Saturday, April 30, 2016

April 29 – Craigdarroch Castle and Fisherman’s Wharf

The forecast today called for mostly cloudy and a good chance of rain in the afternoon so we decided to do something inside and go to Craigdarroch Castle in downtown Victoria. It turned out to be a clear blue sky day so afterwards we walked around Fisherman’s Wharf.

The castle was the home of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. Once the children had spent all the money and could no longer afford it, it first became a veterans hospital, then Victoria College, then a music conservatory and finally a historical museum.

The estate used to have 28 acres but now it has little more than the ground that the castle stands on.

IMG_1024316

IMG_1024319

Admission was about $18 and you just wandered around the 4 floors of the building at your leisure.

Wood everywhere. This is the view up the main staircase.

IMG_1024194

And down from the top floor.

IMG_1024293h

One of the volunteers said that a lot of the furnishings here now did not belong to the Dunsmuir's because it had been auctioned off but the preservation society had tried to make everything as authentic as possible.

IMG_1024201h

We loved the bookstand with a candle holder.

IMG_1024206

One great things about the house was that most of the windows were stained glass.

IMG_1024209h

IMG_1024210

The pictures are going to be a bit boring but we were in each room so this is our record of the visit.

IMG_1024215h

We loved the ornate serving table on the right side of the dining room.

IMG_1024218h

We were told not to touch anything, even the walls as the oils on your hand would stain the wood. All the chairs in the hallways had little ropes across them.

IMG_3575_1

A very messy panorama of the stairwell landing.

p1

IMG_1024244h

IMG_1024241

IMG_1024253h

IMG_1024256

IMG_1024266h

IMG_1024263

IMG_1024259h

Another amazing stairwell landing.

IMG_1024276h

The Tower Room is a circular room at the top of the turret at the front of the house.

IMG_1024288h

Even the doors were curved.

IMG_1024289

The smoking room with the window of Sir Walter Raleigh.

IMG_1024304h

This little dog was in a corner.

IMG_1024306

IMG_1024298

One more window that I liked.

IMG_1024310

By now it was around 2 o’clock. We had brought our lunch so we drove down to the nearby waterfront and the point with the parasailers where we had turned around on our hike the other day.

It was just a terrible, cloudy and rainy day.

IMG_1024325

Since it was so nice and we were close, we moved the car a little farther west to Ogden Point. We first walked out along the breakwater and then along the shore to Fisherman’s Wharf and back. Altogether it was about 5.5 km and after all the walking around the castle in the morning we we pretty beat.

29-04-16_17-47-39

Along the shore.

IMG_1024329

And then out the breakwater.

IMG_1024333

IMG_1024337

And back.

IMG_3615

Ogden Point is where all the cruise ships land. One of the volunteers at the castle said that they should start appearing next week. Downtown will be much more crowded.

We walked farther along the shore to Fisherman’s Wharf. Part of it is actually used by fishing boats.

IMG_1024400

IMG_1024397

The other is is made up of floating homes. Most of the ones close to shore are businesses.

IMG_1024356

Even though we had had lunch a short time ago we succumbed to the smell of fried fish and chowder.

IMG_1024375

IMG_1024374

The rest of the ones out each pier were private homes and most were very unique.

IMG_1024365

IMG_1024368

Remember that these are all floating on the water and just tied to the pier.

IMG_1024381

One the fish shops sold plates of cut up fish so you could feed the harbour seals.

IMG_1024394

They actually gave you two plates. You had to use one to keep the other one covered or the seagulls would dive bomb you and steal everything.

This one guy kept splashing with his flippers to get your attention to throw him some fish. It was very competitive.

IMG_1024363

IMG_1024392

IMG_1024382

The ones on the end had a great view of the harbour.

IMG_1024388

The middle pier had a spot for the little harbour ferries that you can take, hop on / hop off, to various points around the bay.

IMG_1024377

And for those times when you need a very quick sight seeing tour, triple 250 hp outboards.

IMG_1024379

There will be no mention as to what happened at this shop and you do not see Jennie in line. (We did not have any dinner back at the RV)

IMG_1024378

IMG_1024386

IMG_1024384

We headed back to the car and when we got there it was around 5 pm so we plodded back to the RV in rush hour.

1 comment:

  1. Love the harbour with all those unique floating homes and boats!! Beautiful weather!!!!

    ReplyDelete