The best way to recover from a late night New Year's Eve bonfire party? A refreshing winter afternoon paddle, of course!
I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place and this year I feel like my fortune has doubled because I purchased my first home, a condominium, in the harbour in Victoria with good friends as neighbours. One of the perks of the building I am now living in? Kayak storage and access to a dock to launch from in front of the building. Of course, I knew this meant I would have to get my own kayak soon so bought one in December...and have only paddled in it a few times to date :)
To celebrate the start of the new year I decided it would be fun to organise a New Year's day paddle inviting the rest of the residents in the building to get outside and recover from their New Year's Eve party hangovers in the sun and fresh air. We met early in the afternoon, set up and launched our boats and then went for a lovely paddle around the Victoria Harbour heading first under the Johnson Street Bridge, paddled along the west side of the harbour towards the mouth of the harbour (where seals are known to haul out on the small islands and killer whales occasionally hunt!), crossed over to the Ogden Point breakwater where many other Victoria residents were enjoying a beautiful, sunny New Year's day.
The day was so sunny and the water so calm it was tempting to turn out of the harbour and continue paddling out onto the Victoria waterfront and the Strait of Juan De Fuca but, as much as today felt like it could be a summer day, we remembered the sun would begin it's descent by late afternoon so turned back toward the inner harbour. We paddled home traveling along the east side of the harbour passing the Canadian Navy Reserve at HMCS Malahat and Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf,with it's eclectic mix of fishing vessels, float homes and floating fish and chips and ice cream shops.
After the paddle We hoped to grab a New Year's Day sundowner beer at the neighborhood pub next door but, of course, the pub was closed for the holiday...and likely to recover from the New Year's Eve celebrating the night before! We were not entirely disappointed though as most of us were still tired and recovering from last night despite the afternoon of fresh air and sunshine! What a wonderful way to start 2015!
I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place and this year I feel like my fortune has doubled because I purchased my first home, a condominium, in the harbour in Victoria with good friends as neighbours. One of the perks of the building I am now living in? Kayak storage and access to a dock to launch from in front of the building. Of course, I knew this meant I would have to get my own kayak soon so bought one in December...and have only paddled in it a few times to date :)
To celebrate the start of the new year I decided it would be fun to organise a New Year's day paddle inviting the rest of the residents in the building to get outside and recover from their New Year's Eve party hangovers in the sun and fresh air. We met early in the afternoon, set up and launched our boats and then went for a lovely paddle around the Victoria Harbour heading first under the Johnson Street Bridge, paddled along the west side of the harbour towards the mouth of the harbour (where seals are known to haul out on the small islands and killer whales occasionally hunt!), crossed over to the Ogden Point breakwater where many other Victoria residents were enjoying a beautiful, sunny New Year's day.
The day was so sunny and the water so calm it was tempting to turn out of the harbour and continue paddling out onto the Victoria waterfront and the Strait of Juan De Fuca but, as much as today felt like it could be a summer day, we remembered the sun would begin it's descent by late afternoon so turned back toward the inner harbour. We paddled home traveling along the east side of the harbour passing the Canadian Navy Reserve at HMCS Malahat and Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf,with it's eclectic mix of fishing vessels, float homes and floating fish and chips and ice cream shops.
After the paddle We hoped to grab a New Year's Day sundowner beer at the neighborhood pub next door but, of course, the pub was closed for the holiday...and likely to recover from the New Year's Eve celebrating the night before! We were not entirely disappointed though as most of us were still tired and recovering from last night despite the afternoon of fresh air and sunshine! What a wonderful way to start 2015!
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| Paddling towards the mouth of Victoria Harbour |
