FUN & GAMES AT 2010 VANCOUVER WINTER OLYMPICS

The Opening Ceremony viewed on T.V. by 3.5 billion enthusiasts was spectacular. A skier jumped through the Olympic rings, virtual killer whales appeared with steam erupting from their blow-holes and 2 Olympic flames flared in giant cauldrons both inside, at BC Place, and outside, at the waterfront International Media Centre Plaza, making us all feel proud to be Canadian.

            Alphorn players greeted us at The House of Switzerland at Bridges on Granville Island. Chef Beda Zingg provided us with cheese fondue, air-dried meat charcuterie, Lindt Chocolates and Swiss wines. The contest for the $10,000 trip to St Moritz was popular.

At the Atlantic Canada House, at both the Revue and Arts Club Theatre Granville Island Stage, there was fiddler, music and food sampling.   Place de la Francophonie on Granville Is. offers 100 performances by local and International artists.

The Belgium, Bombardier train at the entrance to Granville Is. whisks you in 6 minutes to the Canada Line Olympic Village Station for the downtown trip to the Canada’s Northern House showcasing Nunavut, the Northern Territories and Yukon exhibits, musical numbers and the chance to win a Polar Bear diamond, a gold nugget or a $5000 tapestry.

At the Saxony House in the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park, the “De Erbschleicher” live band helped folk of all ages celebrate in German style, while eating roast pork with sauerkraut and potato, fillet of trout in Riesling sauce and wild rice and Wernesgruner Pils beer.

The 2010 Aboriginal pavilion includes the Four Host First Nations of Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh and also Inuit and Métis, whose stories are beamed onto the inside of an igloo- type tent.

The lobby of the Pan Pacific is transformed into an Aboriginal village called “Kla-how-ya” meaning welcome. The 40 ft. Northern Tsimshian red cedar war canoe, Raven Song, symbolizing the meeting of many nations, is on the performers’ stage. At the gala dinner put on by the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC I tasted rattle snake (like bland chicken) and moist Wapiti elk with a cedar jelly.

            From Feb 14-27, Chef Ben Genaille and his team offer  another authentic, gourmet Aboriginal dining experience at the Longhouse in the Native Education Centre 285 E. 5^th Ave, BC’s largest Aboriginal private college. The Tzo’kam “Visitors are coming” group entertained us with social songs giving us a peek into community life. The Grandmother Song, tells us of a grandmother’s heartbreak at loosing her daughter and now having to raise her grandchild and another song describes the dip- netting of salmon.

A 7-course meal followed with 6 wines from the NK’Mip (In-Ka-Meep) Aboriginal winery. The “Hot Rock” poached spot prawn, cattail heart cream, and wild onion oil matched well with a 2008 Riesling. A salmon duo, candied and in sausages, was accompanied with Nass River seaweed bannock crackers. This seaweed, from the Metlakatla Band in Prince Rupert is drained overnight and later dried in the sun .A crisp duck glazed halibut, mushroom hazelnut ragout, potato and chives paired well with the 2007 Q2 Pinot Noir. The 2008 Q2 Riesling Ice Wine was appropriate with the cranberry bannock bread pudding and maple sap ice wine reduction.    Partial proceeds from these Aboriginal Feasts go towards the Aboriginal Culinary Team’s journey to the 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics in Europe.

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Vancouver"s 2010 Olympic celebration is shaping up to be one big celebration for those who have gotten together from throughout the world.  Someone commented after a day on the town, " Wherever I went people were smiling!"