Victoria is a bit of an odd place. It is great for people who like to walk, enjoy the ocean, and shop at small markets…. Sort of reminds me of our larger cities before the mega stores took over.
One of the oddities here are the amount of dogs. There are dogs everywhere. And most dog owners are not just satisfied to have one…. they have two or three. A lot of them large breeds. It is difficult to jog around the trail system without being tripped up by one every 20 feet or so. One good thing though…… Have not seen any cats 🙂 One has to wonder… Can these people ever travel anywhere? By the looks of most of them, they would have a lot of trouble affording the kennel fees.
Another burr in my saddle is the amount of pan handlers here, and you cannot tell them from a distance.. They can be anybody anywhere. I have walked in ritzy neighborhoods and been approached by a well dressed woman asking for change. I have jogged by people that are jogging in the opposite direction, and as soon as you give them the nod…… they ask for 50 cents to go towards a meal :o? What the heck is with that!! And downtown they are everywhere. If you gave to them all you would be bankrupt by the end of the day. I can understand that there are poor and homeless people out there, but this place is crazy.
Jogging on the trails is nice.. Even with much of the island flooding, it is only showers and sunny periods here. I can live with that. It seems though, as soon as I pass north of downtown, I am entering a different climate… so sticking around my own are seems to be in the cards. Here is another odd thing. There are lots of women that walk with 2 canes that look like ski poles. Many of them do not seem to need them, and they are not practicing for the cross country Olympics, so I am not sure what it is all about.
Another thing about Victoria that I am new to….. there are thrift stores everywhere!!! and prices are like buying new goods. I have seen wood folding chairs and patio tables marked with prices higher than new in Edmonton. The Value Village here is just overflowing with stuff… But again, the prices make it almost going to buy new. Then add the PST and GST and any other st’s…wow.
All in all though, I think I will like this place. Life is much slower, a person can walk to everything they need, and the climate is milder. Sure taxes are higher and some things more expensive…. maybe that is why it seems most people here are dressed in rags and rubber boots. (walking their great Danes of course)
As a parting thought.. I wonder if there is a big difference the way they think out here and how the rest of the country thinks….. The following sign with the slogan that also appears on the sides of ambulances says it all.
