On to Canada

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Day 4 and off to Canada by train.

Great way of travelling to Vancouver - 4 hours but smooth journey with fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean along the way.

Picked up a car in Vancouver then off to the ferry for Vancouver island and then Victoria. Lovely airbnb run by an Bobby a slightly eccentric Englishwoman with a few tales to tell I would have thought, just outside of Victoria.

On her recommendation we went to Sooke and the Sooke Harbour Hotel. A lovely. Walk along Whiffen Spit prior to lunch and a couple of beers in the hotel. Worth a visit.

Drove into Victoria and wandered round that evening to fisherman's wharf ( only going you are a teenager or have young kids) then a water taxi ride cross the harbour.

Next day was critical - England v Sweden in the World Cup Quarter final. First time watching England with fruit salad and coffee rather than a few beers but it was 7.00am over here, great start to the day with a victory then off into Victoria again.

Pedaler bike tours was our first stop and a 2 hour bike ride and history lesson from the owner http://thepedaler.ca/ - well worth it on the way we saw the worlds largest freestanding totem pole at Beacon Hill plus we went through Chinatown and went back there for lunch at the fan tan café - great food rubbish website so just turn up you won't regret it.

Butchart Gardens was our final stop for thus leg if our tour. Beautifully laid out garden with multiple different sections and well worth a visit ( unless you live near Wisley and the RHS HQ gardens). They had a band on playing everything from the 60's (first time I thought the monkees and the stones sounded the same though) this was followed by fireworks in the evening which we missed however given the numbers of people there thus was a sought after location

Day 7 saw us leaving Victoria and onto another chapter.

Note: Problem with photos so not much uploaded this time hope to resolve for next blog

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