Husband has been in the City for a couple of weeks as he is a volunteer and is driving around a Finnish Olympic official. I came over for a few days to take in some of the atmosphere and it is amazing. I've never seen the City's downtown so full of people before. It was nice to leave my island where many people were so negative about this event and to be in the City where most people I've talked to have embraced the Olympics. Everywhere you look are people dressed in red and Canada-wear. Who says that we aren't patriotic. "Go Canada!" We have even hung a Canadian flag on our balcony.

Husband got tickets to the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony and I went with a friend. It was fabulous but we were sworn to secrecy and asked not to tell anyone of the content before the final show. If you saw the Opening, I hope you were impressed.

Our apartment overlooks the entry gates for BC Place and Canada Hockey Place, so I've been watching crowds arrive and the line ups for the Opening and today for a Hockey game (Canada vs Slovacia- women's). There is security at the entrance to every venue, so line ups have become a common event. There are even line ups outside the Bay department store as people wait to enter the part of the store selling Olympic clothing.

I saw the Olympic Torch pass by about two blocks from the apartment (at the Chinatown Gate) and we went to the Torch relay ceremony to celebrate the torch's arrival to the City on Thursday night. There were thousands of people lining the route.