Afternoon tea at the Fairmont is a tradition in many cities along the coast. You can sit in a regal tea room at the Empress in Victoria, enjoy scones before your flight at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, and I’ve recent experienced a special holiday treat at the Fairmont Olympic in Seattle.
Holiday Tea is hosted under the under sparkling chandeliers the Georgian dining room, just through the hotel’s festively decorated lobby. Tea selections include their signature Olympic Holiday Tea, 1907 Blend, English Breakfast, Empress Blend 1908, Darjeeling, Japan Sancha, Jasmine Green, Kae Lani Orange Pineapple, Cherry Rose, Chamomile, Peppermint, Ceylon, and a decaffeinated black tea option.
I picked up a box of the Empress Blend in Victoria and often substitute my morning cup of coffee for this rich brew. For this sitting however, I went with the peppermint, which is sourced locally from the Cascade Mountain region. Should you have any questions, Tea Sommalier Jessica Mullhollen is on-hand to provide insights.
Scones
Orange-cranberry with orange marmalade and Devonshire cream.
Sandwiches
Roasted tom turkey with cranberry spread, sticky rooftop honey bacon
Smoked wild king salmon crepe with young salmon pearls
Butternut squash tart with aged swiss, toasted pumpkin seeds
Lemon infused English cucumber with candied red onion
The sweet bacon (with honey from the bees on the roof of the hotel) added some texture that I think turkey sandwiches usually lack. The desserts that followed on the bottom tier of the tower were just as diverse as the sandwiches above. There was the freshness of the peppermint pavlova, the tender gingerbread, and the crunch of the stollen, which provided varying textures with these sweets.
Sweets
Raspberry almond cake, a chocolate gingerbread man, peppermint pavlova, stollen
Holiday Tea at the Olympic is served Monday through Saturday from 12:00pm until 2:30pm, and until 5:00pm on Sundays. While at $55 it may be outside an everyday budget for tea, the Fairmont’s afternoon tea experiences are special occasions. You can celebrate the holidays with friends and family in this dazzling setting and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown shops. The Fairmont Olympic is just an 8 minute walk from the shops at Westlake, Nordstrom, and Macy’s [Google Map].
While you’re at the Fairmont Olympic during the holidays, check out the Teddy Bear Suite on the third floor. It’s open to the public for visits and story-telling daily from 10:00am until 7:00pm. Admission is by donation to the Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Though Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, there is something refreshing about hearing it sung in operatic French. Luckily for Vancouverites, the Vancouver Opera is currently presenting Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette until December 3.
Photo credit: Tim Matheson for Vancouver Opera
I’ve seen at least 20 versions this on stage or on film since I was a pre-teen. In fact, I was once obsessed – there is nothing more romantic and tragic to a young girl than the classic story of star-crossed lovers.
I have to say that this production is now the best one I’ve seen on stage (my favourite film adaptation is Baz Luhrmann’s starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes). The voices are rich, the set is gorgeous, and it’s all in French, which is way better, it seems, to hear it in, than in English.
Soprano Simone Obsborne (making her first appearance at VO) was wonderful as Juliette and tenor Gordon Gietz was so exceptional. The only complaint I have is his costume, which is a pair of tights and a cod piece. It was very distracting as my eyes would only wander to one place (my mother complained about this same thing – we couldn’t help it!). I just didn’t get it – he was the only one out of the men with a costume like that and I think it took away from his performance because he’s an exceptional singer and performer.
Other than that, it was glorious and I adored Julie Boulianne in the male role of Roméo’s page Stéphano and Antoine Bélanger as Tybalt.
The Vancouver Opera presents Roméo et Juliette tonight and Saturday at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are still available online (and at the box office) for both shows.
Theatres around town are getting in the holiday spirit with special screenings of holiday classics. The Vancouver International Film Festival’s Vancity Theatre on Seymour at Davie will be presenting features throughout December.
Miracle on 34th Street
Date: Sunday, December 4, 2011
Time: 3:00pm and 5:00pm
Some Like It Hot
Date: Saturday, December 17, 2011
Time: 8:30pm
Date: Sunday, December 18, 2011
Time: 3:00pm
The Misfits
Date: Sunday, December 18, 2011
Time: 5:15pm
It’s A Wonderful Life
Date: Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Date: Thursday, December 22, 2011
Time: 6:30pm daily
A Christmas Carol
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2011
Time: 6:30pm
Date: Thursday, December 23, 2011
Time: 6:00pm
Cinderella
Date: Friday, December 23 & Saturday, December 24, 2011
Date: Monday, December 26 & Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Time: 3:00pm daily
The Vancity Theatre is very comfortable with wide chairs, velveted arm rests, cup holders, and a full concession. Admission is $11 for adults $9 for VIFF members and $7 for VIFF Premium members. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. Children get in free when you bring a non-perishable item for donation to the Food Bank.
Related Post: You can also catch midnight screenings this month at the Rio Theatre in East Vancouver.
This holiday season’s most anticipated film New Year’s Eve – is scheduled for release across Canada December 9th and I am giving my readers the chance to win passes to the advance screening.
The film’s all-star cast includes Academy Award® winner Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Academy Award® nominee Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, two-time Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Academy Award® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank and Sofia Vergara. To learn more, please visit the official website.
“New Year’s Eve” celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, with intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.
Miss604.com has 15 double passes to the Vancouver Advance Screening of New Year’s Eve, taking place December 7th at Scotiabank Theatre. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post with a New Year’s resolution you’ve made before (that was a success or a failure) (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw all 15 winners (who can each bring a guest) at 7:00pm on Sunday, December 4, 2011. Winners will be given instructions for the premiere including an early arrival time to line up as passes do not guarantee access.’
Update The winners are: Laura, Erica, Vincent Chen, Lara, Lelainia, @RealDonElliott, @ArtBuf56, @IsabelFerreras, @stoneysmith, @missaliciao, Angela R, Jen, Amy, and another Alicia.
The beloved Woodward’s Windows return to various locations around downtown Vancouver this year as a part of Christmas at Canada Place. The classic, animatronic displays that have been a part of the holidays for decades have been restored and setup at nine different venues.
The main displays are at Canada Place but you can also find them at Bentall One, Bentall Three, Bentall Four, London Drugs at the old Woodward’s location, and the Vancouver Christmas Market. Make your way to each stop with the help of the Christmas at Canada Place iPhone & Android app or this brochure (which can be downloaded).
On the app, you can “check-in” to each location to receive a virtual ornament. Check into every location and you’ll be entered to win a $2,000 shopping spree at London Drugs. The app will tell you how close you are to a window, the hours of the venue (in case you want to get close up) and register your check-in.
If you don’t use the app, there are paper contest entry forms at each Woodward’s Window. Fill out the skill-testing-question for each and you can enter to win as well. You can visit every location until January 4, 2012 except for the Vancouver Christmas Market which will close December 24, 2011. Brochures are also available at Starbucks locations around the downtown core.
Grab the kids, some hot chocolates, download the app, and do the self-guided tour this season for your chance to win the shopping spree.
Miss604 is proud to once again partner with Christmas at Canada Place and sponsor the Woodward’s Windows and Breakfast with Santa which supports the Strathcona Community Centre’s Food Security Program.
The Woodward’s Windows returned in 2010 after being tucked away for years following the closure of the Woodward’s department store in Vancouver.
