I spent most of today on a plane, car, or ferry; however, after delays on I-5 in Seattle, delays at the border crossing, and heavy traffic for an airshow(!), I find myself in Victoria, British Columbia.
File under: life is too short, Tim and I decided to do a trip this year–and not one that is tacked onto some conference I have to attend. A real vacation. No work. I couldn’t afford to do London like I had wanted (bummer–someday!). However, the Pacific Northwest is amazing. Why not go further north and west? Bonus: the region is called British Columbia for a reason. I can’t make it to the U.K. but dammit, I’ll be sipping tea and nomming scones in about fifteen hours.
So first impressions: everyone really is that friendly. There are a ton of pines here. Like TONS. And water everywhere. The variety of accents is surprising–even if it shouldn’t be–with many regional dialects converging on Victoria for summer vacation. That’s it really. Like I said, lots of time spent confined to a seat today.
Oh, so this airshow? 30-40,000 people showed up because: RCAF Snowbirds! Here’s a news report. We’d be stuck in traffic downtown somewhere and hear them buzzing overhead. The RCAF website calls the sound of the CT-114 Tutor distinctive. This statement is not some sort of lame PR fast one. I can’t describe the sound.
We never got to the Dallas Road waterfront to see the airshow properly (the place we’re staying is *right* on the water–it would have been the perfect viewing spot!) but we caught some incredible aerial acrobatics. So… yeah. I managed to catch an airshow on my first day ever in the great nation to our north.
Now photos, of which there were not many to choose from.
Also, there have been cougar sightings in the city as recent as today. I remain vigilant!
Playing in Puddles 