As I wrote last week, I enjoyed a few very pleasant days in Victoria, British Columbia, with my daughter Jenny. Victoria is the provincial capital of British Columbia, situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, but it is often overshadowed by bigger, more cosmopolitan Vancouver over on the mainland. Vancouver offers skyscrapers, a large international port and airport, strong ties to Pacific Rim countries and plenty of commerce. Nevertheless, quainter, quieter Victoria offers plenty of options for culture, shopping and outdoor pursuits on a more people-friendly scale.

This year marks Victoria’s 150^th anniversary, and the calendar bursts with all sorts of commemorative events, concerts, exhibits and celebrations. We actually timed our visit so that it wouldn’t coincide with any of these major events, as we quickly realized as we began to plot our itinerary that our days would be full enough already.

The small city draped around the cozy Inner Harbour is very pedestrian-friendly, but we ensured ease in getting around town without a car by booking a stay at the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel, perched like a queen on her throne along the east side of the harbor amid beautifully landscaped grounds (more on our stay there next week). Turn south on Government Street from the Empress’ doors and one enters the grounds of the Parliament Building and the provincial legislative offices. Head north and you’re immediately surrounded by 19th-and early 20th-century brick buildings housing an eclectic assortment of shops, restaurants, galleries and coffee houses. Here one can find English teas and toffees, small-label designer clothing, imported Irish linens, First Nations art, collectible books and quirky novelty items.

Dinner that first evening in town brought us to the Flying Otter Grill, just a hop, skip and jump from the Empress, on a floating dock on the harbor. It’s a great casual eatery offering breakfast, lunch and dinner; local brews; and above-standard pub food (especially the seafood). We sat in late evening sunlight, surrounded by local patrons who clearly love the place, and watching the seaplanes taxi up to the adjoining docks. 

The next day we rented a car for the 30-minute drive out to Butchart Gardens (though shuttle buses and tours also make regular runs out there from right in front of the Empress) and enjoyed a gorgeous May morning surrounded by acres of tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons and hundreds of species of flowers, shrubs and trees, established 100-plus years ago in a former limestone quarry. Another afternoon we toured the Royal British Columbia Museum, offering a rich collection and interactive displays and life-size dioramas detailing life in this area from prehistoric times to the present.

Our brief stay in Victoria convinced us of two things: It is a lovely, interesting, clean and fun city, and we will definitely need to return in order to enjoy more of what it has to offer.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor