Loved it, Miss it but glad to have my city back!

What do I miss?

• The roving packs of national teams exploring the downtown core; hundreds foreign accents always within an earshot or two, and media cameras always positioned to catch the latest street colour.


• The innovative broadcast venues such as NBC atop Grouse Mountain, the Swiss on Granville Island and the Russians in Science World (a local radio station enabled nations to broadcast in mother tongue to local immigrants – Cool because it reflects Vancouver’s remarkable ethnic diversity.


• The pedestrian-only streets; I can only hope that city-forefathers will take heed and at least try to recreate the sculptural and busker entertainment zones for periods in the summer.


• The nightly firework and pulsating laser light shows.


• The unparalleled camaraderie between visitors, everyone who sported anything red and/or white, the palpable buzz which in truth NEVER let up so there’s something to be enjoyed about claiming the city back!

And a concluding comment:
The British Press started off in a snipey mood (most notably The Guardian newspaper), but grew somewhat more conciliatory over the two week period. Well, it’ was good politics since they’re next in the firing line.

Having just returned from London I have a comparison to where Vancouver was two years out.

Vancouver is a much smaller city but it’s all relative, and I don’t envy London's already crowded metropolis trying to host a games three times the size, three times the headaches and many more times that in terms of accessibility to tourists and terrorists.

Londoners are bemoaning the expense (being somewhat nearer the financial brink than Canada), as well as the unnecessary location of certain events such as moving horse jumping to Greenwich Park when there are spectacular facilities at Windsor and other near-to-London communities.

At least Vancouver held a plebiscite and could wave a ‘yes’ flag in front of the naysayers. I’m not sure Londoners would give the same support. But we’ll see.