World Comes to Victoria

The spectacular Pacific Fleet Naval Celebrations finished recently in Victoria, and what celebrations they were! Victoria’s scenic west shore was home to a small armada of Canadian, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand and U.S. warships, and best of all, they anchored right in front of Amore by the Sea. Most impressive was the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a massive aircraft carrier which dwarfed the cruise ships that sailed by on their way into Victoria’s cruise ship port.
All the ships were “dressed up” in flags and lights and represented their countries impressively. The sailors took part in many activities and friendly competitions throughout the weekend, building on the camaraderie that already exists amongst these mariners.
I couldn’t help thinking that the mix of sailors at the events must be very much like the mix of travellers at our B&B’s breakfast table. Some days we have people from the “four corners” of the world! The conversation, very often interesting, informative and amusing, always leaves me with a sense of how alike we all are in this world. We all are inquisitive about each others’ cultural differences; we all share a desire for peaceful coexistence among all countries; and we all complain about our governments gouging us with taxes. And one more thing, if the government would just do things our way, life would be better for everyone!
We might have something here! Maybe the world’s problems could be solved if our leaders would simply sit at the breakfast table of a good bed and breakfast inn. It’s all so civilized; it’s a stress-free communion with your world neighbors in a non-threatening environment. Everyone should try it.