Day in Review

5/13/09 ~ 7 AM
After a very early alarm (5:02 am) and an early continental breakfast, we are sitting here on the Coho ferry waiting to cross to Victoria., They loaded us first, which in this case means we get to be off first too. Sweet! The car deck has no windows and it’s such a long ride (about an hour and a half) that everyone gets out of their cars and goes up to the upper deck area. We don’t go by any of the San Juan Islands, so all you see is coastline, then open sea, and soon B.C. It’s kind of overcast today too, so the sky and the water are that Washington shade of grey-steel blue. The seagulls and water birds seem to be having a good time though.
Wow! They have a gift shop and galley area for snacks if you are hungry (just like at a baseball game, same kind of food little bit cheaper prices). I wasn’t expecting that. The WSF from Anacortes does not have any of that. I bought myself a sweatshirt that says VICTORIA on it, because I, for some unknown reason, did not bring a very warm jacket! I don’t planned ahead well sometimes. =0) The nachos are pretty good…nice and saltly…yum!
We are now arriving in Victoria’s harbor and they have asked us all to go back to our cars. Most of us with cameras are standing by the opening where the cars will disembark taking photos of the neat buildings the ship is passing. Oh, now the attendant told us all to go to our cars for real this time. =0)
Interestingly, the couple in the car beside us to the right has not come down to their car. That is going to make it VERY difficult for most of the other passengers to get off, especially the semi-truck. I don’t think he will be able to swing around that car. The rest could get out if they unload just right; kind of like that game where you have to shift everything to get the red colored block down to the lower right hand corner. I hope they return soon, we are leaving the ship now and the rest of the people will be very unhappy if the crew had to search for them.
Ccustoms was a breeze. “Identification please” and a bunch of questions about where you’re from and how you know each other, do you have and alcohol or tobacco, etc.. and now we are off to find Vancouver street.
Well, after touring around some of the little side street, and going down a residential street LINED with cars on BOTH sides so there is really only one lane to travel through (we almost ran into a man emptying the bag on his mower, or should I say he almost ran into us, since he was looking the other way as he stepped into the street!), we finally pulled the map out and got ourselves to the right place.
The Scholefeld House is a beautiful Victorian era Bed & Breakfast, just off the beaten path, but not so far that you couldn’t walk to everything downtown that you wanted to see. It has lovely white wallpaper with black filigree swirls in the lobby and running up the stairs. Our room (which is actually made for 2) is a beautiful blue-grey with a hint of sea green color and chocolate brown accents (Gloria, it’s kind of like the color of your bed spread) and an en suite bathroom. It’s just lovely. Right now we are s in the “sitting room.” Mom and Brianna are reading magazines and I am doing something, but I can’t remember quite what it is…………….OH Yeah, typing! =0)
20 minutes left on my battery life and no internet connection, but ~ We made it! I think the plan is to go to the Gardens today and we have tea at the Empress tomorrow. I’ll, of course, tell you all about that later.
Gonna try for internet one more time.
Nope.
Guess you’ll know this was posted after the fact when I finally get it posted. =0)
See ya.