Thank you to all of you who shared my Olympic experiences with me by reading this blog, and a special thank you to those of you who commented on it, using the blog, Facebook or E-mail. It will be a great keepsake but I was also inspired to write knowing that family and friends were sharing in our experience.
I hope to add photos when Iain arrives with our camera, this weekend, and am also supplementing my memories with newspaper articles and photos. NOTE: Virtue and Moir's photo graces the front conver of the March 8th addition of Macleans magazine and there is an excellent article on them on the inside!
When Vancouver was announced as the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, 7 years ago, Iain said we are going! Thank you so very much to my dear hubby for making this Olympic experience possible for both of us. Son Jamie, being the sports fanatic that he is, and fiancee Karen, also have been saving their pennies, for a long time, so they could make their Olympic dream come true. Colin's new job in Calgary made it possible for him to attend and he took some of his precious few days off so he could live the experience too. Iain and I and treasured this special time with the three of them.
We did miss Graeme and Caileigh very much! They were living the experience,watching the TV at home - Graeme with his roommates and girlfriend, Laura, in St. Catharines and Caileigh, with niece Lindsay,in Ancaster.
I kept close touch with them, through texting, and with many of my family members. Jamie liked to tease me about always having my cell in my hand,(and even has an incriminating photo of me) but it allowed me to have the other people I love close at hand as they watched the events on TV.
The Olympic Moments that really touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes:
The first gold medal winner, Alex Bilodeau, and his brother.
Virtue and Moir's gold medal performances made even more special by our personal family connection to them.
Joannie Rochette's bronze medal performances so soon after her Mom's sudden death.
Sidney Crosby's game winning Gold to capture the gold for Canada's men's hockey team.
From the time we arrived, on Thursday Feb. 18th until we left on Sunday Feb. 28th, Iain and I witnessed 2 Gold Medal performances (Virtue and Moir and the men's Team Pursuit Speed Skating team) and were in Vancouver for 20 other Canadian medal wins - WOW!
The spontaneous singing of our beautiful national anthem, on so many occasions, also brought tears to my eyes. I am so proud to be a Canadian and so are many other Canadians, as we witnessed in Vancouver, around Canada and around the world! These Olympics games brought our country and cultures together, like nothing else I have ever seen before. We cheered, chanted, laughed, cried, sang waved our flags and 'highfived' all together all week!
Thank you Vancouver, to all your wonderful volunteers and to all our talented athletes, who made this all possible for all of us whether we were there or watching at home on our television sets! A truly uplifting, memorable and cherished experience!
GO CANADA GO!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Day 10 - Sunday Feb. 28th - On our way home.
Iain, Jamie, Karen, Colin and I enjoyed our last delicious breakfast at The Manor House B&B courtesy of chef Jason who invited us into his kitchen every morning to watch him prepare his specialities. Thank you so much to him, manager David and their friendly, happy staff who were run of their feet for 2 weeks!
We also said goodbye (thankfully) to the family above us whose children woke us every morning, at 5:30 am, with their running around, jumping off the beds and fighting! :-)
We packed up and took the wonderful 'Canada' Subway Transit line right to the airport to catch our 10:00am flight to Calgary. What a feeling of anticipation there was at the airport as everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of the Canada/US Gold Medal Hockey Game. Thankfully, our flight was on time and we arrived back at Iain's condo, just in time for the opening face off.
I think we can all agree that a better script could not have been written for this game. The US tie it, at 2, with just seconds left, to take away Canada's hope for grabbing the Gold, at the end of regulation time. The country's frazzled nerves time is extended. Then, in overtime, the veteran Iginla passes the puck to 'Sid the Kid', Canada's best, and in it goes through the legs of the impenetrable Miller! As announcer Chris Cuthberts says 'The Golden Goal' for Canada is a reality and Team Canada wins Canada's record breaking 14th Gold Medal! As Canadians celebrate at Canada Hockey Place, and all over the country in our homes, in bars, on the streets,(Yonge Street is closed down) we know we will always remember where we were for this historic hockey moment! It was most definitely the fairy tale ending to our most memorable and awesome Olympic vacation!
My selection for other standout Canadian players - Nash, Morrow, and Toews! The future looks bright!
Jamie. Karen and I fly back to Hamilton, at 6:20 pm, but not before we take a drive, with Iain and Colin, down Calgary's 'Red Mile,' to celebrate with the rest of the city!
We also said goodbye (thankfully) to the family above us whose children woke us every morning, at 5:30 am, with their running around, jumping off the beds and fighting! :-)
We packed up and took the wonderful 'Canada' Subway Transit line right to the airport to catch our 10:00am flight to Calgary. What a feeling of anticipation there was at the airport as everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of the Canada/US Gold Medal Hockey Game. Thankfully, our flight was on time and we arrived back at Iain's condo, just in time for the opening face off.
I think we can all agree that a better script could not have been written for this game. The US tie it, at 2, with just seconds left, to take away Canada's hope for grabbing the Gold, at the end of regulation time. The country's frazzled nerves time is extended. Then, in overtime, the veteran Iginla passes the puck to 'Sid the Kid', Canada's best, and in it goes through the legs of the impenetrable Miller! As announcer Chris Cuthberts says 'The Golden Goal' for Canada is a reality and Team Canada wins Canada's record breaking 14th Gold Medal! As Canadians celebrate at Canada Hockey Place, and all over the country in our homes, in bars, on the streets,(Yonge Street is closed down) we know we will always remember where we were for this historic hockey moment! It was most definitely the fairy tale ending to our most memorable and awesome Olympic vacation!
My selection for other standout Canadian players - Nash, Morrow, and Toews! The future looks bright!
Jamie. Karen and I fly back to Hamilton, at 6:20 pm, but not before we take a drive, with Iain and Colin, down Calgary's 'Red Mile,' to celebrate with the rest of the city!
Day 9 - Saturday Feb. 27th
Men's and Ladies' Speed Skating Team Pursuit Finals(both) - 12 noon
Sue, Iain and Colin
Iain and I witness our second gold medal performance (Virtue and Moir our first) and Colin his first as we watch our men win gold!
Our women place fifth but have a better time than the gold medal winner from Germany. Doesn't seem fair but that is just how the event is set up.
This was our first time at the Richmond Oval and it is an absolutely awesome facility! The media camera used to film the skating is like something out of Star Wars! It moves around the oval as fast as the skaters. Unlike the other sports we have seen, the commentators explain what is going on, over the speaker system, while you are watching the event.
Jamie and Karen visit Jamie's friend Matt Theoret, from his public school days, in Brights Grove/Sarnia and Matt's fiancee Laura.
Later in the day they join Jamie's Masters' friends from the University of Windsor who are now working or doing their PhD's in BC.
Jamie and Karen decide to try and scalp tickets for the Gold Medal Curling Game, at 3 pm, using their long saved Olympic funds but tickets are scarce. Instead, they take in Kevin Martin and team's Gold Medal win on the TV at our B&B!
Norwegian skip still handsome but can't out curl 'K-Mart!'
Take note Theresa, Johnny Mo has been deemed the 'Brad Pitt' of curling this week! :-)
Switzerland defeats my 'blond Swede' to win Bronze.
Men's Hockey Bronze Medal Game - Sue, Iain and Colin
A great game with the Finns fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Slovaks 4-3, to win the Bronze
Great warm up for tomorrow's Gold Medal contest!
Take in Robson Square and the downtown crowds for one last time,in the rain, before going home. However, no ones spirits are dampened by the weather! We also visit Canada House for the first time on a rare 'no lineup' occasion.
We had hoped to visit more displays, exhibits and Olympic Buildings, while we were here, but our jammed packed Event Itinerary (we were so lucky to get the tickets we did!) and the long lineups to get into things (7 hours wait to get into The Mint display) prevented us from doing this. There were even 4-5 hour lineups to get into The Bay to purchase Olympic merchandise! Glad we already had ours!
Sue, Iain and Colin
Iain and I witness our second gold medal performance (Virtue and Moir our first) and Colin his first as we watch our men win gold!
Our women place fifth but have a better time than the gold medal winner from Germany. Doesn't seem fair but that is just how the event is set up.
This was our first time at the Richmond Oval and it is an absolutely awesome facility! The media camera used to film the skating is like something out of Star Wars! It moves around the oval as fast as the skaters. Unlike the other sports we have seen, the commentators explain what is going on, over the speaker system, while you are watching the event.
Jamie and Karen visit Jamie's friend Matt Theoret, from his public school days, in Brights Grove/Sarnia and Matt's fiancee Laura.
Later in the day they join Jamie's Masters' friends from the University of Windsor who are now working or doing their PhD's in BC.
Jamie and Karen decide to try and scalp tickets for the Gold Medal Curling Game, at 3 pm, using their long saved Olympic funds but tickets are scarce. Instead, they take in Kevin Martin and team's Gold Medal win on the TV at our B&B!
Norwegian skip still handsome but can't out curl 'K-Mart!'
Take note Theresa, Johnny Mo has been deemed the 'Brad Pitt' of curling this week! :-)
Switzerland defeats my 'blond Swede' to win Bronze.
Men's Hockey Bronze Medal Game - Sue, Iain and Colin
A great game with the Finns fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Slovaks 4-3, to win the Bronze
Great warm up for tomorrow's Gold Medal contest!
Take in Robson Square and the downtown crowds for one last time,in the rain, before going home. However, no ones spirits are dampened by the weather! We also visit Canada House for the first time on a rare 'no lineup' occasion.
We had hoped to visit more displays, exhibits and Olympic Buildings, while we were here, but our jammed packed Event Itinerary (we were so lucky to get the tickets we did!) and the long lineups to get into things (7 hours wait to get into The Mint display) prevented us from doing this. There were even 4-5 hour lineups to get into The Bay to purchase Olympic merchandise! Glad we already had ours!
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