Today we had a 6 a.m. wake up call for our morning ferry to Victoria. The sun had already been up for 45 min. These days with extra daylight hours are wonderful. The ferry boarding process was very efficient. It left on time, and despite some fog we arrived at our destination on time. Initially, the fog was so thick, that we could feel the ferry moving, but we couldn’t see the water. Going through Canadian customs was a simple process for us. However, the preboarding paperwork included a message that even a DUI conviction can bar one from entering Canada. The receptionist at the hotel last night had mentioned that when she was making our ferry reservations. (I’ve never been caught, so that didn’t worry me.)

The ferry crossing was uneventful and I used most of the time to catch up on the blog. It was totally fogged in at the beginning, but midway across, the fog burned off and we had beautiful clear blue sky. You could plainly see Victoria in front of us and the Olympic Mountains behind us.

 

 

 

 

We went immediately from the ferry landing to Butchart Gardens and arrived about 1 hour later. The beauty of the gardens defies description! It is 55 acres of Mother Nature at her best! The spring flowers were at peak bloom. The gardens have 280 rose varieties and more than 100 varieties of Dahlias. (We couldn’t help but be reminded of my mother and her love of her garden. She spent all day from sunrise to sunset in her flower garden on Mercer Island outside Seattle.) Some of the fragrances at Butchart were almost intoxicating. The azaleas and rhododendrons that we saw today more than made up for the blooms we missed in our yard this spring.

We spent hours soaking up the beauty and peace of the gardens, as we wandered from area to area: the Sunken Garden which is an old limestone quarry; Ross Fountain; Rose Carousel; 2 Totem Poles; the Rose Garden; the Dragon and Sturgeon Fountains; the Japanese Gardens; the Star Pond; the Italian Gardens and the nearby Gelateria. There was plenty of shade from the many trees including different varieties of Japanese maple, Redwoods, pine trees, and even a Dogwood. We have Dogwood trees in Virginia, but the Dogwood tree at Butchart Gardens had the most flowers we have ever seen on a Dogwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a Wharf with a dock and a small beach on the inlet where the Butchart family had a boat docked and entertained guests. There are 5 buoys in the Butchart Cove that permit overnight stays. The trail leading down to the water is lined with redwoods that thrive in the cool, moderate climate of Vancouver Island.

We slowly found our way back to Victoria and our lodging near Old Town. We were treated to a wonderful view of some snow capped mountains. It has been a truly wonderful day, but since we had such an early start we will tuck in early. We want to be rested for our day of sightseeing in Victoria tomorrow.