| Victoria International Blossom Walks |
| Canada's First International Marching League Walk, 1999 |
It's April in the Northwest and walkers from all over the world came to enjoy the newest International Marching League events. The Victoria International Blossom Walks are Canada's newly sanctioned IML two-day walk, to be held each year on the third weekend of April. The Vancouver International Discovery Walk Festival, Washington, USA follows it on the fourth weekend of April and is in its third year.
The IML sanctions only one event per country each year. The 20 participating events draw hundreds and thousands of traveling walkers to enjoy these premier events and earn International Walker Awards for participating. These walks are non-competitive. The minimum distance for IML credit is 20 kilometers on two or more days. Victoria and Vancouver offer a variety of trail distances to entice all levels of walkers.
Friday April 15 the Victoria Mayor's Friendship Walk was kicked off with opening ceremonies, sun and warm afternoon temperatures. The Friday walk is a warm-up to bring everyone together, 10 kilometers around the harbor, past the Parliament, the Empress Hotel, and the many wonderful shops. I got my shopping in before the walk and bought a bone china teacup and saucer with a lovely rose pattern.
Over 500 participants enjoyed the Mayor's Walk and we began to get to know the touring groups from Taiwan, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, England and the Czech Republic. Lt. Eric Offerman was there with his troop of soldiers from the German Armed Forces University. These men and women march in their standard issue fatigues, boots, and backpacks while singing marching songs. I followed them for a ways and enjoyed their singing and pace. After the walk, a pasta dinner at the Ocean Pointe Resort start/finish brought 350 of the walkers together for the evening meal and entertainment.
Entertainment throughout the weekend was by a variety music, singing and dancing groups, most of them showing traditional forms from international cultures. I loved the group who played traditional Mozambique music, singing and dancing.
Saturday dawned clear and lovely. I went outside early to catch the sunrise and the 42K marathon walkers. Victoria offers the marathon distance only on Saturday, and it appeared that at least half of the total walkers took the challenge. I elected to do the 20K walk on both Saturday and Sunday to earn my IML credit. I haven't been walking as much as I should for the past month, and I knew that would be challenge enough.
I walked for much of the walk with Shirley and Patti from Washington. The 20K route went through the park, up through lovely neighborhoods, and around the ocean front with views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the snowcapped Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Along the way we chatted with Charles Saunby, carrying the British flag and inviting us to join his walking tour club and join in his International Walking Club of Great Britain tour to three IML walks in May, 2000. He certainly piqued our interest as he told about the wonderful walks in Blankenberg Belgium, Bern Switzerland, and Wellingborough England.
The Japanese walkers have the wonderful tradition of carrying hatpins to give out to the other walkers. We decided we needed to raid our clubs' piles of old hatpins when we got home to take along on international walks and return the favor. There is no language barrier with smiles and nods and thank-yous. Everyone enjoyed the lovely day, and the blossoms were everywhere true to the Blossom Walks name. Tulips and fruit trees were especially prominent, giving much comment from walkers used to other climates.
I hoped to have enough energy left to visit Butchart Gardens after finishing the walk, but I hit the wall at 18K. Standing around talking with the marathoners and waiting for my walk to start had added to my fatigue. I had to force myself to continue walking around the bay back to the Ocean Pointe. I foolishly left my water bottle carrier at home and wasn't drinking enough along the trail, which also contributed to the fatigue. With less than a kilometer to go, I stopped at a market that also sold gelato and ordered a large portion of rum raisin as well as a bottled water. Ahhhhhhhhhhh..... With that occupying my senses, I was able to drag myself across the bridge and back to the finish.
At the finish, I popped up to my lovely room for a shower. My husband Rich was along for the trip but had a bad cold and was resting and doing some light shopping at most. The Ocean Pointe is a luxury resort hotel, but with the favorable exchange rate and the Blossom Walks rate, we weren't paying luxury prices! I went back down to the walk to see who was finishing and to enjoy the pizza and beer for sale as well as the great entertainment.
The international walkers enjoy lounging around the ballroom after the walk, enjoying a beer and swapping stories. I met up with Regina Overholt, who has written a couple of walk reviews for this website, for the first time. She gave me more encouragement to try walks in Europe.
Sunday was cooler and overcast. The maximum distance offered was the 20K, and walkers went out en masse at 8 am, although they could start until 11 am. I waited for the crush to pass, then took off racewalking behind them. I passed dozens along the Galloping Goose Trail as we headed off to the west. I started keeping count after awhile and had bagged over 50 "roadkills" before I made it to the first checkpoint. Today I made sure to drink enough, and there were plenty of restrooms along the route. My legs were exhausted on Saturday but I wasn't stiff at all - perhaps the very light shoes I wear to racewalk just don't have enough padding for a 20K trail.
The route goes around the point, looking out to sea, before heading back along the walking path along the bay. The walkers were cheerful and enjoying the trail. I had negotiated a later checkout time so I would have enough time to shower when I arrived back. My racewalk pace paid off and I finished in plenty of time.
The finish was very crowded as the majority of the walkers did the 20K route and needed to collect their first-ever IML award in Canada. I completed my first set of three IML walks to receive my International Walker Bronze Award medal. Because this was the second year I walked the Blossom Walks, I received a maple leaf with the number 2 on it to place on my Blossom Walks award medal ribbon earned last year.
Rich and I joined Bill and Catharine Byrd and others in the hotel lounge for lunch. Everywhere we ate in Victoria - at pubs and seafood restaurants and in the hotel - the food was wonderful. And I enjoyed brewing tea and drinking it from my new teacup in the room!
We said goodbye to our Canadian friends, knowing we would see several of them as well as most of the touring international walkers the next weekend at our walk in Vancouver, Washington.
Related
International Marching League Events
Canadian Volkssport Federation
Canada for Visitors
