Victoria, British Columbia
Cheers to Nate, Eh!
When our last supper was FINALLY over, we returned to our cabin to change and to watch our arrival into Victoria.
These birds must get fed a lot by cruise ship passengers because they flew right up to the balconies.
We were just in port for a few hours. There were night tours of Butchart Gardens (which is represented in the Canada pavilion in EPCOT), but that was not my boys’ thing. Our plan was to get off the ship and walk to a bar or restaurant so Nate could order a drink- he had turned 19 the previous month, and that is the legal age in British Columbia.
Is that the legal age in all of Canada? I don't know.
We got off the ship and were welcomed to Canada
There were signs indicating walking paths- we could go into town (right) or we could walk towards the waterfront to some shops and restaurants.
Most people chose the route into town, but we made a left towards Fisherman's Wharf. There was one other family we could see heading that way.
Along the path, we passed some legit Canada geese:
When we got to Fisherman’s Wharf, we found that most of the shops and dining places had either closed, or were just quick takeout places. Not what we were looking for.
We continued down the road, through a park, to a hotel that housed The Blue Crab Seafood House.
Blue Crab Seafood House
I don’t think I have a picture, but the dining room had beautiful views overlooking the harbor.
We took a seat in the bar and ordered a couple of appetizers and drinks.
We got fried calamari and Ben ordered the clam chowder, which was A-MAY-ZING! Being from New England, I have had my share of chowda, and this was either the best or second best I have sampled. YUM!
Nate’s first legal drink was an
Old Fashioned:
Bourbon whiskey, Angostura® bitters, water, sugar, maraschino cherry and orange.
According to Esquire magazine: A mighty fine drink it is: strong, square-jawed, with just enough civilization to keep you from hollerin' like a mountain-jack.
Mark got a
Local Gin & Tonic: Phillips stump forest gin with Phillips mint cucumber tonic & fresh lime
I was intrigued by the local soft drink used to make Mark's drink, a cucumber and mint tonic, but it actually was not very good.
It was pretty dark when we were done eating, and I was kind of concerned because there were not many people out on the roads on the way back to our ship. I know we were probably safe, but I would have felt better with more tourists around.
But before long, we were back at the fenced-in port and popped into the (VERY) crowded gift shop. You couldn’t even move around in there, so we didn’t stick around.
Upon our return, we retired for our last night on board.
Next up: Disembarkation/Seattle