Two Ships

If you like things that float on the water Victoria is a good place to live since pretty well every type of watercraft can be seen most days if you're near the shore. Here's two extremes I saw recently. Above is one of the many cruise ships that stop here regularly, the Silver Shadow. And below is one of those instantly recognizable little Harbour Ferries.

Smokey Sunset

I mentioned a few days ago that our atmosphere here has been very polluted lately with smoke from the many forest fires burning on the mainland. While the smoke had abated somewhat by the time I took this photo there was still enough left in the air to provide this nice red sunset over the Inner Harbor. That's one of the little harbor ferries making a late trip on the right.

Fisherman's Wharf II

I mentioned yesterday that fisherman's Wharf has a number of shops and eateries. Above is Barb's Fish and Chips - one of the more popular, though everything I've tried on the wharf has been tasty. The kids to the right are obviously enjoying their ice cream cones while waiting to get aboard the nearby Harbor Ferry. Fisherman's Wharf is one of the scheduled stops for these cute little ferries that will carry you anywhere you like to go in the harbor or up the Gorge.

Further Up The Gorge

I've mentioned before that the Gorge is an arm of the ocean that winds its way through much of Victoria and adjacent communities. I've posted many pictures of the Inner Harbor, the first part of the Gorge. And a couple of weeks ago I posted some photos of Rock Bay, the next part of the Gorge, lying between the Johnson Street Bridge and the Bay Street (or Point Ellice) Bridge. This posting is about the next portion of the Gorge as it moves inland. The photo below was taken from Point Ellice looking down the gorge towards the Bay Street Bridge. The Rock Bay photo posted earlier was taken from the opposite shore just on the other side of the bridge.The sloping walkway here is where one catches the Harbor Ferry, just visible in the distance. This photo is just on the edge of my neighborhood since I live about three blocks from the far end of the bridge and shop at the tan colored shopping center on the far right. The photo below is the view to the right of the photo above and looks up the Gorge towards the Selkirk Trestle - restored for the Galloping Goose trail, not for vehicles except bicycles.

Harbour Ferry

I thought I might as well continue with this transportation theme. These little boats that look like children's toys are a very handy way of getting around the Inner Harbour. Behind the ferry on the left are some houseboats moored at Fisherman's Wharf, where one can feed friendly harbour seals, buy fresh seafood directly from fishing boats, or eat some excellent fish and chips.