Bengal Lounge

We wrapped up this lovely trip to Victoria with a leisurely lunch at the Empress Hotel in the Bengal Lounge. Thick with rich, colorful, exotic atmosphere, this room is redolent of India in colonial times. We relaxed in wing-back chairs by the window and munched on an assortment of flat breads, tapenade, hummus and other spreads. Yummy. And then it was time to go home...

 

Day Three - Victoria in February

Unlike what we left at home in the Seattle area, Victoria's spring blooming season was well along by the time we visited in mid-February. We spent a lot of time walking the James Bay neighborhood, Beacon Hill Park, and the park-like grounds of the Parliament Buildings. One of the highlights was seeing the home of acclaimed artist and author, Emily Carr.

Visiting the Parliament Buildings

As many times as we have been to Victoria, neither of us had ever been inside the Parliament Buildings, so we decided it was high time. We had a fabulous docent who mixed interesting facts and tongue-in-cheek humor to give us a memorable tour. Here are some visual highlights.

Valentine's Day in Victoria

Because our December trip was so fun, we couldn't wait to do another trip to Victoria and Valentine's Day afforded us the perfect excuse. Armed with hard-to-get reservations at Il Terrazzo for dinner that night, we set off on the Clipper early on the 14th. This time we stayed just a little bit closer to downtown at the Hotel Grand Pacific which is just across the street from the Parliament Buildings. We had a breathtaking view at night of both the harbor and the Parliament Buildings outlined in white lights.