Vancouver and going home

OK I found a power outlet down in the food court at Vancouver International Airport  where this post and the previous one are being done. Before I describe the wild  day yesterday I'll skip to this morning. BTW this post was just interrupted by my brother Peter calling from Ottawa on skype - I don't have a microphone on this computer so I could hear him but had to type responses back... weird. They are expecting this to be a very crowded day at the airport so we arrived early - up at 3:45amPST so we could get here well in time for Denise's 7am flight . Mine is at 8:50am so lots of time for me. Long lines for Denise to check in but it was a piece of cake for me. Courtney is returning to Australia via Los Angeles so very long travel days for her.

OK so let's back up a bit. Sunday morning I took a bus from Whistler down the Sea to Sky Highway to Vancouver. The highway is along a very pretty route as the name implies but low cloud took away some of the beauty of the pictures. From Whistler you follow the highway down the mountains to Squamish which is at sea level . Then the highway goes along Howe Sound down to Vancouver. The road is carved out of the side of the mountains so lots of up and down overlooking the water. I hope this picture captures the sense of it.

 

Denise came to meet me at the airport in a rental car and we returned to the rented house in Burnaby to watch the Gold medal hockey game. Very exciting and an appropriate result! Canada Gold! Woohoo! Son Geof texted me at the end of regulation and correctly predicted Sidney Crosby as the eventual winning goal scorer. We skyped Deen in Barbados and got her rendition of the wildness at Bert's Bar. 

 

This hockey victory ,as well as Canada's other Gold medal successes set off a nation wide series of celebrations. Even Toronto ,which has not had a Stanley Cup presentation since 1967, had people out in the streets celebration. Downtown Vancouver of course was the epicentre of the wildness. 

After the game Denise and I went on a tour taking the skytrain to the Vancouver Athletes Village. It was very cool although I like the Whistler village better. I had no trouble getting in to the place even with my Whistler credentials. No athletes wandering around as they were  all at the closing ceremonies across from the village. Nonetheless this is a picture of the Canada residence (my apologies to my non- Canadian readers of this blog but I'm taking all opportunities to brag).

 

Denise and I went in to the lobby of the Canada residence and met a guy working there from Ottawa. I didn't know him but we knew people in common and he ,like me , is a 3 morning a week old timer hockey player. This is the lobby.

We went into the Olympic store there and couldn't resist a bargain - a red hat and tshirt for $10 with the purchase of something else (for me a package of gum) . With the red and white Russia hat Denise picked up for me I now have 3 new hats to add to the collection. Which of my existing hats will have to go????

We then headed downtown to see the Olympic flame before it was turned off. This is a picture of some of the crowd and it was crazy with people all hooting and hollering and having a good time but no signs of alcohol problems (at least while we were there).








Finally we got down to the waterfront for a picture of the flame - very majestic and lots of people.

 

In spite of the controversy about the fencing around the flame this is the closest people have been able to get to any Olympic flame and it was magnificent.

Last picture but not least a picture of the Olympic rings in the harbour. All very stirring.

 

All in all a great experience. This afternoon when I arrive back in Ottawa I'm going to see Geof and the girls for dinner (Jane is sea kayaking off the coast of Mexico with a group of 9 other women) and I'll be very happy to see them. Tuesday is unpack,laundry,repack day then I'm going to Perth to see Lisa, Matt and the boys and also dinner. I'll be very happy to see them as well. 

My next post,which will also be the last one in this series , will either be done this evening if I'm not too tired, or more likely Tuesday morning when I'm a bit fresher. I hope then to give an overall sense of the experience.Wednesday morning I'm up at 3am for my flight to Barbados and my darling Deen and all our Bajan family.