Hockey Gold

When Vancouver was awarded the 2010 winter Olympics, the most important event to snag tickets to was the men’s hockey gold medal game. Everyone in Canada wanted that ticket: hockey gold was the only thing that mattered. Canada had recently won its first men’s Olympic gold in 2002 in fifty years but to win on home soil would be a great accomplishment. During planning my Vancouver Olympic adventure, the hockey gold medal game was on my mind. I set up three accounts for me, mom and dad. I submitted my main request on my account and the two gold medal games for the men and women on my parent’s account. I was hoping to hit one.

Olympic Flame, Vancouver 2010

Getting Tickets for Hockey Gold

Ticket demand was so high for the Vancouver Olympics, a lottery was held for 120 of 170 events.

There was 140,000 requests alone for the men’s hockey gold medal game out of a possible of 4000 tickets in an arena that had about 13,000 tickets available. The rest went to the media or sponsors.

During the initial ticket request, you submitted your request plus an alternate for that day/time. I submitted about $7500 in my original ticket request. I ended up with only 10% of my original request. I did not know how many other opportunities there would be to buy tickets. For my most recent trip to the Sochi Olympics, I posted my tips for planning an Olympic spectator trip and how to get tickets.

During my original request, I was lucky enough that my mom won the lottery and received a ticket for the men’s hockey gold medal game.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics – Gold for Men’s Hockey

During the next year, I was able to get tickets to the women’s hockey gold medal game to go with the men’s game. Leading up the Olympics, I was unsure if I would sell the ticket or gamble and hope Canada would make the final. I could probably have sold it for $5000 or more but I decided to hang in and wait. I could always sell during the games if Canada faltered.

Canada had a slow start at the Olympics, worrying the whole country. The media were particularly wrapped up in the “Canada has never won a gold medal on home soil” narrative while the rest of the country was not; we wanted medals but didn’t care that gold had never happened in 1988 Calgary nor 1976 Montreal. We knew it would happen. In the end, Canada would finish first on the medal count: gold medal count is the one that matters according to the IOC and most countries (except the US of course); Canada broke the record of total gold medals with 14 (Russia failed to break that number in Sochi).

I arrived in Vancouver during the second week. After attending a few events, I had grabbed a last-minute ticket to the men’s quarterfinal hockey game. Canada had a rough round-robin and had to beat a qualifier to make that game but I was pretty sure they’d take out the pesky Germans, which they did. They would face the Russians in the quarters, a match that should have been the final. The Russians are our hockey nemesis; sorry America, you are not. I wanted to beat Russia for gold!

Going for Hockey Gold: Canada vs Russia in Vancouver 2010

Canada came out like a team on a mission against the Russians. It was complete domination; surprising considering the Russian lineup but Canada had just as much firepower and came out on top 7-3.

Canada played Slovakia in the semi-final. I did not get a ticket to that game (I had one for the other semi-final but sold it). I figured Canada would domination Slovakia easily and I’d be waiting for them in the gold medal game. Yeah that game was too close for comfort and Canada squeaked out a 3-2 victory. I made it back to my hotel to watch the end of the game as I was watching Canada choke in the women’s curling gold medal game.

My patience had FINALLY paid off: I would be attending the gold medal hockey game as Canada went for gold against the USA. USA had ridden their hot goalie Ryan Miller into the gold medal game, shocking pretty much everyone who didn’t think they stood a chance. Hot goaltending can shake up predictions!

Canada vs USA – Hockey Gold

I had the men’s hockey gold ticket for over a year. I resisted the urge to sell. I had planned to attend the game all along; I knew Canada had to make it. It was the only option. Of course, I would have sold the ticket in a heartbeat if Canada had succumb earlier but my persistence paid off. I had the hottest ticket in the land and soon, I would watch one of the most exciting hockey gold medal games , ever! It would be one of the most important hockey victories in Canadian history: I still place it behind Paul Henderson’s sweet goal against the Soviets in 1972 Summit Series but winning hockey gold on home soil is a pretty damn close second. I wasn’t even alive during the Summit Series and I still place that as number one!

I was in the lower bowl, behind the American net and near the suites. Mmm hey is that Vince Vaughn? Get your tissues ready Vince, you will need them soon!! I was sitting beside an American couple who were great. We had a great time watching the game together. They owned some football team (NFL) and I can’t remember which one. But great people though….

Vince Vaughn in Vancouver watching hockey gold.

It was a tight game: Canada scored first and then second. It was a nice 2-0 lead midway through the second. But the US got on the board before the second period was over. The third period was nerve-wracking and of course, the Americans tied up the game with seconds to go. Overtime was needed and hopefully it would result in a victory. NO ONE wanted this to go to a shootout; North America hates international hockey rules like this. Let them play it out.

Canada has bad memories of shootouts: see 1994 gold medal game and 1998 semi-final. International hockey allows for a shootout after so many minutes of overtime. In North America, there is no way we’d allow a Stanley Cup final (or any game in the playoffs) determined by a shootout. Hopefully it would not come to that in Vancouver.

Canadian men celebrate Olympic hockey Gold, Vancouver 2010

Of course it did not. From the drop of the puck in overtime, Canada turned it up and dominated. I had NO DOUBT they would score, and score they did seven minutes into overtime. Jarome Iginla passed to the best hockey player in the world, SIDNEY CROSBY and he put it home.

I cannot describe the utter joy of that moment: Canada winning on home soil. Hockey gold and I had held onto that ticket for over a year. I had planned this trip for seven years with this moment in mind the whole time and Canada was victorious!!

Crosby receiving hockey gold in Vancouver 2010

Over two-thirds of the country was watching and I was there in person. The country completely freaked out and I love it. There was a time that Canada was not an Olympic favourite in any sport: we didn’t hit double digits in the 1980s nor win very many gold medals. Each Olympics saw an improvement in medal totals: 0 gold in Calgary; 2 in Albertville; 6 in Nagano; 7 in Turin; 14 in Vancouver.  Total medals keep rising each year: from 5 in Calgary to 26 in Vancouver.

I think we like hockey: check out Canada’s reactions to hockey gold!!

Hockey is our favourite sport and winning on home soil meant the world to every single Canadian. Of course, winning on Russian soil was pretty great as well. Too bad the Russians didn’t show up in Sochi. 🙂

What is your favourite Olympic sport?

I have been a spectator at the last three Olympic games but nothing can top attending your home Olympics. When Vancouver was bidding to host the 2010 Olympics games, I had decided I would do anything to attend the games if they won. Happily, their bid won the games and I started planning my first Olympic adventure: the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games.

Bidding Process: 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games

The final candidates: Vancouver, Canada; Pyeongchang, South Korea; and Salzburg, Austria. Voting was held on July 2, 2003 and would be a very close race. I was living in Winnipeg, Manitoba and watching the vote live. I thought it was a race between Salzburg and Vancouver. They had the two best bids but you know these bids can get quite political. The best candidate/bid does not always win (see Toronto for 2012 summer games) and this was not long after the Salt Lake bribery scandal.

Olympic Rings, Vancouver 2010

Voting for the 2010 Olympic games included two rounds of voting. Salzburg was eliminated after the first round (my head almost exploded) and Vancouver finished second to Pyeongchang with 40 votes to their 51 votes. Vancouver cleaned up in the second round of voting and won by a vote of 56 to 53. What a close race!! The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games would be a great experience and after waiting for seven years, it was worth all the time I put into planning this trip.

I ended up moving to Edmonton, not long after Vancouver won their bid, for graduate school. I had a chance to move to Vancouver or Toronto but I chose Edmonton instead. I then spent the next seven years planning my Olympic trip. Since there was such a demand for tickets, a lottery would be assigned to the most in demand tickets (hello hockey) and I spent the next few months hoping for a win. I had submitted a ticket request for the entire Olympics but was not allocated my entire request; only receiving 10% of my original request. Thankfully there would be more opportunities to purchase tickets as more were released several times and they put up a reselling website.

Neil Young at the Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremony

Planning the Vancouver Olympic Games Trip

I posted about planning your Olympic spectator trip adventure for Sochi, Russia 2014 trip of my dreams which include the Men’s Figure Skating Sochi 2014 recently but used many of those tips for this trip as well. I had waited five years to submit my Olympic ticket request. I had just returned from Germany (Berlin travel tips) in October 2008 (including visiting Heidelberg, top travel tips) and was thankful the deadline had been pushed back a few weeks. I submitted by request and waited a few months to hear back. I also created accounts for my mom and dad (in case they wanted to go) and to give me a few more chances at the men’s hockey gold medal game.

I remember being at work and wondering what tickets I had been allocated. They charged the credit card before the emails were sent so I had no idea what tickets I received. I phoned my mom and she checked her card and a certain amount had been charged: I knew right at that moment it was my men’s hockey gold medal game. What a thrilling moment!!

I booked my hotel nine months before the Olympics and my airplane ticket about six months before the event. Vancouver had lots of hotels so that was not an issue as it was in Sochi.

Canadian men celebrate Olympic hockey Gold, Vancouver 2010

Now I had to wait a year and a half until the Olympics, hoping that Canada would make the finals. Thankfully they did and I was rewarded for holding onto that gold medal ticket for over a year and a half. I also had tickets for the women’s gold medal hockey game as well as both curling gold medal games. Canada went three for four in the gold medal games. For the next few weeks, I will post about all the events I attended in Vancouver.

Have you attended the Olympics?

Top 3 Things to Do in Heidelberg

There are many things to do in Heidelberg, a quaint city in western Germany near the Neckar River which dates back to the 12th century. In the 12th century, Konrad of Hohenstaufen became Count Palatine of the Rhine and took possession of the oldest castle and settlement from the Bishop of Worms, establishing the Palatinate line. Heidelberg was devastated during the Thirty Years’ War in the mid-17th century and later by the French in the later part of the century.

Heidelberg Castle – Statue of Goethe

Martin Luther was received in Heidelberg not long after he posted his 95 Theses; he defended those theses in Heidelberg. The Holy Alliance between the King of Prussia, Emperor of Austria and Tsar of Russia was formed here in 1815. Heidelberg has a fascinating history as does most of Germany. It was lucky to escape bombing during World War Two and is therefore quite well-preserved.

I visited Germany back in 2008: it was my first SOLO trip and I had such a great time. I toured around Germany (Berlin top travel tips) for over three weeks (including Eagle’s Nest, Germany) and simply fell in love with the country (Oktoberfest tips). Heidelberg is a great city to visit and I enjoyed two lovely days in this lovely city.

View from Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle is really the top on the list of things to do in Heidelberg. It was constructed in the 13th century and is in the gothic and renaissance style; partially destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War and the Palatine War of Succession in the 17th century plus a lightning strike in the mid-18th century. Eventually all attempts to restore the castle were abandoned. The castle was later used as a quarry and stones were removed to build other houses in Heidelberg. Attempts at preservation occurred in the 19th century.

Heidelberg Castle, Germany

The wine cellar in the Heidelberg Castle holds the largest barrel in the world (over 55,000 gallons of wine).

It is a STEEP hike to Heidelberg Castle as it sits atop a hill. You can take bus line 33 to the top or Bergbahn (funicaular rail) instead or go for a hike.

Palace interior may only be seen on a guided tour. The time differs per season so check their website for more info. The castle/gardens are open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily. Palace entry is not expensive: 6 euros for adults plus an additional 4 euros for a guided tour.  You can also check out the Deutsches Apotheken Museum (German pharmacy museum) which is located inside the Castle.

Old Bridge

The Alte Brücke is a stone bridge was built in the 18th century after the original was destroyed by fire (it was made of wood which dated back to the Middle Ages). The medieval gate still exists. You can view the Castle from the bridge and enter the Old Town through the gate. The market square is a wonderful place for souvenirs or shopping as well.

Heidelberg Bridge, Germany

University of Heidelberg and Old Town (Altstadt)

The university is the oldest in Germany; founded by Rupert I and chartered by Pope Urban VI in 1386. It is known as a university city with over 28,000 students in a city with a population of round 150,000.  Old Town is a great area for shopping, visiting the university or museums (the student prison in particularly interesting), and not far from the Castle.

University of Heidelberg Library via Wikipedia

 Tips for Visiting Heidelberg

• Two nights in Heidelberg is plenty of time to see the city
• Consider visiting in the fall. I visited in October and enjoyed the cooler weather, fewer tourists, and beautiful fall colours
• Heidelberg is a very walkable city; wear some good shoes and you can walk for hours or hop on the trams/buses
• The Heidelberg Card will save you money – it covers the Castle, 12 museums, public transportation, walking tour, and a city guide. Price starts at 10 euros and can be bought at main train station or transport machines around the city
• Give yourself at least three hours or half a day for the Heidelberg Castle – you will need that much time (maybe more) to tour the inside, the gardens, the pharmacy museum, and the grounds. If you are walking to and from the Castle, add another hour to that
• Take a stroll down the river banks particularly during the summer months; great place for a picnic
• Stay in a hotel near the Old Town. I stayed way too far away and it would have been nice to walk around the Old Town in the evening after a day of sightseeing

Berlin Travel Tips

Berlin is well-known for its nightlife but you cannot discount the culture and history of the city. It is a fascinating city that was separated by a WALL for four decades; a city that was a part of two different countries. It is a very unique city: west and east that have come together to be one. However, the city’s history goes beyond the past century. It dates back to 13th century and it was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia for three centuries before becoming the capital of the unified German Empire in 1871 and would once again become the capital of a unified German state after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990.

When To Go?

If you do not mind a bit of cooler weather, I would recommend spring or fall. There are fewer tourists which makes a big difference. I went in the fall: the colours are beautiful. The weather is a bit cooler (15 degrees Celsius maybe) but you’re walking around the city so you warm up quickly. But you really can’t go at a wrong time; the city is buzzing all year round!

Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany

Where to Stay?

Berlin is a fairly large city so be careful about where you stay. I was using airmiles so I wasn’t particularly picky about where I was staying but I realized later that it was not the best area. Decide on your price and pick a neighborhood or location where you will spend a lot of time: maybe Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg? Just try to stay a metro stop: that is always my number one consideration. Berlin has MANY hotels so you should be able to find one for a very good price or really cheap if you stay at a hostel.

What to See?

There are too many places to list but I will mention my favourites!

1. Museum Island – there is a small “island” in Berlin that is the home to Berlin’s state museums. These are just a small list of museums in all of Berlin but they are my favourite. You can also visit Berliner Dom while on the island; it is not far from the museums and is free to visit. My top choices are:

Neues Museum is where the Bust of Nefertiti is located along with the rest of the Egyptian museum and papyrus collection. The museum collection also contains a Neanderthal skull and Heinrich Schliemann’s Trojan finds. This is a spectacular museum and one of my all-time favourites.

Nefertiti, Neues Museum, Berlin

Altes Museum which houses the antique collections (divided with the Pergamon Museum) such as a large Greek collection including the treasury.

Pergamon Museum which contains more antiquities such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate of Miletus from what is now Turkey. It also contains sculptures and art from the ancient world such as Hellenistic, Greek and Roman.

2. Checkpoint Charlie (and the museum) – the checkpoint may not be operational anymore but some of the signs still exist plus there is a museum with lots of photos and stories about escapes.

3. Schloss Charlottenburg – I was lucky enough to attend a classical concert at this palace where the musicians were even dressed in 17-18th century garb. The music was of course W.A. Mozart (there can be no other) and J.S. Bach. This used to be the summer residence of the Prussian kings and it is lovely.

4. Reichstag – one cannot visit Berlin and not stop by the German Parliament. You can book free tours or visit the dome at the top. You may need to book in advance as they allow only a small number of people into the building each day.

Reichstag, Berlin

5. Brandenberger Tor – a short walk from the Reichstag is the Brandenburg Gate. You walk down a lovely park area with trees on both sides to get to the Gate. Once again, the colours are very vibrant in the fall. The Gate was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia in the late 18th century as a sign of peace. It was right beside the old Berlin Wall and is now part of a cobblestone pedestrian area.

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

How to Save Money?

First, get the Berlin Welcome Card. This is a favourite of my Berlin travel tips! You can save a lot of money on museums, transportation, maps, etc depending on the card you select. If you plan to visit museum island, there is a card that covers it (one example: three day pass for 38.50 euros which covers museum island, reductions of 25-50% to more than 200 tourist and cultural sites, free transportation depending on the zone you select which may include the airport, city map and guide plus shipping to your home before you travel to Berlin).

Second, if you don’t get the welcome card, get the Berlin Museum Pass instead which covers many museums in the city for 24 euros for three days. It covers 50 museums in the city including Museum Island, the Jewish Museum and the New National Gallery. You can get the pass at the Berlin Tourist Info or all participating museums.

Third, sign up for a bike tour or straight out rent your own. It is a cheap way to tour around the city. There are several to choose from so just google it and go from there.

Marsha enjoying Augustiner

Fourth, street food is good and delicious plus also very economical. There is a good variety and you will save some moolah! Look for “Imbiss” food stands: good Turkish food. And try the currywurst – Berliners are known for it. And it is delish! There is even a currywurst museum near Checkpoint Charlie (no, I did not visit)! And of course, BEER!!!!!

Fifth, visit the parks especially Tiergarten. It is near the Brandenburg Gate and is a lovely place to rest, have a picnic or to enjoy the scenery!

Sixth, the Topography of Terror is a free outdoor museum. Over a million people visit each year and is located on former grounds of the SS and Gestapo. This outdoor museum is open daily 10 am to 8 pm.

Lastly (thanks Tamason), try the free walking tours. I usually join one and they provide a good overview of the city and provide some history as well.

Getting Around

Berlin is a very easy city to navigate. The transportation system is excellent plus there are many areas you can walk. Bus 100 passes most of the top touristy sites. Or rent a bike to travel around the city as I mentioned above. You can use the trains (U-Bahn or S-Bahn) as not everything in Berlin is nearby nor on the bus route. The trains are easy to use.

Berliner Dom

The Language

Berlin, along with most of Germany, are fairly well versed in English. They may even speak better than English than you. You probably don’t need to learn German BUT I am a fan of learning the language of the country you are visiting. If you do not wish nor have the time to learn German, at least learn a few key phrases. The locals will appreciate it and will respond in English to you. I spend six months learning German and rarely needed to use it. A good rule: Germans under 40 will likely speak English but those over 40 may not. I encountered many older Germans who did not know one word of English.

Where to Spend Your Saved Money?

Kurfürstendamm (Ku’damm for short) is the shopping district where you can spend, spend, spend until you are broke. You can also find the KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) – it’s a massive shopping mall.  Or visit Mauerpark on the weekend for the flea markets! These are all great places to shop and top of my Berlin travel tips!

What About the Nightlife?

Berlin is a jumping city. Go and explore at night. When I was there, I met some people and we hopped into a cab and asked him to take us to a nightclub. We hit up a few that night and for some reason I cannot remember the names of the clubs. Was it the beer? 🙂 But go and have fun. It is a nightclub paradise. Ask the locals where to go or your hotel/hostel. They should know the places to be.

Have fun in Berlin! Have you gone yet?

You might also be interested in:

Top 3 Things to do in Heidelberg

Oktoberfest Tips

Eagle’s Nest, Germany

My Favourite Travel Food – Sauerbraten