A Change in the Weather

Today was a day of Olympic tourism before we start three days of Olympic events. Alas, the perfect weather we have been experiencing had to come to an end.

I had talked so positively about my experience seeing and touching the Olympic medals at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion that Leena wanted to see them too. I know that the lines had grown longer since I saw the medals two weeks ago so we rose early and headed downtown on the SkyTrain arriving at the Mint at 8:30 am, a half hour before it opened.

The line was already down the block and back again. Shortly after the Mint opened, a staff member went down the line with a bull horn and told us that people where we were in line faced a four to five hour wait. Near the end of the line she said it would be eight hours. Everyone in line, Leena and I included, murmured to each other that there was no way it would take that long. We should have believed her.

It was after 1:30 pm before we finally made it into the room with the medals. Since I was there two weeks ago, they have experienced such huge crowds that they have changed the rules of the game. You are only allowed in the room for ten minutes and there are now just two sets of medals in the centre of the room to touch and hold (an Olympic set and a Paralympic set) with four sets on the sides of the room to photograph and examine under glass. A mint staffer offered to take our picture with an Olympic gold medal.

I learned today that the medals were designed by a graduate of our Alma Mater, the University of Waterloo in Waterloo Ontario. This is how the Mint described the work:

The Vancouver 2010 medals are based on two large master artworks of an orca whale (Olympic, shown left) and raven (Paralympic) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer/artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC. Canadian industrial designer and architect Omer Arbel (UW graduate), also of Vancouver, used his extensive knowledge of materials and fabrication processes to create the innovative undulating design of the medals, which are struck nine times each to achieve the distinctive look as part of the 30-step medal fabrication process. Each medal has a unique, hand-cropped section of the art, making it a one-of-a-kind treasure. A silk scarf printed with the master artwork will be presented to each medallist along with their medal, enabling them to see how their medal connects with those awarded to other athletes at the Games to make the whole design.

Once again the experience with the medals was amazing and well worth the wait.

While we were in line outside the Mint, Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada's first gold medalist from the moguls visited the Mint Pavilion. I missed him going in and he came out the door at bit later in a hurry with his entourage. I ran after him to try to get a picture and got to within 10 feet behind him. When I stopped to get a picture he looked over his shoulder and apologized that he was very late for his next appointment before he disappeared into a building and into a waiting elevator. No picture but Leena is my witness.

It started to rain while we were in the Mint but we continued with our plans for the day and took the SkyTrain and the Olympic tram to Granville Island. We heard about Canada's latest gold medal for women's ski cross while we were in line for the tram. The tram staff had a small television to watch.

We were late for lunch so we stopped in the market for something to eat. While we ate our lunch outside, a crew from Korean TV network YTN asked the fellow at the table next to us if he would record an ad for them. They coached him over and over in a simple line of Korean and gave him a flag to wave. He was a bit of a slow learner but eventually they got their take. In Korean he had been saying "I love you YTN." I wouldn't say it was Canada putting our best international foot forward.

At the Swiss House on Granville Island the Swiss were serving raclette to visitors by broiling the end of an entire round of raclette cheese then scraping the melted part onto rye bread. Mmmmm.

The Atlantic Canada Pavilion on the island was closing in half an hour for a private party (likely to watch the Canadian hockey game) so we passed on the line. Place de la Francophonie was quiet as it was an outdoor pavilion in the rain. We boarded the Aquabus off Granville Island and headed for Yaletown where we watched half the Canada/Germany hockey game before it was time for our dinner reservation.

I made a reservation at a restaurant recommended by one of my volunteer colleagues at the Venue Communications Centre at the Stadium. Her boyfriend is the pastry chef at the restaurant and he attended the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown where our son is currently enrolled. The dinner was great. We had to have dessert as we knew (of) the pastry chef. At a table near us were more ticket brokers (scalpers) from Miami and Tampa.

As the rain had died down, on the way home we headed down to the Richmond O|Zone to see the mammoth ice art. It was created before the games by artists working in a frozen storage locker. It is displayed in a refrigerated display case.

The colours are brilliant when lit up at night.

As we were leaving the O|Zone, these gentlemen passed us leaving Heineken House. Based on their dress, we think it is pretty obvious that they are Dutch. They are certainly in no danger of getting hit by a car.

REALLY early tomorrow we are off by bus to Whistler to see the women's giant slalom event then spend the balance of the day in Whistler village. Hopefully the forecast will be wrong and the rain will stay away or will fall as snow. It really doesn't matter as the day will be a blast regardless of the weather. We'll return by bus late in the evening. While we are there we'll have to catch the Canada/Russia men's hockey game and the women's bobsleigh events on TV.