December in Victoria

This is a fun place in December, and BUSY with seasonal stuff. With friends, Joan & Rob Tweedie and my cousin Barb who took the photos, we went to the annual 'lighted truck parade' on Saturday and it was even better than before. It's a fund raiser for the Mustard Seed Food Bank as is the annual Snata Claus parade in November. We braved the cold and wind on Dallas Road to see the trucks in the ocean-side darkness instead of with the ambient city lights up town.

The trucks are spectacular and hats off to whoever came up with this idea despite grumblings in the paper about polluting the environment. Does anyone else get tired of the constant grisling that pollutes society?
After the truck parade we ducked into the lobby of the Empress to warm up and to have a look at the festival of Trees, another fundraiser, this one for Children's Hospital.

Next on the agenda was the Harbour Ferry Ballet and an evening market. We missed the market and hot chocolate as we went to the other side of the harbour knowing our final destination was the Swiftsure Restaurant. The ferries are terminally cute even when they aren't decorated and they do this musical ride sort of maneuvering - very fun. As the ballet was finishing the lighted boat parade was beginning but by then we were so cold we opted for liquid refreshment and food. It really was cold, at only about 2C with a strong wind, and yes we are wimps too.

All that and we were still home by about 9:30 and as usual in Victoria, the turnout of spectators was brilliant. With the backdrop of the lit legislature it's pretty special.