First day in Oak Bay - Victoria, B.C.

First thing Saturday morning we headed over to Victoria with Sue and Derrick, the sky was kind of cloudy but the water was nice and calm.  Things are looking good!

Ted made use of his time on the ferry to practise his Scrabble skills.

 By noon we had arrived at Wayne and Lynn's in Oak Bay, what a great place to sit look out at the ocean -  the view they have is breathtaking.

After lunch we went to the Butchart Gardens where we spent the late afternoon and evening.  It's been many years since we've been there and I had forgotten the beauty of their mass plantings of flowers.

 

 

Check out the huge bees on this sunflower!

 

 

The Italian gardens reminded us all of great memories from our past vacation together in Tuscany.

 

 

 

 

This is the view of the Sunken Garden from the top of the steps leading down into it.  After the sun went down we went back, it was all beautifully lit up with indirect lighting beneath the shrubs and flowers. 

 

 

Sue, Lynn and I decided to take an evening ride on some wild animals:

 

 

 

 

Before the night was over we had a great dinner at the Blue Poppy restaurant, sang along with an enthusiastic crowd watching a band called Tropic Mayhem that was playing at the Concert Lawn, and then finished our day with the best firework display I'd ever seen. 

The finale!