Vancouver Olympics

February 27-28, 2010
AC103 YYZ-YVR, AC 2156 YVR-YYZ

The Winter Olympics were in Vancouver for 2010, and although I had thought about going, I had decided that it was just too difficult and expensive to get accommodations and flights so decided to skip it.  However, after we got back from Paris, I was starting to feel the hype and regretting my decision.  Some quick research found out that there were some reasonable flights out the final Saturday of the Games, and that we could practically have the whole day there and fly back on the red eye home without the need of a hotel room.  We arrived shortly after 9:00am, departed shortly after midnight and enjoyed every minute of it.  Although we didn't have tickets to anything, Canada won three gold medals that day and the city was electric.  I also got to shake hands with some Olympians and touched a gold medal.  Having more time would have been great, but I definitely don't regret going one bit.   

February 27
We fly out on the 7:00 am flight and arrive in Vancouver at 9:00 am 

We took the Skytrain and Bombardier demonstration train to Granville island

Fountain in front of the Art Gallery

Olympic countdown clock reset for Paralympic Games, also in front of the Art Gallery  

Gold medal short track speed skating team on stage at Robson Square

Exterior Olympic cauldron outside the broadcast centre from the viewing platform

Crowds gathering to peek through the fence to see the cauldron

GM Place temporarily renamed to Canada Hockey Place to honor Olympic naming rules

Athletes’ Village along False Creek

Crowds building inukshuk along False Creek

Countdown clock to next Winter Olympics in Sochi, outside Russia House

Closeup of the temporary art

Crowds celebrating the men’s curling gold medal on car free Robson St.

After dinner we get a final look at the cauldron

February 28
Flight is delayed past midnight, but we’re back home in Toronto by 8:00 am