22 Butchart Gardens

Robert Pim Butchart began manufacturing Portland cement in 1888. He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.

In 1907, 65-year-old garden designer Isaburo Kishida of Yokohama came to Victoria, at the request of his son, to build a tea garden for Esquimalt Gorge Park. 

This garden was wildly popular and a place to be seen. Several prominent citizens, Jennie Butchart among them, commissioned Japanese gardens from Kishida for their estates. He returned to Japan in 1912.

 

In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921. 

The garden consists of seven sections: Sunken, Concert Lawn & Stage, Fireworks Lawn, Roserie, Japanese, Star pond and Italian.
Map and more info from the garden web site.

Never seen more flowers together.
Drunk of flowers
but without any hangover.

21 Victoria, British Columbia capital

Arriving Victoria the ferry pass through many small islands in Haro strait.









City center , Belmont building,









Fairmont Empress Hotel...









Hudson´s Bay  downtown department store.











The Bay Centre, shopping old mall at city center.

Window shop detail in Johnson street.

Beacon Hill Park.

Totems in the magnificent Royal British Columbia Museum.

Mask.

Native indian face.

Native indian clothes.

"The empress of Asia" connected Vancouver with Japan and China.

B.C, developped an important cannery industry focused on salmon mostly.

Haida box by Bill Reid, 1971. Made of cast, hammered and engraved gold.

O'Keefe Ranch Stage Coach, courtesy of the Historic O'Keefe Ranch, Vernon.

Far West times.

The Natural History gallery / Woolly mammoth.

Early Chinatown life mural.
Victoria´s Chinatown is the second oldest one in North America after San Francisco.






 
Victoria's Chinatown gate, known as The Gates of Harmonious Interest.

Fan Tan Alley runs south from Fisgard Avenue to Pandora Avenue. It was originally a gambling district with restaurants, shops, and opium dens. It is a tourist destination with many small shops including a barber shop, art gallery, Chinese cafe, apartments and offices. It is the narrowest street in Canada.

 

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Haro strait back to Vancouver.




NEXT : Butchart Gardens

20 Grouse

Grouse Mountain is one of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges, it is considered the summit of Vancouver. 

After the bus service from Canada Place you take the "gondola" up to the top. 

Exceeding 1,200 m (4,000 feet) in altitude at its peak, is the site of an alpine ski resort. Grouse Mountain Resort desserves several attractions...  

Further tah ski season in the summer, features lumberjack shows, a birds of prey wildlife demonstration, a scenic chairlift ride, and a 2.9 km (1.8 mi.) hiking trail known as the Grouse Grind, as well as helicopter sightseeing.

Lumberjack...

and BEARS, as best attraction.

Look out point with an amazing view of Vancouver.

NEXT :  Victoria, British Columbia capital