For one week in December during the 90's, I found myself in Victoria.. What a fascinating place. My impression then was that it must be the beacon for the Canadian homeless - mild in the winter, surrounded by living nature and just oh so very cool. That impression of Victoria was challenged though over that short week. I was asked for change by people in Columbia jackets, saw others in permanent camps in the forests on the island, artists with their canvases on displays and buskers playing in short sleeves in the west coast winter air. Perhaps Victoria was a Mecca for anyone who wanted it to be - perhaps for anyone who wanted just to be somewhere else. Friends of mine had gone out before just to be a part of it, and others to save the trees. All in all, it was a special place, a hidden emerald, surrounded by a deep rooted enchanted forest, and a magical ocean waiting there to be found if you were called to it. A place unique in Canada.
The Laundromat in Victoria that I came to was unique as the city itself. As I looked through its guest book, I saw that it too was a beacon for travellers from all over the world. Backpacks rested against the wall in the lounge where easy conversation was made while others read or watched TV. The Laundromat had a population of its own.
Technically, I find this a challenging song to play, and don’t believe I have ever played it exactly as I wanted. I stumble on the strings sometimes.
