A day out

September 10, 2021 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

The new academic year stumbles somewhat uncertainly into life, with the Fall term kicking off and hoping – in this semi-post-COVID world – not to fall flat on its face. More of that in a near-future post!

For now though – one last day out before we knuckle down and try to surf our way through the unforgiving swell…

We live (as I am sure I have mentioned previously) near the seaside town of Sidney on the Saanich peninsula to the north of the city of Victoria – which itself nestles into the south eastern corner of Vancouver Island with the sea on three sides (See map for details). We face roughly east – looking out over the Haro Strait.

The other side of the peninsula is a deep natural fjord – the Saanich Inlet. I have previously published photos of the good ship Dignity exploring this impressive waterway.

On the far side of the inlet – and close up against it – is the Malahat mountain. To reach Victoria from further north on the island it is necessary to navigate one’s way down between the mountain and the deep inlet. For many years it was thought impossible to drive a road through this hostile land and it was not until the late nineteenth century that the fore-runner of what is now the Malahat Drive was constructed through the pass.

For those used to the grandeurs of other parts of Canada the Malahat may at first glance appear to be small fry. Looks can be deceiving. Weather conditions in winter can be bad on the Malahat and the road is often closed for periods. At the very least it requires snow tyres or chains during the winter months. The narrow and twisty nature of the highway also renders it vulnerable to accidents – which can easily cut Victoria off from the rest of the island for hours at a time.

The Malahat and the Saanich Inlet are – however – also strikingly beautiful and are now home to a new attraction – the Malahat Skywalk. Rather than me describing the attraction to you the link provided will furnish all that you need.

This outing was our first visit to the Skywalk and we were suitably impressed. I will add some images of it at the bottom of this post.

We also paid a first visit to Unsworth Vineyards at nearby Mill Bay, where their attractive restaurant serves a most acceptable lunch (and – of course – also where wines can be tasted).

All in all – a splendid day out. Thanks to The Girl – whose idea it was.