Victoria BC - Rest Day

On this trip I allowed an extra "rest day" in Victoria, but I did so much walking around the city that I was more tired at the end of the day than I had been after riding 65 miles on the Galloping Goose Trail.

At right is the Legislative Building. Canadian official decorative motifs are much more interesting than American ones.

Craigdarroch Castle

Finally, I got to see the inside of Craigdarroch Castle. The house was built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, who unluckily died just before construction was finished in 1890. His widow, Joan, moved in, but traveled all over Europe and America in search of art and furnishings for the house, including exotic wood work, and stained and leaded glass windows. The house is full of beautiful parquet floors, wood trim and panelling, with brilliant stained glass at every window - lovely to see in person, but unfortunately that made it difficult to get good interior photos.

The tower room at the top of
Craigdarroch Castle

The tour proceeds up stairways on one side of the house to a small tower room at the top, then down the stairs on the other side. One of the upper floors which was used as a ballroom was roped off when I visited because the floor's supports had deteriorated so that it would not bear weight. A display case held souvenirs, fans, dance cards and programs from social events, and mannequins displayed suits or dresses from the late 1800's. I was surprised at how small they were: the women must have been less than five feet tall, with tiny wasp waists, and the men looked to be only about five and a half feet tall.

Tile flooring in the tower

Bikers in the family

After the deaths of Robert and Joan Dunsmuir, the family became mired in disputes over inheritances and division of property. Some of their children and grandchildren apparently grew up to be very colorful and bohemian: one young woman became fascinated with the actress Tallulah Bankhead, joining her entourage and following her around Europe, to New York and Hollywood, according to displays of photos and tabloid stories. I believe she eventually died on the Titanic, but I might be confused.

The house is partly restored with original furnishings, but some rooms that were used as a convalescent hospital for WWII soldiers will be restored to that state, to commemorate the history of the house. Later it was taken over by Victoria College, and was crowded with returning veterans after WWII. The Victoria Conservatory of Music operated there until the late 1970's, when it was taken over by the Society for Preservation & Maintenance of Craigdarroch Castle.

Just like home

After coffee and a scone at the castle gift shop, I walked a few blocks to Government House and rambled in the garden there, then left the grounds to explore the city neighborhoods. I had a city map but kept getting enticed down interesting-looking side streets until I got a bit lost. At last I happened upon a Starbucks on Cook Street. The afternoon was getting hot, time for an iced coffee break.

I walked to Beacon Hill Park, enjoying the water views from the bluff, then walked down a steep staircase to the beach for a rest, before walking back to the hostel by way of the waterfront.

For dinner I found a funky little Mexican place with a tiny seating area, where I ordered the fish tacos. They were OK, smothered in salsa and chipotle, but made with frozen breaded fish filets. Disappointing compared to the dinner I had in Swartz Bay at the end of last summer. It's never as good as the first time.

Next morning I started out early, riding back to Sidney on the Lochside Trail, aiming to catch the noon ferry back to Anacortes. Arriving with an hour and a half to spare, I locked my bike up to a fence and walked a few blocks in to Sidney to get coffee and ice cream, and idle around the shops and Sidney waterfront. I walked through the US border control station with my bike, but then had to line up in the car lanes to wait to board the ferry. I left my bike at the fence for a few minutes to take a bathroom break, which might have raised official suspicions, because when the line started moving, an officer called me inside a little office (to the left in the photo) where I had to show my passport again and answer a few questions. But they let me go and I boarded the by-now familiar old Washington State ferry to Anacortes.