That 'end of term' feeling

Saturday was the first day of spring according to the local free newspaper I picked up outside the station, and the weather was certainly spring-like as I journeyed to the Athletes' Village.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.