Greetings from beautiful Victoria, B.C.!

[Aristus]

I'm in town for some continuing medical education. It's the height of tourist season. Throngs of people from every conceivable country all over the place. The weather couldn't be better.

I stopped feeling like a tourist in this town three or four visits ago. There is a small part of me that thinks: "Look at all these people coming to visit my city!" Even though I'm not even Canadian.

At least one of the physicians here for the CE is a right-winger. (I saw him browsing through NewsMax on his laptop.) I resisted the urge to ask him if he was planning on asking the provincial government for asylum from the United States. I still haven't seen any public indication that the tea-baggers have discovered that Canada has national health insurance. I wonder how long that's going to take?...

Anyway, Hi! from Victoria!

I love you all...

[livetohike]

1. Have a great time! This time next week, I will

be in Gaspe, Quebec

[Aristus]

2. Au revoir!

Bon voyage e bon chance!

[livetohike]

21. Merci!

[ohiosmith]

3. Great place. Given the opportunity visit the Parliament buildings and The Empress Hotel. Lots to do

and see.

[Aristus]

5. Our CE conference is inside the Empress Hotel.

It's pretty nice...

[ohiosmith]

6. Try out the Bengal Lounge.

[Aristus]

7. It's right across the hall.

But my wife and I have reservations this afternoon for high tea. We're doing that instead. We love high tea!

[ohiosmith]

12. High tea! Far out man!

[DFW]

20. Been there and done that--well worth the expense!

Well, once, anyway!

[fizzgig]

4. have fun

i hope to see victoria someday when i can afford to travel again

[surrealAmerican]

8. We want photos!

If it's that beautiful, I want to see it.

[Ter]

9. 60 degrees is not beautiful

Way too cool to be comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.

[LNM]

10. Post photos!

I love Victoria, but it's been 30 years since I've seen it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. Lucky you, my dear Aristus!

I've only been once, and it was raining!

It was still very pretty, but I wanted the sun, dammit!

Hope you'll take lots of pictures to share when you get home...

Have a ball!

[Callalily]

13. So glad that you can squeeze

fun time into your continuing education program.

[Major Nikon]

14. Have you been to Butchart Gardens yet?

Should be quite nice this time of year.

[Aristus]

16. We went to the Gardens yesterday.

It was our second visit there. Our first was last October, and, as beautiful as it was, we wanted to see it when it, (especially the Rose Garden) was in full-bloom. Yesterday was the day. They had so many different varieties of roses that I lost track...

[Major Nikon]

18. The last time I was there I had a hotel room on Laurel point

We got to see the float planes coming and going all day and we had a great view of the lit up Parliament building at night.

[HeiressofBickworth]

15. Turning pea-green with envy

I LOVE Victoria. Haven't been there in a few years but I'll go again sometime. From my experience, the Empress Hotel tea is over-priced. There are other places in the same area that serve a nice tea -- the one that comes to mind is The Gatsby Mansion (if they are still serving tea). It's on Bellevue Street. And if you like tea, a visit to Murchie's is good. I even order tea from them via their website. So, have a great time!!!!!

[Aristus]

17. The Gatsby Mansion used to have a wonderful "Chef's Surprise" dinner special.

You gave the waiter a short list of the foods you don't like, then he tells the chef, and the chef surprises you with course after course of wonderful, delicious meals composed of foods he knows you will like.

They don't have that anymore...

And my wife and I had tea at Murchie's two or three visits ago...

[HeiressofBickworth]

19. I never went there for dinner but it sounds great

I found that if I had afternoon tea late enough, I didn't have to have dinner.

Did you take the boat up there? (I don't remember the name of it).