Alaskan Cruise - DeRay's 81st Birthday - Victoria BC Part 5

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada, and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada’s Pacific coast. Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and, at the time, British North America. Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings (finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia) and the Empress hotel (opened in 1908). The city’s Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco’s. The region’s Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area long before non-native settlement, possibly several thousand years earlier, which had large populations at the time of European exploration. Victoria, like many Vancouver Island communities, continues to have a sizable First Nations presence, composed of peoples from all over Vancouver Island and beyond. DeLoy served 8 months of his mission in Victoria, from May 1958 to the end of his mission in early February 1959.

We played Oh Heck in the game room several times.

Carol won today.

To celebrate DeRay’s 81^st birthday, we had lunch in O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill. They advertised English style Fish and Chips. We were disappointed they were nothing like the Fish and Chips we enjoyed in England.

DeRay likes the shirt Carol and Verla gave him better than any shirt he has ever bought. He’s worn it since we got home to go out to lunch with Cai and Suzanne and with David Henderson. When he wants to look sharp, he puts it on! 

*#^@&%*The ultimate Birthday hat*#^@&%*

Oh, Oh, this is going too far!

After lunch, we went to the employee's show.

           DeRay always found the handicap seats.

When we stopped in Victoria last time 11 years ago, the bus into town was free. Now it is $10 each way. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a two-hour tour of the city for $20 each was a bargain.  Three other people joined us who wanted to see exactly what we wanted to see for two hours instead of three or four. The salesman spoke perfect English. How did we know he was going to slip in a heavily dialect speaking driver from Singapore? Our driver got $80/hour. The rickshaw drivers get $120/hour (and don't have to buy gas!).

 These kites are each controlled by a different person and perform in perfect synchronization. Quite a show.

Governor’s mansion and gardens.

I feel a little dowdy around my sisters who have nice new clothes and professional hair dos.

Hedges with style.

On a clear day, you can see forever. Our guide was rather impressed that we could see Mt. Baker (10,781 feet) in Washington.

Some people go with a guide in
an antique Pontiac to tour the city.

This is a giraffe tree. Our guide promised it was meant to be and wouldn’t fall on us.

An elephant.

                            Fisherman's Wharf

In honor of DeRay’s birthday, he played, I know you won’t recognize it, but it’s Danny Boy on his harmonica.

On other cruises, I have walked each day around the deck for a mile or two. This trip, I walked one mile once. Lovely. Ed and I did not get to the exercise room once. Where did the time go? We did have a long walk to our room from the dining room (aft) and the showroom (fore) and Spinnaker three times a day. We were more toward the front but the halls were very long to get to the elevators.

Since we missed formal night on Sunday, we decided to dress up for DeRay's birthday. 

DeRay is holding the card they gave him for his birthday that entitled him to a happy birthday song in the dining room and a free cake. What would Ed have done if they had sang Happy Birthday to him?

OK, this is the promised Men's side in Tsar's Palace. What would DeRay's mother have done with him?

How often do you get prime rib cooked to perfection for your birthday dinner?

I think Carol and Verla were the first ones off the ship. We shuttled back to our van with five other cruisers and would you believe the young man sitting next to me was from Kaysville? He grew up about four blocks from us. It's a small, small world. We were on our way home by 8:30 AM.

Mount Rainier (14,411 ft.) and Mount Adams (12,000 ft.)

I started to drive somewhere in Washington or Oregon. Sitting in the very back, I had paid no attention when we pulled off the freeway so DeRay was guiding me back on. Verla, who had been turned around the entire trip, always feeling like north was south and east was west, said, “I feel like we’re going straight west.” “Ha. Ha. Verla. You’ve been turned around the whole trip.” Then I saw a “west” sign and mileage to Portland. “Wait a minute! I think we are going in the wrong direction.” Only two miles to an exit. Luckily.  Saved by Verla! She drove for 2 or 300 miles, even after dark she was so eager to get home.

We couldn’t find her cell phone when we got home. After searching for 20 minutes, she was determined to go home and come back for it tomorrow. “Just stay the night,” DeRay insisted, “we’ll find it in the morning when it’s light.” It’s 1:20 AM. Finally Melissa and Carol looked in an open bag I had carried in and there it was so she went on home in the wee hours of the morning, as did Carol and Melissa.

Thanks to DeRay for planning and masterminding this Alaskan Cruise. Love to all of you for the pleasant memories.