Victoria Express

The Canadian Pacific Ballet is staging a bit of mischievous romantic fun for the Valentine's Day / President's Day long weekend with Konservatoriet, A Marriage by Advertisement. The opportunity to attend this ballet is as good a reason as any to travel to Victoria.

Be prepared for practical joking dancers and a lovesick man - already it sounds fun. Of course, there is also true love. You'll be transported back to the 19th century and the world of lovely classical dance.

Konservatoriet was originally the work of Danish Ballet Master and Choreographer August Bournonville, who worked in the mid 1800s. He created Le Conservatoire, or A Marriage by Advertisement in 1849. Typical of Bournonville's style, this ballet showcases many different styles of dance. There is also a vaudevillian feel to much of the work that keeps it lighthearted and fun.

The Canadian Pacific Ballet commissioned Bournonville Master Kennet Oberly to restage this lost masterpiece. His expertise ensures that Konservatoriet, A Marriage by Advertisement is infused with both beauty and comedy.

Konservatoriet plays at the McPherson Playhouse in downtown Victoria on February 13 at 8pm and February 14 at 2pm and 7pm.

So bring your Valentine to Victoria for this delightful ballet. Victoria Express offers many exciting travel packages to Victoria BC. Treat your sweetie to a romantic night at the Hotel Grand Pacific or Hotel Fairmont Empress. Or perhaps the Hotel Chateau Victoria or Hotel Harbour Towers is more your style.

The staff at Victoria Express is looking forward to crafting a unique Victoria vacation for you. Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Have you ever wanted to run away to Victoria? If you live in the Puget Sound area, my bet is that you have had that dream every now and then. Victoria is such an accessible place, and at the same time it is a cultivated, international city. It has world class hotels, elegant restaurants, and fabulous art. It also has British flare, and authentic pubs to prove the point. In short, it is irresistible.

Now it is easier than ever to travel between Seattle and Victoria.

Victoria Express offers a number of enticing travel packages throughout the year. Board a ferry and enjoy the most relaxing kind of travel you can find, and the next thing you know, you'll be in Victoria......You made it!

Stay in the Hotel Grand Pacific, in the Inner Harbour. Indulge in their spa, romp in the pool, or simply enjoy a drink in the elegant Pacific Lounge. Or perhaps you prefer the Hotel Chateau Victoria, in the heart of downtown Victoria. Take in the views. Sleep in and enjoy breakfast in your room.

Victoria Express travel packages may include a trip to the Royal BC Museum, a tour of Craigdarroch Castle, or a Grand City Tour. If there is something in particular you would like to do or see, be sure to ask our staff. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

It is definitely worth traveling to Victoria for this fascinating workshop exploring the connection between Body, Theatricality and the Creative Space, February 5-7, 2010.

The workshop is the creation of Majdi Bou-Matar, who immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 2003. He was an experienced and widely acclaimed director in Beirut, and has worked on projects throughout the Middle East and Tunisia. Not long after arriving in Canada, Mr. Bou-Matar founded the MT Space - the Multicultural Theatre Space - in the Waterloo Region of Ontario. There his creativity has thrived.

The upcoming workshop will explore the development of a creative moment through emotion and movement. Participants will work collectively to reach unexpected forms of expression.

The workshop goes hand in hand with Puente Theatre's Worldplay Series. Egyptian writer Alfred Faraq's play "The Person" will be read on Sunday, February 7, at the Belfry Theatre at 8pm. This will be followed by a presentation created by workshop participants, inspired by "The Person".

Visit the Puentes Theatre for details about the workshop and the Worldplay.

Make your Victoria travel plans now, whether you plan to participate in the workshop or simply enjoy the fruits of it along with the reading of "The Person".

Victoria Express can make all your Victoria travel arrangements, from travel to lodging. You need only pack and plan how you'll spend your free time once there. Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Laughter is good for us. It is said that laughing makes us healthier; it uses core muscles, lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity, and reduces stress. The best part? It feels good to laugh.

In fact, the only thing better than laughing is laughing in Victoria.

The Cody Rivers duo will be in Victoria for one night only, at the Metro Studio (1411 Quadra Street, Victoria). According to The New York Theatre Wire, "The closest experience to it would be seeing 'Waiting for Godot' performed by Chinese acrobats."

Does that pique your curiosity?

Bring your spouse, your children and your mother. The Cody Rivers duo is based in Bellingham, Washington, and has developed a serious following in Victoria. The 30th will be the Canadian premiere of new show, Right Back Where We Finished.

Sammie Gough, from Intrepid Theatre, spoke with the duo's Andrew Connor about the new show. He promises "high-spectacle dances" and "intellectual haziness," among other things. Intriguing...

Since you are traveling to Victoria, you may as well extend your trip and take in some of what the city has to offer. The Metro Studio is in the heart of downtown Victoria, where there are innumerable restaurants, pubs and cafes. Offset the zany, acrobatic, intellectually fuzzy Cody Rivers Show with a sedate, sophisticated Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel.

The team at Victoria Express will happily make all arrangements for your Victoria BC travel. Let us organize transportation to and from the island, and find the perfect lodging for you. We offer a number of exciting travel packages to Victoria. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 360-452-8088 for more information.

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Get ready for the Victoria Film Festival, which runs January 29 through February 7, 2010! Clean your glasses, practice sitting, and eat lots of popcorn in preparation for this festival of films.

Have you ever been to a film festival? They really are festive. All films are somehow better when seen during festivals, because the audience is excited to be there and share the experience of watching them. Even films you would not normally plan to see become enjoyable - thanks to the feeling of camaraderie in the theater.

It's as much fun to stand in line before the film, because you are sure to meet someone interesting. Avid film-watchers swap lists of "must see films". Tips on best seats are shared in whispers.

The Victoria Film Festival is being held at several venues in the heart of downtown Victoria. It is easy to travel from one venue to another by foot; and it's a pleasure to stretch your legs between films.

The VFF Program Guide is available on-line, making it easy for folks who don't live in Victoria to select the films they want to see.

This may be the best opportunity to view a wide array of Canadian films on the West Coast. Yet in addition to films from BC, Quebec and Newfoundland, the festival will screen films from France, Israel, China, Turkey, the Bahamas.... the list goes on and on. Each of the 160 films will have more than one screening, making it more likely that attendees will be able to watch the films they want to see.

If you are a true film fan, make a holiday of it. Travel to Victoria, and spend the whole ten days there. Take advantage of Victoria's great restaurants and museums to make your visit to Victoria a memorable event.

Victoria Express will make all your Victoria travel arrangements, from transportation to lodging. Call 360-452-8088, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , for more information.

It's a new year, and you've decided you want to spend more time exploring the world with your family. The kids are older, and it's easier to travel now. In other words, it's the perfect time to visit Victoria as a family.

It's exciting to travel to beautiful Victoria BC, and yet it couldn't be easier when you let Victoria Express make all your Victoria travel arrangements. Your children will be thrilled. You'll feel like you had a real vacation. And best of all is the fact that there are many activities in Victoria geared towards families.

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria offers Family Sundays the third Sunday of each month through April, 2010. Between 2 and 4 pm, children and their parents will be guided through various hands-on art projects. Visiting artists, musicians and performers add to the fun. Please visit the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for more information.

Children and adults alike will be astonished and delighted by the Victoria Bug Zoo, just a block away from the Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria. Glow in the dark scorpions and the alien-eyed praying mantids are just two of the fascinating creatures you'll be able to see there.

Discover the rich history of our regional maritime heritage and plan your family visit to The Maritime Museum of British Columbia located at 28 Bastion Square in downtown Victoria. On display are nautical artifacts spanning hundreds of years, from the original people to European explorers to present day shipping activity.

And of course, Butchart Gardens is always a destination for families. Their Children's Pavilion and Rose Carousel are now open year round, and starting January 15, families will be able to enjoy a taste of spring thanks to the indoor floral conservatory.

Victoria Express is currently offering many exciting travel packages to Victoria that include lodging. Call (360) 452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details.

Travel between the United States and Canada now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. Read our ID Requirements for more information.

CBC's Hockey Night in Canada presents Play On - National Championship.

Fri. January 29th, 2010 - Sat. January 30th, 2010 Victoria - Winners of this national championship event will be recognized as Canada's greatest street hockey players and awarded the Redwood Cup.

Games will be take place Friday January 29, 9:00am - 6:00pm and Saturday January 30, 9:00am - 6:00pm. The National Championship Game begins Saturday January 30th at 5:00pm

Thirty teams will battle for 4on4 street hockey national supremacy on Belleville Street (between Menzies and Government) in downtown Victoria. Each of the thirty teams participating in this event previously qualified to do so during one of the twelve CBC's Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! events held across Canada this past summer. Winners of this national championship event will be recognized as Canada's greatest street hockey players and awarded the Redwood Cup. The National Champions will also take home a $10,000 cash prize.

This event will also be featured in conjunction with the tenth annual Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada celebration on January 30, 2010 at 12 noon ET on CBC TV. This will be a wonderful free family event with seating available on a first come, first served basis.

For more information go to http://www.playon.ca/

Contact Victoria Express today to learn about our exciting 2010 winter packages to Victoria. We can take care of all your travel arrangements. Call (360) 452-8088 OR email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. For more information, visit our ID Requirements.

Visit Victoria and enjoy a night out at the theatre. The Langham Court Theatre is running a production of The History of Boys through January 23, 2010. Written by Alan Bennett and directed by Roger Carr, the play closely follows a class of English schoolboys who are studying for their University entrance exams. The two teachers helping them to prepare have very different philosophies about learning and, it turns out, life.

Since The Langham Court Theatre is in downtown Victoria, there are several fantastic options nearby for dining before or after the show.

Hermann's Jazz Club is a good place to wind down the evening listening to jazz. Luciano's Restaurant and Lounge offers classic Italian bistro fare in a modern, chic setting. Bundle up and eat pizza on the heated covered deck before the show,  or enjoy drinks and desert inside after the show.

The Temple is a sleek contemporary restaurant/bar set in an 1890's building. The atmosphere is cosmopolitan and hip, and the rotating menu is out of this world. Eat a full meal before the show: start with edamame beans flavored with mint, lime and rock salt, sink into a rack of lamb with fig thyme polenta, and finish off with a wonton wrapped banana split. Or visit the Lounge after the show, where you can dip szechuan pepper pomme frites into roasted garlic mayo and slurp raw oysters on the half shell.

Contact Victoria Express today to learn about our exciting 2010 winter packages to Victoria. We can take care of all your travel arrangements. Call (360) 452-8088 OR email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. For more information, visit our ID Requirements.

If you're having so much fun during your weekends in Victoria and just don't want to leave come Sunday afternoon, stick around for some of the best music out there. On alternate Sunday nights at Pagliacci's Restaurant, at 1011 Broad Street, a group of the most creative and talented musicians in Victoria gather together for Klezmer music fun.

The Yiddish Columbia State Orchestra was born when lead singer and accordion player Marion Siegal decided that Sunday nights were the perfect time to try something new. She put the word out to talented musicians, and founded a fantastic eight piece orchestra. Concentrating on Jewish Swing and Yiddish Music Hall Vaudeville music, they move seamlessly through a large repertoire that includes sounds from French cafes, Eastern European caravans, and New Orleans.

Their sound is big, bold and brassy. You'll want to smile, clap your hands, and most of all, dance.

If you can't make it to Pagliacci's this Sunday, January 10th, fear not. The Yiddish Columbia State Orchestra will be back at Pagliacci's January 24th, 2010.

Victoria Express will make all arrangements for your travel to Victoria, including lodging. You need only decide when you want to be there. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver's license.

The photo of Marion Siegal is by Barbara Pedrick.