We had a wonderful time. Victoria, or what we saw of it, is a cute little city—and we will most definitely return. But I should begin with a very important point: traveling with a toddler cannot, in any way, be compared to travel among adults. Instead of planning our itinerary around cultural activities and sightseeing, we found that our schedule revolved around mealtimes. All outings were based on the proximity to our hotel and the availability of a café offering child-friendly fare. Lucky for us, Victoria is small and easy to navigate and there are many great sights and restaurants all within walking distance to the harbor. We were able to take in one "museum"—Miniature World, which I highly recommend. It may be cheesy (it is cheesy), but the detailed dioramas are amazing and I have always been fond of taking normal sized objects and making them tiny (like my design comps in school.) And my daughter, two and a half, found it fascinating.I even had a chance to wander Victoria alone as my little one (and husband) napped at the hotel. I used my hour wisely, heading directly to Chinatown and Market Square, both crowded with charming boutiques that were great for browsing. There were two standouts: Silk Road and Smoking Lily.
Silk Road is a lovely tea/aromatherapy shop. Everything—from the displays to the packaging of each product to the knowledgeable staff—was so thoughtful, that I couldn't help but wonder if it was a chain store. But it's not. It's local and full of wonderful products. I came home with some tea and bath salts, and wish I would have purchased more.
Smoking Lily is a tiny shop, known mostly for its diminutive storefront. But I went there for its lovely screenprinted clothing. It was so hard to choose, as I wanted one of each, but I left with a simple sleeveless top—eggplant, printed with a green peacock feather.Next time we go, we'll bring a babysitter (grandma?)
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