This trip to Victoria happened at the end of May 2020, during the first weekend of eased Covid-19 restrictions in British Columbia. Initially, it was planned in March of the same year, the very week the whole province was shut down. Despite the eased restrictions, Bojana and I were a bit worried about how receptive the local population would be towards tourism, especially the elderly. 

We spent 3 nights on the 12th floor of the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbor, which gave us a majestic view of our surroundings. The main areas of the city were within walking distance from our location. It made it very easy to sneak out and visit the harbour, parliament building, Beacon Hill Park, Chinatown and of course, the West Victoria skatepark. We rented some bicycles for a day and cruised along the sea wall all the way to Gonzales Bay and back into town, with stops for delicious coffees and pastries in between. We had a nice picnic along the walking trails by Government House, with a view overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We even found a cool little record shop in an alleyway in Chinatown.

The Dutch Bakery, Milano and Crust Bakery were our favourite stops for food and coffee. Beacon Hill Park was a great place to see some peacocks and deers.

Beacon Hill Park is also a legal tent city, due to homelessness caused mostly by a lack of affordable housing. The inhabitants mainly keep to themselves.

It was great fun going back to Victoria. I had not been there in about 5 or 6 years. It has always been one of my favourite cities in British Columbia. Can’t wait for our next trip!