"Living in Paradise - happy to share" Victoria by suziezed

Welcome to Victoria - no matter whether it's summer and the sun is shining or it's December and the rain is falling you're going to have a great time. Use this page to get yourself oriented to the downtown core and to gather provisions for the next stage of your journey.

So you've just arrived and you're tired and feeling gritty and dusty in that way that only travellers can. Have a quick shower, put on some fresh clothes and let's get started (or if you're really beat go to bed and meet up with us tomorrow morning).

For a free map of Victoria (not in great detail but it's good enough to get you around downtown) drop by the Tourism Victoria Info Centre (see http://www.tourismvictoria.com/). If you'd like a better map that also has some potentially useful dining coupons look for the "Street Wise" Map Book available for $4.95 plus tax. You'll be able to get it at Munro's Books on Government Street, Chapters on Douglas Street, Shoppers Drug Mart (next to Chapters) or in many other places downtown.

Finally, pick yourself up a bus schedule. These are available free (ignore the 75 cent notice you see on the cover) on the busses themselves. No need to ride a bus to get one - simply step onto a stopped bus (outside McDonald's on Douglas is a good spot) and ask the driver if he/she has schedules. If English is not your mother tongue check out the Let's Bus It site to see if their product may be useful to you - they offer Victoria's bus schedule in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish (www.letsbusit.com).

Now why not have yourself a cup of coffee or tea and bring your journal up to date. There are a lot of places to choose from within a few short blocks. Try Murchies (next to Munro's), Paradiso di Stelle in Bastion Square or Serious Coffee on Yates (across from A&B Sound). We take our coffee very seriously in Victoria.

For a dirt cheap cup of joe and a muffin visit the 5th floor restaurant/cafeteria in The Bay (the Bay Centre is smack in the middle of downtown). I think it's something like $2.50 for tea/coffee and a muffin before 11 am and after 2 pm. Neither are going to win any taste awards but it's a quiet spot, the views are spectacular and the walls are hung with interesting photos of Victoria's history.

Hopefully you've not come all this way just to spend a day in our beautiful city but if you have then here's what I think you should do.

If gardens are your thing then Butchart Gardens is a must. Even if you are a flower lover however take the time of year into consideration - there is no point in shelling out big bucks and time if you're going to be disappointed by the meagre showing that is the best Mother Nature has to offer for the season. Butchart Gardens itself offers a good overview of what is good at different times of year - check it out at http://www.butchartgardens.com/visiting/.

You might think that you need a car to get to the Gardens but you don't (unless you're really in a hurry). You can go on an organized tour (Grayline for instance - www.grayline.ca), organize your own through a private company (http://www.ambassatour.com/tours.html) or if you really are a budget tourist (like me) take the city bus (the #75 bus, see http://www.busonline.ca/regions/vic/?p=1.txt).

If gardens are not your thing then perhaps try whale watching. Tours leave from the Inner Harbour. I suggest you get info from other travellers (try the forums here) and Tourism Victoria (www.tourismvictoria.com) for recommended companies.

Are you a museum buff? The Royal British Columbia Museum is a very fine museum. They have good collections of First Nations art and dioramas that will help you understand the influences and events that have helped shape Victoria and British Columbia.

All sound too energetic? Prefer just to soak up atmosphere? Then why not take a leisurely walk along the Westsong Walkway (pick it up just over the blue bridge at the Ocean Pointe resort) to Westbay Marina or go the other way and walk along the shoreline (start at Laurel Point Inn) to the Ogden Point Breakwater. Stop for a snack or meal at the Ogden Point Cafe, continue along to Beacon Hill park and then return to downtown.

That's what I'd do if I had just a day in Victoria.

• Pros:Weather, nature, communities, values
• Cons:Not enough single guys in my age range
• In a nutshell:Much more than just a British knockoff