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This past weekend I was lucky enough to visit the lovely city of Victoria, British Columbia on their biggest weekend of the year. The flowers everywhere were just one of the highlights of the visit to this enchanting and historic town.
Join me for a brief pictorial overview of the annual Symphony Splash, the town itself, and its flowers.
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Sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping for a screed against Canadian-style health care. Heh heh.
X-posted @ TLP
The trip began with a ferry ride from Port Angeles, WA. This socialist sailboat is fleeing Canada because of their free health care (one can only presume).
I suspected the Communists Socialists would try to indoctrinate me into their collectivist Borg country while I was there. Would this in fact be the last time I ever gaze upon Old Glory?
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
It looks nice upon first viewing. But I wouldn't let myself forget that there are terrorists Fascists Socialists around every turn.
There must be over 10,00 of these hanging flower baskets around the town.
One can hardly take a damn picture without one of these hanging flower baskets ruining your photo.
You @*#&ing hanging flower baskets! Get out of the way of my photos!
The historic Butchart (the "T"'s are silent; those silly Francophones!) Gardens were a lovely setting to get away from all the reminders of the fact that I was one of the only people without health care in a 500 mile kilometer radius.
If you are a cheap poor cheap tourist like me, you can perchance sneak in without paying the somewhat spendy admission charge. They never even checked our tickets! I wish someone had told me about that option beforehand.
The Gardens also have a few nice structures which add a certain je ne sais quoi to a photographer's composition. (Do you like the use of French in that sentence? About Canada. So it's apropos. Do you see what I did there?)
My photo of this bee is a bit fuzzy:
Get it? Fuzzy?
Partially due to dumb luck, it turned out I was there for the massive public gathering to watch the Victoria Symphony perform on a floating stage in front of tens of thousands of people.
A young soloist performed on piano for one of my favorite classical pieces, Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue":
If the song above is too square for you, then perhaps this is more your speed. The finale of "Star Wars":
The steps of the Parliament building were a fine place to people-watch and music-listen, especially considering it was in the back row.
There was even a full moon rising overhead during the performance.
Those free health care folk think of everything.
In the end, I realized that Socialized medicine, classical music and lovely flower baskets aren't so bad after all.
But don't try getting me to appreciate hockey.