If you show up to catch a 10am ferry, you may be surprised that it could be 1 or 2pm, at the earliest, before you get on (in spite of the fact that the ferries hold 400 cars). If spending a day in a line-up isn't your thing and your time is flexible, a weekday or a Saturday (in the middle of a holiday weekend) tends to be slower. You might consider renting a car once you are here or leaving it at a long-term car park on the mainland, if you don't need it. Be sure to check the events listed at the end of this article. There's lots happening this month.

Architectural Walking Tours. Ask for them. They're free. You'll have your eyes opened. It's amazing how we can walk around, pass by buildings and never see what's there. Architecturally speaking, that is. Historically speaking, too. Victoria is replete with interesting buildings, many of which have starred in movies. In fact, one whole street was featured in the movie, "Little Women".

Whether you're interested in Victoria's history, Old Town, Chinatown, art deco, ecclesiastical architecture, warehouses and more, the Architectural Institute of BC's sponsored tours will provide something to your liking. Most of the walking tours last 1¼ hours and focus on a particular area or type of architecture.

They're conducted by Angela Andersen, who has seen Europe's architecture first hand. With her university degree in History in Art, she is eminently qualified to lead you through a door to Victoria's past. Angela has a wealth of information at her fingertips to really bring Victoria alive. You'll learn when and who built structures, what style a building is, what it was formerly used for, about historic restorations, materials used in the buildings and why they are the way they are.

You'll hear what Victoria would have looked like at a particular time in history. You'll know which building is one of the oldest brick ones in the whole province, which is the longest continuously operating commercial building in Victoria (hint: chocolates are sold here now, just like then), which china shop was a first class hotel during the gold rush and what the Victoria Information Centre originally housed (you'll never guess!).

Continuing our spotlight on history, and especially for visitors from Britain, let's look at Christ Church Cathedral, which has some interesting connections to England.

Christ Church Cathedral, an Anglican church, is not a grand cathedral in the sense of the larger British and European ones, but it is well worth a visit.

There's a self-guide for visitors just inside the nave. Built in the Gothic style, the church dates from 1929 through 1991 and is one of Canada's largest churches at 93 x 140 feet, with towers 122 feet high.

There are a number of stained glass windows, but the most dramatic is the large one seen straight ahead on entering the nave, the "Chapel of the New Jerusalem" window, designed by a Londoner. With the light shining behind it, it is simply awe-inspiring. Be sure to search out the stone nest and carving of a bird on the "Robin Pillar". This sculpture is a tribute to a bird that built its nest near the capital of one of the pillars. All building operations halted until the eggs were hatched.

The pulpit of the church was made from the wood of a 500-year-old tree that grew in Sussex, England. In the Lady Chapel near the altar are twelve ancient stones, dating back at least seven centuries, that formed part of the high altar screen in Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England.

In the small but peaceful shaded grounds of the Cathedral a meditative circle has been constructed. A lovely place to rest, have a picnic and contemplate life away from the busyness of the day. In July and August the cathedral puts on a free recital series at 4pm every Saturday afternoon.

Essential Information
The Architectural Walking Tours start at their office in the courtyard of the Sussex Building at the corner of Douglas and Broughton downtown. Note the "Community Arts Council" signs.