Emily Carr statue

Wednesday October 13, 2010

The new Emily Carr statue was unveiled in Victoria on Wednesday. It is on the corner of the Empress Hotel property where a circular flowerbed used to be.

She is shown here with her pet monkey Woo and dog Billie. I was surprised to see the sculpture just plopped on the ground rather than up on a pedestal.

But I suspect it was done that way so that people can go up and touch it.

In this location a smaller or more refined-looking sculpture might have been better. However, I think the face is very well done.

A walk around town - May 8, 2010

With relatives visiting for the weekend, we spent the day in downtown Victoria. Weather: sunny and warm. We began with breakfast at the Vista 18 restaurant at Chateau Victoria.

There are great views from this restaurant, although some of it is blocked by a new condo building.

A zoomed-in view of sailing ships in the harbour.

The food however left something to be desired. Are they kidding with these potatoes?

After breakfast we went shopping and saw these amusing handbags.

The protest du jour had something to do with salmon.

This visitors centre at the edge of the Inner Harbour was a gas station many years ago.

On the Empress Hotel grounds these giant tulips as big as your open hand were just past their prime.

A walk around town - March 6, 2010

Near the harbour, Victoria, BC

These banners in town generally sum up the activity in the harbour. I always wonder who designs and makes the banners.

Police people, especially in these outfits, are somewhat of an unusual sight for Victoria. They probably were not on hand to watch the mobs of people herding onto whale watching boats during 'Be a Tourist in your own Home Town' week. More likely they were there for the torch relay for the Vancouver Paralympic Games. A stage was set up by the harbour for the event and a woman was singing.

A much more common sight in Victoria are protesters - these ones for Tibet. They were probably heading to the Francophone Festival in Centennial Square.

Which came first - did the truck smash into and uproot the tree, or did the tree fall on the truck? My guess is the former. See the blue post on the very left? It is one of the relatively new parking kiosks around town. On any given day, you can see people standing at them with puzzled expressions on their faces. Imagine the poor tourists.

The latest sidewalk art on Government Street.

Chinatown

Chinatown is decorated with these festive lanterns.

Now here is something you don't see every day, at least not around here - the "Mighty Michelle" shopping bag! At the bottom centre it says "First Lady of Fabulous." Made of recycled material, it felt like brittle plastic.

I'm all for tea rooms, although I don't think this one does an afternoon tea and the location is odd - smack in the middle of Chinatown. They serve wraps, grilled ciabattas, melts and organic teas & coffees and they had some fine looking desserts.

A rusty ship at Ogden Point, Victoria

Amazed that it didn't rain solid for days as the forecast seemed to indicate, we went for a late afternoon walk to Ogden Point this past Wednesday. It wasn't as cold out as it looks.

Mid October last year this freighter 'Ocean Lady' (or the MV Easwary - whichever name it goes by) showed up in Victoria with 76 Sri Lankan Tamils smuggled on board. The newspaper reported then that moorage costs were $550 per day. Well, nearly $70,000 later, the ship is still sitting there. I never heard what happened to the people on board but the ship will probably have to go by the time the cruise ship season starts.

Crescent Moon in Victoria

Setting moon, Sept. 21, 2009

Very grainy photo, but there wasn't much light!

Sundial at Ogden Point

I love sundials. It was news to me that this one had been installed near the breakwater at Ogden Point this summer.

You may be asking, "Where is the dial part?" I've read that part is called a 'gnomon.'

Well, you're it. You stand on the line of the current month and your body casts the shadow to the time shown on the rim.