Curling in the desert

In the Patch -- the Orleans Ballroom.

Much was said over the last few weeks about curling making its debut in Las Vegas. So I'll say a bit more in this blog to complete this story -- a story that almost writes itself with all the tempting clichés about curling taking a gamble on Vegas or being a hit in Sin City.

My first impressions of the Continental Cup of Curling in Vegas were documented in a blogpost in the Curling News and in a story I wrote for the Canadian Press that was picked up by many Canadian news outlets.

Escorting curlers onto the ice - Vegas style.

While in the Orleans Arena, the actual on-ice activity was much like other curling events I’ve been to in Canada (Continental Cup, Brier, Scotties and Olympic trials).  About 80 percent of the fans in the stands in Vegas were Canadians who were escaping the winter weather. But, when curlers are escorted onto the ice by showgirls in sequins, cast members from Thunder from Down Under and Marilyn and Elvis impersonators, you know you’re not in Canada, anymore!  And the noisy crowd almost matched what we heard at the curling venue at the Vancouver Games.

When we left the arena and walked through the brightly-lit casino to the shuttle bus stop and waited for the bus in the desert sunshine surrounded by palm trees, we certainly enjoyed this new twist on a winter bonspiel.
 

 Skips such as Niklas Edin were pleased to pose with curling fans .

Curling officials said they're pleased with the success of the event -- with an attendance of more than 50,000 over the four days.  And it looks like the event will be back to Vegas in a few years.

The skips I talked to support a return to Vegas.


Canada’s Brad Jacobs said the crowds, with some 4,000 fans in the stands for many of the draws, were “phenomenal,” adding that “with all of those people (from Canada) travelling here, it’s really made this event a huge success.”

The view from the media bench.

Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud, the silver medallist from Vancouver 2010, said he’s been lucky enough to play in other Continental Cups, “but never played in front of a bigger crowd than this. That’s what the Cup needed, a move to Vegas.”


And 2013 World Champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland said being in Vegas “was unbelievable, I will be back.”

In the meantime, curling fans have a lot to look forward to in the next few months: Canadian national championships and of course the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

The US Olympic Committee promoted the Sochi Games outside the Orleans Arena. Look for scenes of palm trees in Sochi during the Winter Games next month!



The WFG Continental Cup in Las Vegas.

 

Montréal en hiver

Instead of heading back to the West Coast for the holidays, I decided to venture east to Montreal to experience that city in the winter.

The Montreal skyline - view from the Port of Montreal.

 

The trip on Via Rail made for some snowy train stop vistas along the Toronto-Montreal corridor.

The Queen Elizabeth on Boul. Rene Levesque on the right.

My home for three nights in Montreal was the Fairmont La Reine Elizabeth Hotel.  Located above the central train station and built in 1958, the hotel is billed as the largest hotel east of Toronto and is famous for hosting heads of state at Expo 67 and being the host hotel for the International Olympic Committee for the 1976 Olympic Games.  And it’s the place where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged a "bed-in" in 1969.  OK, these are some trivial facts, but all contribute to the history of the hotel.

 



The owner of Beautys:  Hymie Sckolnick.

 

Of course, the focus of any trip is experiencing local food.  A lunch stop was at a luncheonette called Beautys. It has been serving meals since 1942 in the heart of Montreal’s Jewish garment district. There's plenty of atmosphere. I had the Special - a bagel sandwich made with lox, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes and onion.

 

A trip to Montreal is not complete without smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. Waiting in line (left) with the tourists for a sandwich à la viande fumée lunch (right) at Schwartz's Deli.

  A colleague recommended a “Montreal Special” at the Montreal Pool Room.  The street location isn’t great, but the meal inside, poutine and two “steamies” hot dogs, was tasty.

 

My search for decent mandarin oranges here in parts east continued with a stop at the Jean Talon Public Market. Again, as in Toronto, I found clementines. At least the oranges were sweet and easy-to-peel.

The most local food was a traditional holiday meal at the home of my Quebec friends Ginette and Yvon, They welcomed me to a family celebration – complete with jambon (ham) and Tourtière (French Canadian meat pie).

Bonne année!



The Montreal skyline from Mont Royal.