Dick worked awhile on the computer this morning, adding touches to our log and touching base with work. Then it was doing what we love most in Victoria -- walking around. We walked a lot, taking the bikes out once for a short trip to the dealership. Our walks in Victoria are quite similar to our bike rides at home, each one including a stop to eat. Our first walk ended in Chinatown, where we had lunch at our favorite cafe, taking dessert (honey buns and pork buns) with us, in case we got hungry on the way back to the hotel.

Part of the charm of Victoria are the street performers. There are costumed characters who invite us to visit different area attractions. Many dressed to reflect the history of the city. There are also performers hoping we'll toss money their way -- everybody from a fiddle playing Darth Vader to a formal clad woman playing the harp. Today there was a special gathering of artists at Bastion Square. There was a man there who did incredible pencil drawings. We watched him for quite a while. (The pace is slow here, a great change from the push of the past few days.)

Shirlene visited her favorite store in North America, Lush Cosmetics, in the hope of finding a miracle solution to soothe her sun and wind burnt, mosquito bitten, bee stung face. She went away happy, looking forward to the facial she purchased.

Our afternoon walk took us back up Government street, past the parliament buildings and the Empress Hotel, and through Thunderbird Park. We enjoyed the peace of the park and were impressed with the totem poles. Victoria is famous for the hanging flowers on the streets, and the beautiful gardens throughout the city. We had supper at the Elephant and Castle, the same place we ate last night, and decided to put dessert off until later in the evening -- another good excuse for a walk.

Victoria is stunningly beautiful at night, with the lights of the government buildings reflected in the harbour. We took our evening stroll back to the Elephant and Castle for some bread pudding, and returned to our room by the waterfront. It was a warm and peaceful walk, the perfect ending to a great day.