Gary met us at the door (we took our car on the ferry so did not use his classic limo pickup offer) and showed us the apartment, which is upstairs over a shared entry. It was hot and we appreciated the air conditioning - we also liked the snacks Gary left for us, and ate them for dinner and breakfast the next morning.

The spacious 2-bedroom apartment is private but open to Gary's quarters downstairs - he was respectful of our privacy but happy to talk anytime. He encouraged us to use the downstairs patios whenever we liked, which offer nice amenities and privacy from neighbors. While there are a few neighboring houses, the area is mostly urban light industrial and is busy early in the morning until late afternoon on weekdays. We used our car to go all around Victoria (downtown is a couple miles south), but we noticed many bus stops on the main roads nearby.

The Galloping Goose trail has a confusing access point behind some industrial properties and chain link fencing, but once you find it, a pleasant ten minute walk going south passes through a park and leads to a really nice waterfront area with a dock, restaurants, and places to sit and watch the kayakers and water taxis. If you cross the trestle bridge there is another pretty park to stroll in.

Gary is a genial and considerate host. He loves dogs, and enjoyed our pups for the month we stayed. His pooch Pinto is friendly to people and got along ok with our dogs. We enjoyed our visit to Victoria.