Victoria's Irish World

Originally, I had planned to drive to Sooke and the adjacent beaches during my time here on Vancouver Island, but we decided to take a closer look at Victoria.

But first we need to strengthen ourselves. We could still eat our remaining stuff (toast, ham, cheese, etc.), but my darling craved Eggs Benedict (toast with avocado, bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce) and hash browns at the Blue Fox Cafe. Unfortunately, the 10-minute walk was not worth it - the place is closed on Wednesdays. Just one block away, on the recommendation of a nice local who heard our empty stomachs growling, was a super delicious breakfast. At Picnic Too.

Highly recommended.

After strengthening ourselves, our round trip starts at 12:00 with a visit to St. Andrew's Cathedral.

Unfortunately, there was a service going on at noon on Wednesdays. So we have to explore Victoria without the Holy Spirit. Really, really a shame.

After a short detour through Chinatown (Canada's oldest and the second oldest in North America, after San Francisco)

it was time for the first beer after 12 o'clock. At the Craft, a local brewery.

And after a short walk

we had the second beer before four, overlooking the harbor and the parliament.

Nice here. And nice that everything is within walking distance. After a short cracker break with dip (those still have to go), we head towards Fisherman's Wharf. A collection of colorful houseboats with shops in front.

Nice to look at, but nothing more. On the way back, we take a water taxi (H2O Taxi or Harbour Ferry).

Small yellow boats that primarily ferry older seafarers to several docking points in the harbor. So we also get a little harbor tour.

My darling's fully stained t-shirt and my sweaty shirt require a pit stop in the room before our Irish pub tour. However, before that, we go to the BC National Museum. A must-have for every Victoria tour. Too bad it closes in 45 minutes. No dinosaurs, no totem poles.

Okay, then freshen up quickly and dive into nightlife. The Bard & Banker's, a great stylish pub, serves as a warm-up.

My darling tries some local beers, I stick with the one I know, Killkenny. In the second pub, the Irish Times Pub, we get stuck thanks to the live music.

Of the 5 planned pubs, we manage to visit... 2.

And we still have to get the remaining stuff from the car 😭😭