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#198 NewOne of the three newest vessels to join the BC Ferries fleet is the Coastal Renaissance shown here.

they are the largest double-ended ferries in the world

carrying 370 vehicles and 1650 passengers

between Vancouver and Nanaimo across the Strait of Georgia with a sailing time of 1 hr 35 mins and a regular one-way fare of $58.50 (car $45 & driver $13.50)

Departure Bay Terminal, Nanaimo where you can see a couple of the older vessels for comparison.

All photos taken during our little climb up Sugarloaf Mountain. Nanaimo, the Harbour City, is a two-hour drive north from Victoria and is where we spent the weekend. I'll get caught up on posts tomorrow...heading to bed!

attn Ron & Tammy: Weather Rock

Ron: this is what happens when the weather stone grows into a rock! Tammy: now you can build your hubby his own weather rock for the backyard! Taken at the once famous Le Roi gold mine in Rossland BC years ago.

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#17 BabyWe also enjoyed seeing this wee one out for a swim with Mom at the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary today too!

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#170 LegsWe were pleased to see this Great Blue Heron during
our nature walk around Swan Lake this afternoon!

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#105 Follow the LeaderWith over 180 entries in the race I wonder how

long the leader will remain leader--->til the end???

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#161 It's Saturday MorningYesterday morning found us wandering down to the
the start of the 66th Annual International Yacht Race.

The navy coastal defence vessel HMCS Whitehorse with the cannon start indicates the official start of the Swiftsure (six races run over four different courses)

We had hoped to see the yachts use their colourful spinnaker sails, but it was not meant to be. Although not a fast start, it was not the "Driftsure" that we've experienced in past years either! You can see a few more pictures from yesterday on my other blog HERE

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#19 BacklightingWhile shooting into the sun is not usually recommended, the natural backlight it provides makes for a different look, as shown in the outcome of the flowers in this pic.

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#27 Black & WhiteThe original SS Beaver set sail for Vancouver BC from London England in 1835. Shown above in black and white, the colourful history of this precious paddle wheeler can be viewed HERE and is worth the read to learn about it's interesting past which I just discovered!

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#326 Things With WingsSee the seagull above the nose of the floatplane?

Both seagulls and seaplanes are things with wings!

They take off and land frequently each day...I can hear them from our place but thankfully we don't live this close, it's very loud--I suppose one would adjust and wouldn't hear them after a while. Didn't have this kind of traffic near the floathome I was in, don't think I would have liked that too much! BTW Tammy, your question about storms is answered in yesterday's comments.
And if interested, here are some shots on my other blog of the marina where I used to live on a float home: Click HERE and HERE

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#151 Home is Where the Heart isand if your heart is on the water then a float home

is the perfect choice for your everyday living!

Having lived on a float home in the past for many years I

can honestly say there are pros/cons to floathome living

and being rocked to sleep each night is definitely a plus! These 33 float homes at Fisherman's Wharf in the Inner Harbour make up a larger floating community than the marina I resided in, which only had four at the time.

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#160 IntersectionPedestrians, vehicles, Kabuki/Pedi cabs and horse-drawn carriages are commonly found at the intersection of Government and Belleville at the Inner Harbour. Missing from this photo are the famed, authentic British Double Decker buses that frequently travel this route too!

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#122 GirlHmmm...A pink scooter. Just screams GIRL to me! : )

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#157 In My NeighbourhoodIn my neighbourhood, trees are not "in the way" and removed. Thankfully "the way" is around them.

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#168 Law Enforcement

A couple of Victoria's finest on bikes during the parade.

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#208 On the RoadTaking this theme literally: seen on the road yesterday!

The 5th Annual Victoria Tartan Parade

promoting the 72nd Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival to be held next weekend at Topaz Park

A little taste of things to come was shared yesterday: pipe bands, highland dancers, caber toss and even a haggis hurl demonstration, which sadly, I missed seeing.

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#298 SpiralWas at the Inner Harbour again yesterday for a parade, so I decided to get a shot of the spiral stairs that were shown from a distance in yesterday's post of the singing tower...no more squinting folks! : )

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#1 One Hundredde zingende toren (the singing tower) aka The Netherlands Centennial Carillon. This carillon was a gift from British Columbia's Dutch community to honor Canada's 100th birthday. Her Majesty Queen Juliana of the Netherlands unveiled the cornerstone of this tower on May 23, 1967. It is located at the intersection of Government and Belleville near the Inner Harbour. A carillon is a musical instrument with a set of bronze bells. This carillon, housed at the top of the 89-foot tower is the largest in Canada with 62 bells, the largest bell weighing 1500 kilos (3306 lbs). To play the carillon, the musician climbs the 75 steps of the spiral staircase (another squint to see pic) and then up a 10-step ladder. Once there, the carilloneur depresses the keys and pedals of the clavier to play a song on the bells. Carillon bells do not swing, they ring when struck by clappers connected with wires to the clavier. Seasonal themed music is played year round on the hour between 10am and 5pm. The Provincial Carillonneur for BC is Ms. Rosemary Laing.

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#216 Our TownOur Town is a Tourist Town and another one of the popular tourist attractions are the horse-drawn carriage rides that are offered by a couple of tour companies. During the Christmas season you can spot the horses wearing Santa hats as shown on my primary blog HERE

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#249 Rain, Rain, Go Away!Yesterday was one of the rainiest days we've had lately

which was unfortunate for the passengers of these two
massive cruise ships that made an unexpected 10-hour
stop here instead of Mexico because of the flu outbreak.

Of course I just had to get down there to take some pics
as the "Mariner of the Sea" and "Carnival Splendor" are
bigger than the other cruise ships that usually dock here.

Thankfully it was short-lived --> today is much brighter!

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#79 DoorsChurch doors-->never noticed their colour until this week even though I walk by them all the time and have photographed the building countless times. Thank you challenge...I'm SO much more observant now!

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#244 Public TransportationWhether you want to hop around the harbour, or take a tour, these tiny tugs are part of the public transportation system here in Victoria and will get you where you are going in style! It is a very popular activity with tourists as well. If interested, more information can be found HERE

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#238 PortraitSuch talent! Even a caricature of Mr. Bean makes me laugh as if I'm watching him perform!

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#125 GovernmentThese Neo-Boroque buildings are situated on the Inner Harbour and were designed by 25-year-old Francis Rattenbury and built between 1893-1898 for a cost of $923,000. Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and the BC Legislature (aka BC Parliament Buildings) is where the BC Provincial Government assembles to make the laws and decisions of the province and where the legislation assemblies are held. For more information, click HERE. At night, the buildings are lit up with over 3300 bulbs. I'm sure I have a night-time pic somewhere, and when I find one (or take a new one) I shall post it. *In the meantime, I found one from Christmastime on my primary blog: click HERE if you want to see it lit up.*

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#88 EyesColourful and Fun or Colourful and Kind of Creepy...
I have to say I'm still undecided.