is stunning.  Victoria is considered Canada's most British city showcasing Victorian and Edwardian era mansions and other landmarks. Victoria began in 1843 as a Hudson Bay Company trading post, named in honor of Queen Victoria. I am reminded of Berkeley, San Francisco and Princeton as we tour the city and surrounding neighborhoods.  Exquisite gardens abound and flowers everywhere. Very pretty.  Of course it's famous for its Butchart Gardens and is known as the "Garden City".  Unfortunately, Victoria has become like the Bay Area (CA) in terms of real estate prices.  I was unable to capture the pretty neighborhoods we passed; I know that I am returning for sure.

We were entertained by our guide about Victoria's history.  Here we are stopping at Mt. Tolmie.  Had we had better weather, we would have seen Washington state across the water.

I toured Craigdarrouch Catele built by Robert Dunsmuir (related to Dunsmuir near Mt. Shasta, CA).  It was marvelous.  A search in Google will provide you with its history.   I wish I had more time to explore this incredible city.  I wanted to sample chocolates from Rogers' chocolates, and hang out in a pub.  Before we knew it, we had to return to ship.  Much to short. 

Another Day at Sea

Monday, May 13th

Another day at sea as we go along the coast of Canada.  What to do, what to do?  Well, Q&A with the captain and first engineer (an Italian stud) helped to pass the time.  They shared with us that the crew is comprised of 46 nationalities and they are often at sea for 9 months at a time.  We had an 8 meter clearance going under the Golden Gate Bridge.  They talked about the ship's carbon footprint and environmental practices and what's in store for the future.  It was really interesting.

We also got a behind the scenes talk involving the galley.  The photos shared are watermelon carvings.  The amount of food prep and consumption is amazing.  On a daily basis, 1400 lbs of poultry, 1700 lbs of beef, 400 lbs of shrimp, 500 lbs of pasta, 6,000 lbs avg amt of fresh fruit consumed, and on and on.  I don't know how they do all this.  57 people work throughout the day to do all the cleaning and washing.  I also entertained myself with more karaoke and musicals in the theatre.  Time passed.  Looking forward to seeing Victoria tomorrow.  

Ketchikan

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Ketchikan, Salmon Capitol of the world, who knew.  First, that's my ship in the distance; we tendered (got on the orange boats) to get to shore.  Loved it. I am amazed at how the crew manages all of this.  Once again, we are blessed with perfect weather.

I have a busy agenda, first doing a boat tour of the area, seeing eagles and a lighthouse.  Ketchikan has so much to offer including the Misty Fords National Monument.  It is the 7th most populated city in Alaska.  Our guide informed us that when the paper mill closed, the city almost went under but tourism saved the day.

Yes, we saw eagles, but I saw more in Skagway.

Before my next tour, I checked out the town.  Ketchikan is known for its totem poles and for being the salmon capitol of the world.

Lunch was sampling smoked salmon at every store!  It was frigging delicious. We learned the hand thingy for identifying salmon - thumb - chum, forefinger - sockeye salmon, middle finger - king salmon, fourth finger - silver salmon and pinkie - pink salmon.  I met a couple from Spokane, a city I visited last year and simply loved.  I also met people on my cruise from Wisconsin, Queens NYC, South Africa, Australia, and Santa Cruz.

I visited historic Fleet Street.  It is a gem. 

See this totem pole.  Well, you'll find him in a U.S. passport.  That was the highlight for me.  Ketchikan is full of flowers and blooming trees. 

I also visited Saxman Native Village and was treated to the Tilingits culture and their totem poles.  Wow, it was a remarkable excursion.  The couple in the photo hail from Australia. I would meet up with them later on the cruise and they bought me a glass of Prosecco.  Lovely couple; I gave them tips on exploring SF upon our return to the Bay Area.  We enjoyed a concert together aboard ship on another day at sea.  I barely captured the marvel of Ketchikan.  Truly an enjoyable experience.  Back on board ship, I met someone who bought me drinks (who am I to say no) and enjoyed another round of karaoke, excellent food ( mussels, shrimp cocktails, mashed potatoes, chocolate mousse) and dancing in a bar.  Until the next adventure.