victoria re-visited

 After leaving Australia, we returned to Victoria.  We expected a chilly contrast to the sunny and warm weather we had experienced in Australia, but Victoria was having one of its warmest winters in recent years (e.g., 10-13 C nearly everyday).  So, to our surprise, we did not need to brace ourselves for a chilly return to Canada, even a mild one that Victoria is known for!  Most of our time when we returned was spent catching up on work (so, there are few pictures in this blog), including preparing for a conference in Los Angeles, California at the end of February.  But we did get outside a bit as well, including some nice walks.  Above is a picture of the harbour area from Dallas road, near our apartment.   

One weekend, we did a lovely hike in the Saanich peninsula, just outside of Victoria.  Here Carolyn surveys the scene, including what is called the Malahat region and the bay south of Victoria, along with, in the distance, the Olympic mountains in Washington state.  It was a beautiful day and afforded great views.     

 

One of the favourite past-times of Victoria residents in February is to take pictures of flowers and trees in bloom and send it to friends and relatives in Ontario to make them jealous.  So, given that we are temporary residents and need to fit in with the locals, we are posting, with some reluctance, one such picture.

 

 

 

We also bought a car!  On our last day before leaving for California, we drove with Mark to Nanaimo (about two hours north of Victoria) because no Victoria dealership had the 2015 Toyoto Prius V cars on their lot.  And then we bought a white Prius and drove it back to Victoria.  It was a long day but satisfying because not only did we buy the car, we organized all of the details (including getting BC insurance). Here is a picture of a white Prius V, a hybrid car that gets very good gas mileage.  (We forgot to take a picture of our own car before we left for California, so this is one from the Internet that looks identical to ours.)

 

Off to California!   Love to all....C & T