Couples retreat countdown!!!

Couples retreat is in Victoria THIS WEEKEND!, I've been waiting for this for MONTHS! A real live weekend away with my husband the retail slave.

We meet some pals for breakfast Friday morning THIS FRIDAY MORNING! oh the joy! And then we head to the church to take the bus down to the clipper for our private charter up there!

We arrive in Victoria at 2:15, will have to wait to get off the boat (always the fun part) and go check in to the hotel but at 4pm I'm going to take Keith over for a tour of Parliament! I hope he isn't too bored but I've never done it, always wanted to and they aren't open on weekends and the 4pm is the last tour.

Other things on the must do list? I used to get to go to Victoria a couple times a year and let's say I'm a bit of an addict. It's been three years since I've been there and a couple shops are only there...

1. Fruits and Passion. My all time favorite bath and body shop. The perfume that I would bathe in if allowed. Pear and Linden. My all time favorite scent. And yes I have a little money squirreled away to blow on my once every three years trip! I will smell like heaven for a long long time.

2. Murchies. Tea, tea and more tea. I have gifts to buy for co workers who also love tea, I'm checking into taking Keith to tea there as I think it's a little less formal than high tea which I just can't see Keith enjoying. I love him but high tea? um no.

3. Lush. the first place I fell in love with Lush, and then started working for the company part time and pretty much spent my paycheck there. This was my first Lush store and I can't wait to visit and drop in on the girls! There's lots of other lush stores but this one is close to my heart!

The other things I love to do? A walk through the lobby of the Empress, it's gorgeous. A walk through Antique row, amazingly fun stuff. A walk through Chinatown, great history (did you know its the 2nd oldest chinatown in the western united states, only beaten by San Francisco!)

AND, the all time favorite place that I can't wait to take Keith, because quite frankly it's right up his alley?

4. Sticky Wickets Pub trust me that this is man land. I OH do I love man land. This is the ultimate Pub and again, trust me that I've tried a few.

This place has seven rooms, five levels, 1200 seats, two stages, two volleyball courts and 275 feet of bar. seriously.

And my favorite part? about 20 different ciders. I don't drink beer, I don't love most wines but hard cider? oh we have a love affair that started in Victoria in about 1998. Oh do I love CANADIAN hard ciders and I've spent many a time trying desperately to find something like it here (finally did at trader joes of all places) So I'll be going light but I'll be excited to belly up for a treat!

Oh and Keith? He'll be ecstatic that there's about 1000 tv's in this place and I guarantee his A's will be on somewhere!

So there's the beginning of my excitement. I'm packing my comfy shoes and extra socks because Victoria? it's a walking town.

See some of you there and the rest of you? I'm taking the laptop and plan to have updates!

Stay tuned by the way, tomorrow I'm going to be having lunch down at the market, photos to come!