This week, due to a few technical difficulties, I’ve got only a few of the slides from our visit to The Butchart Gardens outside Victoria, B.C.; hopefully I’ll be able to share the rest of them next Monday

The Butchart Gardens, B.C., first began in 1904 as a small garden near a quarry and cement plant. The property now extends to 35 acres and includes a Japanese Garden, an Italian Garden, and the Sunken Garden, occupying the former quarry site.

On our visit, I noticed quite a few crew members from the Japanese ships — they were having a great time taking pictures of the beautiful landscaping and flowers. At the age of 17, I wasn’t terribly interested in Butchart Gardens. Nowadays, I’d love to go back and spend a few hours wandering there with my camera!

Next week, more from Butchart Gardens, and our trip continues on to Vancouver, British Columbia.