Victoria Express

It isn't too early to plan for visiting Victoria during the 2010 Swiftsure International Yacht Race, May 29 and 30, 2010. After all, the intrepid sailors participating in the race are surely preparing for it now.

There are four courses in the Swiftsure: The offshore courses run 137 miles, 100 miles and 76 miles. An inshore course of 20 miles is open to yachts designed prior to January 1975. Spectators are welcome everywhere.

Will the winds and waves be wild? Or will it be a "Driftsure" year? No one can know for sure. What is certain is that Victoria will come out to celebrate this traditional event in spades, and you should be there, too.

Round Trip to Victoria Only $20

The 2010 Sailing Season for Victoria Express starts May 28, 2010. In other words, you can travel from Port Angeles to Victoria in under an hour just in time for the Swiftsure International Yacht Race. The best value of the trip is the 20th Anniversary $20 Round Trip to Victoria Special

Victoria Express is a fast and convenient way to travel between the Olympic Peninsula of Washington and Vancouver Island.

Our staff will be happy to make all of your travel arrangements for your visit to Victoria. 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 the most up-to-date identification requirements for travel between the United States and Canada.

March is an exciting month for theatre in Victoria, particularly the Belfry Theatre. Theatre aficionados will want to travel to Victoria BC to catch some of the SPARK Festival, just now underway.

SPARK promises a good number of miniplays, play readings, and four new plays. In addition, there are professional development workshops, and the unique Belfry 101 Live. More about that below.

The four new plays are: Agnes B, about cabaret singer and actress Agnes Bernelle. The Russian Play is a "dark and comic tale of a Russian peasant girl" by one of Canada's most acclaimed young playwrights, Hannah Moscovitch. Tiny Apocalypse explores a meltdown at the office. The Drowning Girls presents three brides, three bathtubs and three murders.

The Miniplays are just plain fun. Seven 10-minute plays (four one week, three the next) take place in unconventional spaces all over the building. You'll love these plays, created by some of Victoria's independent theatre companies.

Belfry 101 Live is a truly remarkable production. Themes and images from the current season's plays are explored, examined and unpacked by a team of remarkable high school students who have been working with the Belfry all season.

For a complete description of what takes place at the Spark Theatre Festival, and for ticket information, visit the Belfry Theatre. Contact Victoria Express now to arrange your visit to Victoria BC. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 Please look at our ID Requirements to learn about identification needed when traveling between Canada and the United States.

It's time to drop everything and start making plans to visit Victoria BC this weekend for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Brazilian Cultural Festival. The Festival is going on right now and continues through March 14.

Capoeira is a unique Brazilian art form that combines dance, music and martial arts. Participants form a ring and take turns dancing, playing musical instruments, or ritually sparring. The style tends to be fluid and acrobatic. It is fascinating and fun to behold.

The Victoria Brazilian Festival celebrates 10 years of Capoeira and Brazilian Culture in Victoria BC. Over 35 teachers, along with Professor Testa, Mestre Barrao and Axe Capoeira Victoria will participate. Evening workshops for children and adults are scheduled Thursday through Saturday, so if you are interested in trying Capoeira, now is your chance!

Brazilian music is internationally renowned - one reason you won't want to miss the all ages Dance Party Saturday the 13th. The dance party is at the Victoria Event Centre, at 2-1415 Broad Street in downtown Victoria, from 10 pm to 1 am. For tickets contact the VEC.

The Batizado and Troca das Cordas ceremony takes place Sunday afternoon, from 4 to 8 pm, at the Royal Theatre; new students are "baptized" into the group, and continuing students who are advancing a level are recognized. The new students receive their first cord, and continuing students receive a new cord. This is an important ritual for every Axe Capoeira group, and it involves much sparring. Tickets are available at the Royal Theatre.

Victoria Express can make all arrangements for your visit to Victoria BC. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please look at our ID Requirements to learn about identification needed when traveling between Canada and the United States.

Each year, approximately 20,000 Grey Whales migrate up the Pacific Coast as they travel from the warm breeding waters off Baja to the cold nutrient rich waters of Alaska. They are on the move now, hugging the coast as they travel north, and the 24th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival is preparing to welcome them in style.

This festival is as enormous as the whales it celebrates, running from March 6 - March 14, 2010. It takes over Ucluelet, Tofino, and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on northwest Vancouver Island. There will be hands-on activities and informative lectures that will educate folks about whales and the local marine ecosystem. Hop aboard a boat and sail off in search of whales, binoculars in hand. Delve into tide pools. Get wet and look an octopus in the face. Or take a relaxing, informative interpretive walk. In short, there will be numerous events and activities for all ages, from the young in body to the young at heart.

Many artists, musicians and storytellers will be at the Pacific Rim Whale Festival to celebrate the whales. There will be opportunities to meet artists who live on northwest Vancouver Island and find inspiration in the natural beauty of the area. Music takes place nightly, and often during the day as well, when musicians offer hands-on workshops.

There are many reasons to attend the 24th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival. I can't think of one good reason to not go.

If you plan to stay in Victoria during your Vancouver Island, call 206-452-8088, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Let the travel to the Pacific Rim Whale Festival be as enjoyable as the festival itself.

Please read our ID page to learn about identification requirements for traveling between the United States and Canada.

It's true. And trust me, you won't want to miss this.

Ed Robertson and Steven Page started the BNL in 1988 on a lark. Their first performance was largely improvised, which set the tone for every concert that has followed. Their shows almost always contain a fair amount of improvised banter, raps and songs. Fans never know exactly what to expect at a performance, but they know there will be good music and good entertainment.

The Barenaked Ladies now consist of founding member Ed Robertson, Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan and Tyler Stewart. Ed Robertson promises the April 6th concert will include many of the band's favourites from the last 20 years, as well as new music from their album, All in Good Time.

There surely are other reasons to travel to Victoria, but the chance to see Barenaked Ladies at the Save On Foods Arena on April 6, 2010 is up at the top of the list.

Let Victoria Express take care of your Victoria travel arrangements. 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. Our ID Requirements page provides information on current identification required to cross the border.

Put on your traveling cloaks and pack your bags! Travel to Victoria, then head to the Victoria Symphony for a trip around the world on Wednesday, March 20, 2010, at 2:30 pm.

Scott Walker hosts the event, part of the Royal Tea Concerts at the Royal Theatre. The talented Giuseppe Pietraroia will lead the orchestra on an exploration of music from around the world. They'll make stops in Britain, France, Italy, and many other places, and play music that was created in each country as they go.

Start the afternoon with tea and treats in the lobby of the historic Royal Theatre, at 805 Broughton Street in downtown Victoria. Then make your way around the world in style.

Stretch your legs after the show by walking the neighborhood, where there are many excellent restaurants. Just around the corner, Yokohama Japanese Restaurant has all you can eat sushi, and the Pink Bicycle serves up tasty gourmet burgers. Nearby, the Noodle Box offers a "Fresh Fun Fiery Experience", and Baan Thai promises complex flavours in each mouthful. Or walk a block or two and find yourself at the Sticky Wicket, a traditional British pub. You are sure to find some place to tickle your fancy and your palate within a few blocks.

Victoria Express can help with your Victoria travel arrangements. You don't need to wait for our season to start. Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it today.

Please read about identification requirements at our ID Requirements page.

When you combine the musical virtuosity of Strauss and satirical social commentary a la Moliere, you are in for a treat: Capriccio. The Pacific Opera in Victoria is staging this delightful romp of an opera February 25 and 27, March 2, 4, and 6, 2010.

Capriccio is said to be "a wry and entertaining examination of the eternal struggle between man and woman...words and music...art and life". Profound, to be sure. Yet it is also "wickedly funny".

The Countess Madeleine simply cannot choose which of her two lovers will win her affections - a poet or a musician. She decides to have them collaborate on an opera and let the artistic process call forth her true love. Apparently art really can solve all problems, even the classic love triangle.

The richness of the plot is aided by wonderfully flawed characters: the poet convinced his verse is ruined by music, the tipsy Italian soprano, the Count for whom art is the means to an actress' bed, and a prompter who falls asleep on the job.

Strauss nimbly combines a variety of operatic styles and throws in a few jokes for those who know their music history. If this is you, you will definitely want to visit Victoria BC during Capriccio's run.

The Pacific Opera presents Strauss Capriccio in German with English surtitles. The shows begin at 8pm (with the exception of the 2.27 matinee at 3pm). Grab an early dinner in Victoria's nearby Chinatown before the show, and engage in profound philosophical discussions about the meaning of art, love and life over drinks afterwards.

Victoria Express is as adept at fulfilling your Victoria travel needs as the Countess is at staging an opera; even more so. 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.

Learn about 2010 Canada - U.S. travel requirements at our Identification page.

Attending a concert by the Vienna Boys Choir is your chance to actually 'hear' history. Don't you feel compelled to travel to Victoria for a performance fit for a king?

Emperor Maximilian I established his court in Vienna in 1498; among other things, he insisted that his court musicians include six boys. 1498 has consequently become the accepted date for the creation of the Vienna Boys Choir, and when you listen to these ethereal voices, you feel transported back in time.

Over the centuries, the choir has grown from six boys to one hundred. Although they sang exclusively for the Court and at state functions until 1918, they now tour the globe several months a year in four separate choirs.

The Vienna Boys Choir will appear at the Alix Goolden Hall in Victoria on March 2, 2010, at 7:30 pm. Expect an eclectic repertoire, as the boys are as comfortable negotiating medieval songs as they are contemporary, experimental music.

Allow Victoria Express to arrange your Victoria BC travel and 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. To learn the latest travel requirements, see our Travel ID page.

Tickets are available at McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121, or online at  www.hightideconcerts.net.

Eh oui, Friday March 5, 2010, will begin the 13th Annual Victoria French Fest, which runs through Sunday, March 7. This is a great excuse to travel to Victoria BC. The event will celebrate music, food and art from francophone countries around the globe. Here is your chance to feast on brie and baguettes, enjoy a panoply of food kiosks, and savor magnificent culinary creations by Chef Guy Le Monnier. It is always about the food whenever the French are involved.

Expect to taste Moroccan couscous, chicken Yassa from Senegal, and "les cornouillers", or sugar pies, from Quebec. From Haiti we'll enjoy delectable "accras de morue", or savory fish fritters. France brings us chocolate profiteroles, and the Antilles will supply plates laden with exotic fruits. Each kiosk will also have vegetarian options on hand.

Musicians will include The Georgia Basin Beat Collective, African percussionist Jordan Hanson of Hand Drum Rhythm, Christian Tatonetti and the trio Fetacompli. The energetic are welcome to participate in African dance and break dancing workshops with Yamoussa and Karim Bangoura from the circus Kalabantes.

There will be much to do. The "Salon des artisans" at the Da Vinci Centre on Saturday and Sunday afternoons will showcase an eclectic collection of sculpture, tiles, textiles and luxurious skin care products. There will be French films and popcorn, for adults and children alike. Indeed, children are encouraged to attend the festival, and there will be many games and events just for them.

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend will take place Sunday March 7 at 7 pm at the McPherson Theatre, when the West African Circus troupe KALABANTE will present KO RYASS.

The Victoria French Fest has two main venues: the Da Vinci Centre at 195 Bay Street and Centennial Square. Throughout the weekend, a free shuttle service will run between the two sites.

Victoria Express will take care of your Victoria travel, 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.

Please note that travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. See our ID Requirements for more details.

Victoria is a city that embraces the arts. Musical enthusiasts should consider traveling to Victoria to catch at least one performance in the upcoming Open Space Piano Series, Thursday February 25 through Saturday March 6, 2010.

Open Space is a unique non-profit centre in Victoria run by and for artists. It is "a working laboratory for innovative art practices", and it produces some truly outstanding, creative works.

The first performer in the Open Space Piano Series at Alix Goolden Hall is Tzenka Dianova, on Thursday February 25 at 7:30 pm. Ms. Dianova is thought to be "one of the world's finest exponents of new music for the pianodistinguished composers". She plans to "give a rare performance of For Bunita Marcus by American composer Morton Feldman" that will be well worth the trip.

Lubomyr Melnyk takes the stage at Alix Goolden Hall on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 8pm. Melnyk is considered one of the most innovative pianists alive today, thanks in part to his unique "continuous music" approach to playing - an "unbroken line of sound from the piano". He is also one of the fastest pianists to have ever lived, and has set two world records: the fastest pianist in the world, and the most number of notes in one hour. You will not want to miss his performance.

Gust Burns is a pianist, composer and above all an improviser from Seattle, WA. He will be in residency at Open Space, during which time he plans to deconstruct and rearrange an abandoned piano. His performance on Monday, March 1, (7:30 p.m.) will be prior to this deconstruction. His performance on Saturday, March 6, at 8 p.m will be based on it. Both performances will take place at Open Space, at 510 Fort Street.

Tickets may be purchased for all four concerts at Open Space.

Victoria Express will take care of all your Victoria travel arrangements. 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 for details on travel requirements between Canada and the United States.

Photograph is of Lubomyr Melnyk.

There is no better way to travel than to hop on a boat in one city and disembark at your destination, refreshed and ready to explore. This is exactly what we are offering through April 1, 2010. You'll travel across the Salish Sea and arrive in the historic setting of Victoria's beautiful inner harbor. No long drive and no traffic lines. Just sit back and enjoy the magnificent views of the Pacific Northwest, one of the most scenic parts of the country.

The Seattle - Victoria travel packages include one or two night's accommodations at your choice of one of the finest hotels in Victoria: the Hotel Grand Pacific or the Hotel Chateau Victoria. Located right in the heart of the city, you will find it easy to explore on foot from either hotel.

In addition, our travel packages include tours of some of the finest sites of Victoria. Sit back in a luxurious coach and enjoy the Grand City Tour. Visit Craigdarroch Castle, considered "a key piece of British Columbia's history". Spend a few hours at the Royal BC Museum, and watch a film there at the IMAX Theatre.

The IMAX is currently showing four films. Ocean Men: Extreme Dive follows two men as they dive more than 91 meters under the sea on one breath of air. Under the Sea offers a glimpse of some of the most spectacular and unusual ocean creatures in the Indo-Pacific waters. Ride Around the World explores the 1,200-year history of the cowboy and horse from Argentina to Morocco. Africa: The Serengeti, is a fascinating tribute to the wildebeest and the Great Migration; it ends February 18, 2010.

The Royal BC Museum has a fascinating exhibit on the First Peoples of this region. Now through Saturday, February 27, the museum is offering interesting First Peoples Gallery Tours. Enhance this experience with the feature exhibit of today's Coast Salish First Nations: S'abadeb: The Gifts.

Victoria is so close to Seattle, it should be visited as often as possible. Our Seattle Victoria travel packages make this too easy to resist. Call or email for details: 360-452-8088, or 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. Please see our ID Requirements page for more details.

Victoria Express is available for private charters for any occasion.

This is your opportunity to enjoy a private afternoon or evening on the water....

Plan a day trip to the San Juan Islands.

Victoria Express features indoor and outdoor seating, a snack bar, multiple restrooms, and a multimedia center including video screens and a PA system. Victoria Express is perfect for a wide variety of cruises around Port Angeles Harbor, Sequim Bay, Port Townsend Harbor, the San Juan Islands and other points of interest in the Salish Sea. Consider Victoria Express when you plan your next event:

• Charter to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
• Company Picnic on the Harbor
• Client Social
• Salish Sea Culture Cruise
• Business Luncheon or Dinner
• Sunset Cocktail Cruise
• Retirement Party
• Sales Meeting
• Wedding, Reception or Rehearsal Dinner
• Reunion or Anniversary Party
• Training Class or Workshop
• Private Eco-Tour
• Wine Tasting Cruise
• Or any other reason you want to get out on the water…

Call or E-mail today for more information:

Phone: (360) 452-8088

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

On Friday, February 19, 2010, Paul Mowbray and Tracy Mills will perform their original music at the Heron Rock Bistro in Victoria from 7 to 9:30pm. Mowbray is a master of the guitar, and Mills a virtuoso on violin; their sound blends together like an intimate conversation.

BullFrogMusic calls this "single malt scotch or fine wine music" and tells us to "drink in the sound." Good thing they'll be playing at the Heron Rock Bistro, at #4-435 Simcoe Street, Victoria, BC. Listen to Paul Mowbray and Tracy Mills as you enjoy local oysters on the half-shell, or kalamari with sesame-cilantro aioli and crispy cumin batter.

Is it worth visiting Victoria BC for this event? You bet it is.

Victoria Express is currently offering several fantastic Victoria travel packages. Cross the Salish Sea in comfort, enjoy a visit to Craigdarroch Castle, a Grand City Tour, or an afternoon at the Royal BC Museum. Soak in the sounds of funky folky jazz in the evening. Victoria Express will take care of travel and accommodations - you need only decide to go.

Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.

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

If you have ever been to Victoria, BC, you know that it is a city that loves to eat. Only one city in North America has more restaurants per capita than Victoria (San Francisco). A small city that can be easily explored by foot, Victoria is the ideal destination for a gustatory getaway.

The Seventh Annual Dine Around and Stay in Town event will take place from February 18 to March 7, 2010, in Victoria.

57 restaurants are participating in this year's event. They will offer three-course menus for $20, $30 or $40 CDN. To help make your meal complete, restaurants will suggest British Columbia Wines for each dish.

Here is an example of what you can expect for $20: Sips Artisan Bistro on Simcoe St. offers a choice of seafood chowder, organic greens or a spinach and blue cheese salad for an appetizer; and a local cheese plate, a charcuterie and cheese plate, or a local fish plate for an entree (suggested pairing: a 2007 Tinhorn Merlot). For dessert, enjoy Spinnakers truffles (paired with Quail's Gate L.H. Foch). Prices do not include beverages.

A complete list of participating restaurants and their menus is available at Dine Around and Stay in Town.

In order to encourage travelers to Victoria to stay longer and eat more, several excellent hotels are offering special pricing during this event: $69, $79, $99 and $129 per night. A complete list of accommodations is available at Dine Around and Stay in Town.

Travel to Victoria is easy when you entrust yourself to Victoria Express. Cross the Salish Sea in style, whether your point of departure is Seattle or Port Angeles. Please 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.

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

We all can picture tracker dogs saving earthquake victims in Haiti, but saving killer whales? Get real! On the evening of Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00 pm at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, Katherine Ayres, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology will explain how and why she is using tracker dogs to save endangered southern resident killer whales.

Ayres uses whale scat to measure the health of individual whales and to ultimately assess the health of the overall population. But finding whale poop in the wild is not easy. That's were a trained scat detection dog can be a big help.

Just like tracker dogs that can be trained to detect live people under rubble or cocaine packed inside of a can of gasoline; they too can be trained to detect killer whale feces floating on the water at great distances. Ayers will talk about how detection dogs are being used and what valuable information can be gained from the scat, which unlike blubber biopsies, is collected without impacting already endangered animals.

The Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila located in Eastsound on Orcas Island. It is made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), and The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Barbara Brown, Eclipse Charters, The Kingfish Inn, Shearwater Sea Kayak Tours, West Sound Marina and Jim and Kathy Youngren.

The SeaDoc Society is a non-profit program of the Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at the world-renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

For more information contact Jean Spalti at the SeaDoc Society, 360-376-3910. Photo courtesy of S. Buckley.

If you are interested in exploring Friday Harbor on San Juan Island this summer, check out our 2010 sailing schedule. Victoria Express can make your Friday Harbor travel arrangements. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 360.452.8088 for more information.

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.