Olympic Houses

Yes, I know the 21st Olympic Winter Games ended last night but I'm just now getting around to writing about the various things I did in Vancouver to celebrate. With two weeks off from school, I spent the first few days in Vancouver but then traveled home to Philly to see John, family, and friends. From there, I went to California for a bit of warmish sun before returning to gray-skyed Vancouver.
So onto the Olympics! A number of countries have "houses" that they open to the public in the host city. These vary from temporary tents in parking lots to rented out restaurants/venues. The Irish had a large tent in the parking lot next to the Penthouse strip club. Classy, Ireland. It was essentially a large pub, serving food and drink with lots of live music. Jack and I went there one day for lunch and a beer. There was always a line but during the day it moved quickly. At night, it filled up a lot more and became more of a bar scene. I felt almost like I was in Ireland.
The Germans had two houses; one giant beer tent by Waterfront Station and a boat house up in Stanley Park (this was the German Saxon house). I didn't go into either; the beer tent had massive lines, some people waited up to 4 hours to go in. Fortunately, the Germans started serving beer to those waiting to keep them settled.
Russia rented out Science World because as hosts of the 2014 Games, they wanted to put on a good show. There was a long line to get in there but I went on a nice day so it wasn't so bad. And it moved fairly quickly. They had some interactive games and complimentary soda. Mostly it was a big thing for their corporate sponsors but I did appreciate sitting in their swanky lounge like place and drinking my soda. They also had a model of Sochi and all the Olympic venues which was cool. I probably didn't learn as much about Russian culture as they wanted me to but I did see lots of Russians.
The Canadian provinces all had their own houses too. I only popped in briefly to Ontario to watch some events there. But I am told they all served beer. Typical. I think the Canadian houses are going to remain open for the Paralympics so I might get a chance to see a few more of those.
The U.S. didn't have a place open to the public. Also typical.
The Swiss rented out Bridges restaurant on Granville Island. I intended to go there but spent so much time waiting in lines for various other things that I didn't get a chance. I would've liked some samples of chocolate and cheese though.
And of course, there was the Molson Canadian Hockey House. It cost $100 for a one day pass which I did not pay. It was essentially a place for hockey fans to drink, watch games, and get a chance to meet the players. The Canadian men's team went straight there after their victory (I think they had a contract and were forced to) last night which is why they were noticeably absent from the Closing Ceremonies.

I would have pictures to show you but in my travels I seem to have misplaced my camera cord. Hopefully it is actually somewhere in my apartment otherwise you'll have to wait a lot longer for the rest of the pictures. I'll write more about other Olympic things over the next week. I have to balance this with schoolwork now. Boo.