Victoria, part 1

Unaware that our (apparently mistaken--see Peter's post) scientific philosophy could land us in Victoria, BC, with just a few well-directed hops, Pop and I slapped down some cold cash for airplane tickets to get us here yesterday. We boarded planes in Baltimore, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle and spent time in each of those airports, too. Now we are on a beautiful island off the western coast of Canada.
I have done very little world traveling, so it still surprises me to find my romanicized views of other cities shattered by traffic, shopping malls, McDonald's golden arches, and all of the other mundane symbols of my usual suburban economic life. I expected Victoria to look Elizabethan (not even Victorian), with quaint shops and thatched roofs. I didn't expect 20-story hotels that block the views of the harbor and mountains.
One thing I especially enjoyed yesterday was flying over the Rockies. You get one view of the grandeur from the ground, another from high in the air. The mountains appear almost as wide from that bird's-eye perspective as they seem when traveling by car. The land seems smooth and desert-like as you fly across the plains. Then, suddenly, it folds up in front of your eyes, like crumpled suede, dusted with evergreens and snow. Although there was some cloud cover, for the most part the view was clear and awesome. I was amazed at how few roads there are, and conseqently, how much unvisited land there must be.
We are enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning. We got up before 6 after a good night's rest. We had breakfast Pop bought last night--bread, cheese, and pears plus tea. Now he's at the "gym" and a little later we'll walk to church. This afternoon we'll explore the Inner Harbor area which is just a short walk downhill. I've got Sayers and Woodhouse and Tey to read, so I'm set for a relaxing week.