We've kept a low profile over the last couple of days. Wednesday we basically stayed around the park; the weather wasn't all that great.
Thursday we went into Victoria to a couple of bead shops to look around. One of the shops was in Chinatown.
Wednesday April 10 - Friday April 12 Cloudy & cool Victoria, BC
Back at the park, the weather had improved and the sun was shining. I decided it was time for a bike ride - I wanted to explore the old rail yards. The E&N Railway stopped running on Vancouver Island in 1999. I stopped by the turntable and took a few pictures.
There's a development happening here and fortunately the railway buildings, roundhouse and turntable are being incorporated into the overall plan, similar to how the old Expo lands were re-developed in Vancouver.
Friday we headed back into downtown (forgot some beading stuff) and then drove to Cordova Bay and Mattick's Farm. We enjoyed scones with our coffee.
The only item of note is in this picture. Do you notice anything strange?
I couldn't help but notice a couple of fellas working on the remains of an old CN caboose. I won't bore you with all the details but I chatted with them for over an hour. Jim Sr. was an engineer on the E&N on the Island. His son Jim Jr. also worked on the railway and now runs his own rail service business. Both Jims are involved with the heritage society and are working closely with the developer to maintain the buildings and rolling stock. They found an old CN switcher in Moncton and hope to have it on site in the next couple of months.
Here's some of the pictures I took. The green baggage car is Jim Jr's.
That's about it for today. I thoroughly enjoyed my bike ride (first one in a long time) and chatting with the Jims. I hope our paths cross again.
It's forecast to rain tomorrow (Saturday), so come on back to see what we get up to.
Parking wasn't really a problem but the limit was 90 minutes, so after shopping we headed back towards the van and ran across the Wild Cafe. The treats and coffee were really good.
