Canada #1 Victoria BC
There’s something special about visiting a country for the first time. When we arrived in Victoria, British Columbia the feeling was extra special, with flags, music and colourful celebrations on every street. But we knew the party wasn’t in honour of our arrival. We were there in time to celebrate Canada Day!
This year, 1st of July was the 151st anniversary of Canada’s achievement of self-governance and we were excited to join the festivities in front of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Proud Canadians wearing red and white formed a living flag and, all around us, the national anthem was sung with patriotic fervour. With markets, concerts and cultural displays to enjoy, we were immersed in the emotion of the day.
At dusk we stood on the crowded Johnson St Bridge to watch as fireworks brightened the darkening sky. The city lights, with the illuminated Legislature at their centre, glowed on the blackened waters of the Inner Harbour.
Even though the party wasn’t meant for us, we felt welcomed in the most special way!
The Eternal Traveller 
Great post
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Thank you! It was a fun day.
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No problem! Yeah, you can tell. Stop by my blog when you get the chance
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Perfect timing by the sounds of this Carol – a great way to start your visit!
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We didn’t know it was a significant date when we started making plans, but it was a wonderful beginning to our trip.
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Siddy has a maple leaf kerchief he wears on Canada Day 🙂
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I’m pleased to hear he joins in!
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What a great welcome! It looks like a special sunny day too, and the lit up buildings later were spectacular.
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It was a glorious day and we had so much fun joining in.
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What a superb beginning, Carol. Such a pretty picture of the illuminated buildings 🙂 🙂
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Thank you, Jo. It was such a privilege to take part in all the festivities and the atmosphere was so joyful.
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Looks fabulous! And go on – don’t be modest. I bet it was for you really 😉
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I’d like to think it was just a little bit in our honour. 🙂 We had a fun day and chatted with so many wonderful people who were very welcoming.
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What a wonderful welcome and introduction to Canada!
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It really was, and straight away we felt so at home.
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That is awesome! I remember feeling right at home in Vancouver when I first got there. Must be something about it 😉
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How amazing to see this!!
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It was a great day.
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oh that feeling of arrival somewhere new is so amazing – exciting and daunting all at the same time.
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Yes, the sense of expectation is so wonderful.
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What a superb start to your Canadian holiday. You encountered the spirit of Canada on your very first day!
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We did, and the feeling continued all trip.
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Wonderful!
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I love visiting Canada-it’s so diverse and interesting plus people are really lovely too. I could definitely live in Vancouver!
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We thought that too, either Vancouver or Victoria would be lovely to live in.
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What a wonderful start to your Canadian adventure. 🙂
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It sure was, Miriam.
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Wow, what a celebration, looks like the Canadians do know how to celebrate! 😉
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They did put on a great party and it went all day.
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You couldn’t have asked for a better welcome – it was very thoughtful of the Canadians to put that on for you. 🙂 You’ll be expecting something similar in all the new countries you visit now. 😉
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I’ll need to do some research before committing to travel dates in the future!
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We’ve been to Victoria once, and it was beautiful. I applaud your desire to be there with the large crowds. I’m not comfortable in crowds like that, but I’m glad you shared your photos because it sure appears everyone was having a great time. Canada is a wonderful neighbor to our north. 🙂
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Victoria is so pretty, especially down on the water. It really didn’t feel that crowded, probably because it was a large space. And we were enjoying ourselves too.
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Those night photos look gorgeous. You could pretend it was all all in your honour!
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The lights were so pretty reflected off the water. Many people we spoke to that day were very welcoming.
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Boy, you did get a hearty welcome to Canada; even if it wasn’t for you, I’m sure the celebration felt like it was. I love those photos of the red and white crowds, the fireworks and that lit-up Legislature building. How thrilling! 🙂
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We had such a lovely day and really felt like we were part of it all.
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Ooh, more than a little green with envy. Canada is so very high on my bucket list. How fabulous to arrive on Canada Day! Really enjoyed this post and looking forward to the ones to come.
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We didn’t do the usual train and cruise trip in Canada so it might be a little different. I have many stories to share. 🙂
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Different is fine by me. Can’t wait. 🙂
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I must have felt amazing though that this huge celebration coincided with your arrival!
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It was a great way to start our Canadian adventure!
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Thanks for sharing!!! I love it!
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Thanks Ashley! We loved it too.
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Good for you having such fun & exploring parts of Canada! Yay! I loved reading & seeing it all!
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Thanks Sophie, there’s plenty more to come.
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Very nice, I enjoyed your article.
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Thank you
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Good post🙂👍
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Currently in Canada and love it here !! Cannot wait to update my journal with my adventures too. Great post 🙂
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I hope you enjoy Canada as much as we did.
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It really is amazing! Please check out my blog 🙂
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Love your photos 📷
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Thanks!
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