And so to the airport.....

Monday morning, my final day in Vancouver, saw me heading off with my host to the Vanoc 'Sale of Assets' from both the Olympics and the Paralympics. I was going more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else, although I might have bought a volunteer's uniform if they'd had one, as it would be useful for when I give talks about my experiences. The queue had begun in the early hours of the morning apparently and the day's supply of laptops and TVs were sold out just after we arrived at 9am, which was the official opening time. Apart from these items, it was mainly furniture, tools and small 'household articles' such as toasters, etc. More supplies are added each day which is good, and I guess the variety will increase as more venues are decommissioned and closed down. This is certainly a good way of both recycling goods, thus avoiding waste, and also a good way for the organisers to recoup some of their costs.
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....