Robin & Colleen's Olympics Adventure

Day 24 – Waffles and beer

Sue — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 03:48:44 +0000

For our last adventure before heading home we decided to go to Belgium for waffles and beer. We woke up early to sunny skies and less wind than yesterday, so we hopped on the train for Antwerp. We were off by nine and after a short stop in Rotterdam to change trains, we arrived in Antwerp shortly after eleven. After disembarking from the train and heading up the stairs into the station we were welcomed by the most amazing architecture with polished marble floors, amazing arches and grand staircase. We can see why it was identified as one of the top attractions to see in Antwerp. Once we located our map for the day which turned out to be a much better one than the day before, we headed out into the streets where Sue checked out all of the windows of shop after shop of diamonds. Antwerp is where the majority of the world’s diamonds are cut, however just because they are cut there doesn’t mean that you would find any special deals.
So enough of that, now it was time to find the waffles. While wandering about trying to select the perfect waffle house we saw many interesting buildings. One building in particular which turned out to be a shopping mall was just beautiful with it’s ceiling moldings covered in gold! Finally we found a lovely restaurant down a side street which served waffles. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the historical area before heading back towards the train. Before leaving we had to check out the belgium beer at Beer Central, which had 320 types of beers. They had so many that the menu was in the form of a book, Robin and Sue indulged, while Colleen settled on wine. After we sampled a couple of choices it was time to head for the train. We arrived home around 8:30 p.m., and then it was down to the Italian Resturant for pizza before the dreaded packing.
Our flight back to Calgary was leaving at 1235 so no sleeping in the airport this time.

Day 23 – Exploring the Netherlands

Sue — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 22:35:09 +0000

After 4 hours more sleep than we have had the whole vacation we were ready to do some exploring, so it was off to the airport via the airport shuttle to catch the train to the The Hague. We got off at Den Hague Central Station and man was it windy, it was so windy there was even a chop on the canal. We stopped by the tourist information for a map and Sue found a familiar sight, it was a pelican. Apparently in the day, The Hague had a large fish market in the center of town which would attract the pelicans.
We were supposed to be following a walking tour but really enjoyed exploring the city and it’s architecture, despite the map. Actually sometimes you would see more off the beaten path than on it. We ended up in the embassy area so saw lots of other countries embassies but never found Canada’s. When we got tired of walking we would just look for the local coffee shop for cappuccino’s and pastries. Eventually we found our way back to the station, where we hopped on the next train and headed to Rotterdam.
Rotterdam is a totally different city from The Hague, as it is known for it’s modern architecture. When we arrived we headed straight to the tourist information which was located in the brain of a big head sculpture. They gave us yet another map and told us about a large market in the main square. Looking forward to the market we made a bee line to it, however when we got there is was really a large flea market! It did have a few vegetable stands as well as some great spice, nuts, olives and dried fruit stands. From there we headed to check out the modern architecture, which was located in one specific area. After wandering along the waterfront we made our way back to the train station. Once there we stopped for a taste of the local beer before heading home on the high speed train. Supper was great and so convenient- in the Brasserie at our hotel.

Day 22 – Farewell to Sochi

Sue — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 22:04:50 +0000

Hard to believe that we have been here for 16 days and that the Olympics are over. We have had such a great time in Sochi and we could not have had better travel companions than Kate, Agnes and Jess.
We had a 04:45 a.m. flight out of Sochi to Amsterdam routing through Kiev, it was going to be a long night. We had a shuttle pickup atmidnight, however like our arrival it had some challenges. After a couple of calls, the shuttle did finally arrive and we headed to the airport after a 1 1/2 hour wait outside. Nights in Sochi do cool off so we were a little cold when we arrived. Despite the number of people and all of the teams and their sports gear at the airport, it was relatively quick to get through the check in process. The next challenge was to find a seat or a space on the floor while we waited to board our plane. Our plane was only an hour late leaving and we were on a Ukraine International Airlines flight with the Ukraine athletes. Once we arrived in Kiev there was quite the fan fare as the Ukrainian Women’s Biathlon team had won a Gold Medal, the 1st Olympic Medal for Ukraine. We waited to disembark while they rolled out the red carpet for all of the athletes who exited into the cheering crowd to receive flowers and hugs all of which was recorded by the TV cameras.
In Kiev we had a 7 hour wait for the next leg of our flight. We tried to sleep but those airport seats aren’t really set up for a good sleep. The airport was busy with people coming and going, so we did get in some good people watching. You would never know this country is in crisis by being at the airport.
We arrived in Amsterdam and after a hour we were settled in our quaint hotel in Badhoevedorp which is about 2km from the airport. After a very nice meal it was off to bed by 9:30., the earliest we have been since we left home.

Day 21 – Closing day at the Olympics

Sue — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:40:45 +0000

The closing day shone “Golden” and warm. For our last day, it was an early start, we had bobsleigh tickets up on the mountain for 1:30 p.m. We headed up early in hopes of finishing a little shopping on the way up. On the train, we actually met the same young man from Siberia that we had met on the train the night before. He was a translator who spoke very good English and was very informative about everything russian. Last night he had mentioned that the Olympic Park day passes for the next day were sold out and that he didn’t have a ticket. Unfortunately, we didn’t have our passes last night so it was great to see him this morning and give him a pass that we weren’t using.
Once we arrived at Krasnaya Polyanna, we headed to the shops. We were able to complete our shopping in Olympic time then off to McDonalds for coffee which turned into lunch.
Up the gondola we went in time to find a spot along the track and start the next Olympic event – trying to capture the “Bob” under the Sochi 2014 sign! You be the judge as to how well we did. The bobsleigh event was exciting even if most of the track was covered due to the sunny warm weather. Just before the end of the event we set off to catch the train and hopefully make it back to the boat before the end of the hockey game. We made it in record time and were able to catch the last two periods of the game.
Now to the part we have been dreading for days, packing. We fly out at 04:45 a.m., and have rerouted our flight back to Amsterdam (instead of Kiev) for a couple of days.
Goodbye Sochi and thanks for wonderful time!

Day 20 – Slow start

Sue — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 19:43:19 +0000

The weather forecast for last couple of days of the Olympics is supposed to be clear and warm and this morning didn’t disappoint. We awoke to a glorious day, sunny and warm! No early start for us today so we skipped breakfast and woke up in time for lunch! After lunch, we went up to 9th floor to sit in the lounge chairs, write the blog and drink Cappuccinos, one could get used to this life style.
Around 2pm we headed out to go up the mountain to cheer on Brendan Green and the Canadian Biathlon team, and of course, to shop!
On the way up we decided to stop at Estok Sadok to check out a shopping mall which was there. Well we didn’t find the mall but instead we found a really weird RV type semi with the front wind shield wiper which goes around in a circle and we saw a large chicken (mascot) which would go up behind people and peck the top of your head.
Since we couldn’t find the mall we decided to head up to the event, only two Gondola’s and we were there. On to supper which was dusted donuts and then on to the grand stand standing area to find a area to view the event. This was the first time that we can honestly say that the seats we had bought were not great however we were going to make the best of it. The event was amazing and it came right down to the finish line to determine who were the medal winners, Brendan and the team had a challenging first round and their shooting wasn’t always the best but they finished a respectable 8th. Then Colleen and Sue kicked into the next Olympic sport – shopping. After the shopping event it was back down the mountain and on to supper early at 11:00.

Day 19 – Final day at the track

Sue — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 21:27:54 +0000

The day started out overcast but by the time we walked in to Adler for shopping the sun had made an appearance. The walk into town was lovely along the sea wall, with the flowers out and the local people out walking their children and dogs. Robin once again pasted on his happy face and endured the souvenir shops. In the end he would just go from bench to bench. Then we decided to experience the local transit by taking a local bus to the train station. We were very happy that is was a relatively short ride, as it was standing room only and hot, of course it didn’t help that we have been constantly overdressed on this vacation.
Off to Olympic park to watch the men’s gold medal curling game before attending our last short track event. While at COH, we were lucky to catch the daily celebration for the women’s gold medal hockey team with all the team in attendance complete with gold medals around their necks. After we cheered the men on to a gold medal in curling, there was a second celebration for the silver medal figure skating team event which was at the beginning of 1st week. Again, we lucked out with the whole figure skating team in attendance. We had to sneak out half way through the presentation to get over to short track. It was so great to be in the stands cheering on Charle Cournoyer to a bronze medal!
Robin’s goal for the Olympics was to get the Northwest Territories flag on TV so when Michael came out to start the relay, he held up the flag. As Michael did his warm up lap he glanced up to see Kate and Sue cheering with the NWT flag between them and we thought we caught a grin as he went by. Apparently the cameras were also pointed in our direction and it was captured on TV. After short track it was a race back to COH to get in the door before 11:00 to see the end of the semi-final men’s game in hockey.

Day 18 – Lunch with Michael

Sue — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:16:44 +0000

Weather is holding sunny and warm, today we headed out early to meet Michael for lunch and a visit at COH. Early in the morning COH was quiet so we were able to get in a great visit with Michael. After lunch we headed out to the bronze medal curling game between Great Britain and Switzerland, we were cheering for Switzerland as mentioned before our friend Ken Tranlberg is their coach. Unfortunately, the girls didn’t play to their potential and we watched Ken’s hair go greyer every end.
The rest of the day was a split day, Sue and Kate headed up to the Mountain Cluster for women’s ski halfpipe which was in the Olympics for the first time. The journey for Sue and Kate was a bit of an Olympic sport. The girls decided to get a real meal in Adler before proceeding up the hill. After an ok Italian meal the plan was to get a cab to the train station. Well, after a 1/2 hour a cab finally came and we jumped in. However, the cabbie would not take us and kicked us out of the cab, I think the cab was for someone else. Then we decided to walk to the main street and take a bus. Good in theory however, it is a long distance between the stops, so finally we got a cab to stop and pick us up. We finally arrived at the train station and headed up the hill in hopes of catching the finals. We made it with minutes to spare, the halfpipe was worth the journey up the hill. The trip back home wasn’t without a challenge with the cabs again, however a really nice Russian man negotiated a cab and fare for us to get from the train station to the boat. With the games coming to a close the cabs only want to take the passenger who are going a longer distance so they can make more money.
Colleen and Robin had tickets to the women’s gold medal curling game so back to the arena they went, grabbing a hot dog for supper before sitting down. It was a great game, not without it’s own anxious moments but after the three-ender we were able to relax. It was rather entertaining as we tried to explain the curling strategy to our Russian seat mates. They were baffled by the concept of blanking ends or throwing rocks through but they all cheered very loudly for Canada anyway. Following the curling game we went back to COH to watch the women’s gold medal hockey game and what a game that was -you could probably hear the cheering at home. There was also a lovely celebration of the women’s 2-man bobsleigh gold medalists in between the hockey periods. Then it was the usual commute back to the boat for supper at 0130am. Not sure how we are going to get back to the usual meal times.

Day 17 – Winter Olympics found

Sue — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 20:44:48 +0000

The weather gods have shone once more! We awoke to a sunny and warm day, and headed out early to make the journey up the mountain for the Team Sprints in Cross Country Skiing. The train ride has become our extra hour of sleep as some nights are a little short, especially because Colleen and Robin keep getting random phone calls in the middle of the night. After a bus ride, a train ride and two Gondolas, we arrived at the Winter Olympics! Yesterdays rain provided a much needed layer of new snow. We had heard that the Cross Country and Biathlon venue were located in a gorgeous area and they weren’t wrong. By arriving early we had time to chat with Devon Kerchaw’s mom and aunt. After wishing the team good luck we were off to find seats and get something to eat. Sue got side tracked so that she would get the Canada flag painted on her face. Colleen and Robin went off to find our seats and Sue brought lunch, Donuts. Yummmmm!
The skiing was amazing and entertaining right to the end however, we were all alittle sorry for the German skier who was taken out just before the last corner and lost the gold medal. After the event, we all tried to find our way out, Colleen and Robin went back sort of the way they came, while Kate and Sue went a totally different way and weren’t sure where they would end up. In the end it all worked out and it was a successful meeting at Austria House, where we drank beer, mulled wine and ate spaetzel. Then on to the train for a nap on the way home. Colleen, Robin and Sue headed for the boat to catch the game on TV, Kate headed to Canada house. Turns out Kate had it right, as she entered into COH someone approached her with two tickets that he couldn’t use so off to the game she went with Jess. We, on the other hand, arrived at the boat to discover that they were broadcasting the USA game. Boooo!

Day 16 – Rain go away!

Sue — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 22:11:15 +0000

Today the weather called for rain and boy was it wet when we got up. The tulips will be happy and we will be happy because the line ups will be shorter. Today is our 4th short track day, so we headed out to Olympic Park early. On the way into the park we decided to check out the Megafon house, a phone company and one of the Olympic sponsors. The line up was relatively short, however one of the reasons we were visiting the house was to get our faces in 3-D on the outside of the building. However the wait was up to 1/2 hour after you got your picture taken to it showing up on the wall outside. We decided we didn’t want to stand outside in the rain for 1/2 hour, so off to COH. When we arrived, the Snowboard Cross event which had been postponed from the day before was on the big screen. After a latte and a lounge on the couches it was off to speed skating. As you are probably already aware, it was a great day for Short Track Speedskating with a bronze medal which turned to silver for the girls relay team and two of the boys qualifying for the 500m semi which will run on Friday. After the flower ceremony at the rink we headed back out into the rain to return to COH, which was packed with athletes and former athletes. It continues to amaze me the generosity of the athletes to visit and pose for pictures. Canadians should be so proud of all our athletes past and present, they represent us well.
While at COH, Sue decided to try her passport in the Molson’s passport fridge, guess what happened!

Day 15 – Fogged out

Sue — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:55:54 +0000

By the look out of the window we have had a change in the weather. Sure enough, today’s weather is going to be a high of +12, overcast with the possibility of rain, can’t complain as it is still warmer than home. Today was a split day, Colleen and Robin had a day off of events and Sue was traveling up the mountain to see Snowboard Cross. As the Gondola from Krasnaya Polyanna ascended through the fog, Sue held out hope that they would break through to a sunny day. Nope, pea soup it was! The event was to start at 11:00 but had been postponed for an hour in hopes that the weather would improve, however without any wind it didn’t look too promising. They kept us informed every 1/2 hour and finally after 3 1/2 hours they cancelled the event. The race will be run tomorrow dependent on the weather, but we have Short Track tickets so we will have to see it another time. So back down the hill we went. Kate and Sue then decided that the consolation prize would be perogies, unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen either, so McDonalds it was.
Robin and Colleen tried to have a sleep in day but between a phone call(wrong number) and some ? boat maintenance involving hammering, it wasn’t really restful. At lunch they ran into Brian Tralnberg and he was off to women’s curling. Canada and Switzerland were both playing. Canada was into the playoffs but Switzerland whom his brother, Ken was coaching needed to win and needed some others not to do so well. Following lunch Colleen and Robin toured about Adler checking out a few shops and taking in the sights. After participating in the usual push and shove match to board the bus we were off to Olympic Park to explore the Russian Cultural exhibits. The exhibits were spectacular -the carvings, the crafts, the pictures and the entertainment. We spoke to one lady from Chutkotka to ask if she was going to be at the Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks in March but she said no, she had been to Greenland in 2002. In Yamal’s exhibit they had some information on the Arctic Winter Games as well and which years and which events they had participated. Supper was Russian ravioli from the concession stand next to Canada House where we watched the curling before heading back to the boat for a nightcap(Colleen is still trying to work through the tropical cocktails menu) and off to bed. Tomorrow we are back at Short Track Speedskating.