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Thursday, August 29, 2013

A Fond Farewell!

The last stop on our Cadillac tour was up as high as we could go to get a view of the city of Victoria BC from above.

But before we went up, up, up, a drive by at the Governor's House was a must!  We pulled in like visiting dignitaries :)

This deer was spotted just grazing away in the gardens at the Government House  at the end of the day --- we didn't seem to bother him at all.  ((Yes, it’s a HIM…his horns are barely visible in this photo…he was oh so cute!

Info on the BC Government House from Wiki:

Government House is where the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted and often stay while in Victoria. It is also where numerous royal and viceroyal events take place, such as the bestowing of provincial awards or inductions into the Order of British Columbia, as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements.
Among many public receptions and garden parties held annually, the lieutenant governor's New Years Day levèe remains a popular and well-attended highlight of the holiday season in Victoria. It is also at the royal residence that the lieutenant governor will drop the writs of election, swear-in new members of the Executive Council, and hold audience with his premier.
 
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The property is owned by the Queen in Right of British Columbia; as with other Crown property, Government House is held in trust for future rulers and cannot be sold by the monarch except by her lieutenant governor with the proper advice and consent from the Executive Council of British Columbia.
The management of the residence is, however, overseen by the British Columbia Government House Foundation, a charitable, non-profit organization that was in 1987 established by Lieutenant Governor Robert Gordon Rogers, along with his Council at the time.
The foundation is mandated to oversee the maintenance of Government House's property and all the structures on it; the acquisition, either on loan or permanently, of British Columbia artworks for display in the royal residence; the management of official gifts to the lieutenant governor or monarch in right of British Columbia; and public awareness of Government House, its history, and value.

We wound through the hills, climbing higher and higher to get to this view:

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Overlooking the city of Victoria clear down to the pier in the distance.
 
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Looking the other direction.
 
It was a perfect end to a beautiful day ---and back down to the pier we went, driving slowly through the downtown area to watch the tourists hitting all of the shops in port they could!  I need another few days to explore Victoria….there is so much to see.
 
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The BC Bon Voyage Babes!
 
Upon our arrival back to the pier, we were greeted by Kathy’s fun group of quilters! ((My arm is around Kathy to the far right..All of this fun day is thanks to her and her hubby, Dale!))  Greetings and hugs and photo opportunities and also pier side show and tell!
 
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Orange Crush at the Pier!
 
It was the perfect end to the perfect day!  I can’t thank Kathy and her hubby for the gift of touring in their car, and for the quilty ladies for the very sweet send off, complete with goodie bags as we got ready to re-board our ship for our last night before reaching Seattle and starting our long journey home.
 
It was definitely a trip to be remembered.  Can we do it again?
 
Today I am meeting up with my friend Jen for lunch.  It’s been a while --- too long of a while ---and due to some things that have happened in the past couple of months, I really realize that even though there has been many pots boiling on my stove to over flowing, without a lot of extra time to deal with anything outside of my immediate world,  I have GOT to take time to let the people I love and care about know that I am still here for them.  So lunch it is.  It’s an afternoon for fun conversation, catching up with goings on, and making plans for the next time we can get together.
 
Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while…..it’s that important.

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3 comments:

  1. Are we going to get to see pictures from the sewing you did on the ship?

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  2. Thanks for sharing your trip to Victoria, i lived there one summer 1977. my brother and 2 nephews and multiple cousins also live there. my brother was a chef at the Lieutenant Governor's residence. but i learned somethings from you. lol that they have great quilt shops, but also about the Castle, i'm going to visit that place for sure. both sides of my family have history settling the Island, I'm a fourth generation born in British Columbia, most people come to BC from other provinces.

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  3. Did you notice how long your leg looks? I love when that happens in photos... black pants plus post,,, extra long leg!
    Nice to see a post from Canada! THough you've got me convinced I need to get to NC ASAP, too.

    ReplyDelete

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