Join the Grape Escape to Downunder!
November 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content
It’s time to jump for joy and catch a ride on a roo — all the way to the Land of Oz!
This week the "Grape Escape" is heading to a dinkum diggerydoo place "Downunder", where they’ll be featuring some fine wine from the folks at Penfolds!
The folks at Sips Artisan Bistro are hosting a wonderful wine tasting event, and you’re invited!
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Time: 4:30-6:30 pm
Venue: Sips Artisan Bistro & Wine Tasting Bar, 425 Simcoe Street (in James Bay Square)
20th Anniversary of Amica at Somerset House!
November 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content
2nd Annual Big Band Bash
November 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content
2nd Annual Band Bash
C’mon put on your dancing shoes and trip the light fantastic as Amica at Somerset House presents the 2nd Annual Big Band Bash.
It’s a wonderful way to feel the beat, tap your feet and enjoy three of Victoria’s top orchestras for a charity dance in support of hearing loss prevention!
Date: - Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Time: 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Place: Victoria Edelweiss Club, 108 Niagra Street in James Bay.
Admission: $10 per person
Tickets are available at Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre located at 300 – 1627 fort Street (Info: 250.592.8144) and at the door.
Fashions of the War Years
November 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content
Fashions of the War Years on Display
Amica at Somerset House, here in James Bay is putting on a bit of glitz and ritz next week.
Why not drop by and join in a trip down memory lane! It’s a great opportunity to go back in time as "Heritage Productions" presents a collection of vintage fashions along with a historical look into the war years.
And while you’re there, enjoy some decadent treats prepared by their Executive Chef.
Date: Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Place: Amica at Somerset House, 425 Dallas Road
NOTE: Please RSVP to 250-380-9121 as seating will be limited.
You Definitely Need Some Therapy!
November 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Fun, Misc. Mirth
Frankly, what’s not to like about lying back on a couch without a crazy counsellor in sight just sipping the subtle taste of a ripsnorting red or wacky white wine — made by the fruity folks from Therapy Vineyards in Naramata, British Columbia!
Yup, at Sips Artisan Bistro and Spinnakers Wine Merchants, you’ve got plenty to choose from:
Pink Freud (2008) — Freudian Sip (2008) — Freud’s Ego (2007) and SuperEgo (2007)
And, on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 2-4 pm…you won’t need an appointment to partake in this pleasant bit of free Therapy on the house. Guess what guys and gals, no one will mind if you dare to ask all the questions your little heart desires at this wonderful wine tasting event.
Oh and by the way, if you’re looking for someone to interpret your dreams…who knows, you might even find that special someone with white whiskers and a rustic red suit in the crowd! If not, keep your eyes peeled for those other merry males sipping merlot with members of James Bay’s one and only Wicked Wench Club (who are always seeking someone sexy to peel them a grape if you please!)
Welcome To The Wonders of Whisky
Forget about wine tastings this week. Treat yourself instead to the wonders of whisky instead. In fact, why not mosey on over to Sips Artisan Bistro and enjoy a lovey liquid lunch!
WHERE: SIPS Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe Street (in James Bay Square)
WHEN: Wednesday, October 28 – 12 noon to 2 pm
Hosted by Larry Arnold, Wine and Spirits Product Consultant for Spinnakers, this will be a great opportunity to meet Gerry Tosh, recent recipient of the Whisky Ambassador of the Year award, and a rather fine occasion to tantalize your tastebuds with "Highland Park 12, 15, 18 & 30" as well as the "Famous Grouse" and new "Black Grouse" whisky!
It’s truly amazing what can be done with a bit of barley, water and yeast in a barrel. For those who have trouble tickling their tongue or tastebuds, they can always go to Plan B – tickling their ribs. And what better way to tickle yourself pink than to sip something special, while you get into the spunky spirit of things!
“Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.” (W.C. Fields)
“May the enemies of Ireland never eat bread nor drink whiskey, but be tormented with itching without benefit of scratching.” (Irish toast)
“Anybody who hates dogs and loves whisky can’t be all bad.” (W.C. Fields)
"I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch." (George Burns)
"Whisky is liquid sunshine." (George Bernard Shaw)
“There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one of them is malt whisky.”
(Scottish proverb)
"The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to drink whisky. By diligent effort, I learnt to like it." (Sir Winston Churchill)
2010 Olympic Torch Relay Begins in Victoria
October 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content, News
On Friday, October 30th, Victoria, British Columbia will be hosting the launch of the Canada-wide Olympic Torch Relay leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to be held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada beginning February 12, 2010.
Arriving from Olympia, Greece (the home of the Olympic Games), the Olympic Flame will begin its journey in the capital City of British Columbia and travel through the 13 muncipalilties that comprise the Capital Rgional District.
Day 1 of the Olympic Torch Relay will begin on Friday, October 30th at 9:30 am on the lawns of the Provincial Legislature. City of Victoria dignitaries will host an hour-long formal welcoming ceremony in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Throughout the day, Olympic Torch bearers will carry the flame through the streets of downtown Victoria, (and Victoria’s oldest neighborhood, James Bay). Best viewing spots include: Inner Harbour; Belleville Street between Menzies and Government Streets, Government Street to Pandora, Centennial Square, Capital Regional District Square, Chinatown, Wharf Street at Johnson Street.
In the evening, (from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm) the Olympic Flame will make its way through the neighborhoods of Oak Bay and Fairfield and proceed along Dallas Road to Mile Zero around Beacon Hill Park, and along Government Street from Dallas Road to Belleville Street.
According to Victoria’s Spirit website, the evening celebrations in the Inner Harbour are expected to attract some 50,000 visitors who will be treated to an extravaganza of entertainment, multicultural musical and artistic performances, as well as the presence of local luminaries, athletes and celebrities, topped off with state-of-the-art glow-stick products and a spectacular pyrotechnics finale.
Note: For additional details please check the following links:
1) The Olympic Torch route and events leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, please check the"With Glowing Hearts" Winter Olympic Games website.
2) Olympic Torch Arrives From Greece in Victoria – Times Colonist
Tannin Tasters Wanted!
October 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Events, Main Content, People, Who's Who
Image Credit: Illustration by Vimrod – vimrod.com
Instead of twiddling your thumbs, try tingling your tastebuds over at Sips Artisan Bistro in James Bay Square (425 Simcoe Street) this week!
Larry Arnold, Product Consultant for Spinnakers Wine, Beer & Spirits Merchants, will be hosting a special wine tasting on Thursday, October 22 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm featuring the reds and whites of the award-winning Hillside Estate Winery, (celebrating 25 years of passion for plump grapes in Penticton, British Columbia).
For the wine connoisseur on your birthday, Christmas, or wedding list who would be pleased with a few extra bottles to cellar, consider a consultation with discriminating wine buyer Larry Arnold. Whether he recommends small-lot BC rarities, classic vintages, organics and biodynamics or, for the trophy hunter, Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005 Bordeaux (at $1,400 a bottle, purportedly the greatest vintage produced in the last 50 years), he caters to big and small collectors.
To contact Larry: Tel: 250-590-3515, or Email – larry@spiritmerchants.ca
Great Ghostly Walks Begin
It is reputed that Victoria, British Columbia is one of the most haunted cities in north America. So, it’s not surprising to find John Adams, a James Bay resident and local historian leading ardent apparitionists not to mention perhaps a few fearful folks through the night, pointing out where the ghost are most likely to be found.
Throughout the month of October, there are at least eight different nightly ghost tours (usually 90 minutes in length) organized every week to keep both spooks and spectators busy.
Saturday night tours focus on three spooky spots in the Inner Harbour, the famed Fairmount Empress Hotel, Helmecken House (British Columbia’s oldest house), and nearby St. Ann’s Academy (a civic landmark and national historic site).
Monday evenings highlight some superb spirits who inhabit the Provincial Legislature, the native burial ground at Laurel Point, and the Gatsby Mansion (where they are known to have scared more than a few caretakers from the premises).
Wednesday nights, it’s back to the James Bay neighborhood again to seek out more spunky spirits, surprising sights and sensational stories to keep everyone entertained.
All Ghost Walks begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Visitor Information Centre at the corner of Government and Wharf streets. Cost is $12.
For more information, check out Discover the Past: Tours in Downtown Victoria & Environs.
The Story of Victoria Told Through Its Buildings
Image Credit: Victoria, B.C. buildings along Wharf Street – Flickr.com
James Bay, Victoria, British Columbia’s oldest neighborhood, will be hosting a higher-learning course for history buffs this week!
The University of Victoria will be delivering a special continuing education course, "The Past is Present: The Story of victoria Told Through Its Buildings" in Amica at Somerset House, 540 Dallas Road, on Thursday, October 15 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm (Course Code: ASH1444 2009F E01 – Cost $20 plus $1 GST).
The lecture will focus on Victoria’s history and architecture using archival photographs matched with new photographs taken from the identical spot. The city is a rich source of man-made structures from the First Nations longhouses, through log cabins, Gothic design, homesteads, as well as arts and crafts not to mention modern and "cargotecture" examples.
The presentation will highlight an array of styles and materials used in Victoria’s buildings to demonstrate the evolution of the man-made environment in the province’s capital city. And to conclude the seminar, participants will be invited to respond to the question, "What will tomorrow’s heritage buildings look like?"
The instructor for the afternoon will be Nick Russell, Ph.D. and president of the Hallmark Society and a researcher for the Victoria Heritage Foundation, who was also honored in 2002 for his volunteer work with the Land Conservancy, restoring the Ross Bay Villa.
Given the popularity of the topic, and the scenic setting for this seminar, those interested in learning more about Victoria’s archictectural history may have to wait to another time (or perhaps request ‘standing room only’ in Amica at Somerset House this time!)
