Victoria in Winter

On a whim, we decided to visit Victoria, B.C., in the week after Christmas. We got a fabulous deal on the Clipper ship that included three nights at the Laurel Point Inn on the Inner Harbor of Victoria. We chose this hotel because it's where my parents stayed on many of their Victoria jaunts, and also because daughter, Kristen, also highly recommended it. We liked the Inn, but it turned out to be a long, cold and sometimes wet walk home each night, so we will try something a little closer next time for comparison.

Neither of us had been in Victoria for many years (Glenn 40, me probably about 25) and we each had a mental list of things we wanted to revisit. We took a long walk the first day and were surprised at how many things had not changed. The stately Parliament Buildings, gracious Empress Hotel, the beautiful inner harbor, and last, but not least, the English Sweet Shop where my dad bought the strong mints that he brought back for family and friends alike. We were surprised to find many stores closed and quickly found out that Boxing Week was a popular time for Canadians to take some time off. We found plenty to do, buy, eat and see, in spite of the Canadian holiday!