A well deserved 2 -2 tie with Sweden and the runes are cast again. Now we are sent back to Coventry where, after intense calculations, we find we will play the host Team GB.

The hotel in Coventry is booked, so we have the day to go sightseeing some more. Breakfast in Newcastle, where we still find it strange to see men and women drinking in bars at 11:00 am. Are they working, going to work or finished work? We found a great art gallery with an Olympics display.

Down the M1 to Fountains Abbey near Ripon, where in my youth, I spent many hours in military exercises on the moors. Fountains Abbey is a spectacular set of ruins and gardens and kept our attention for several hours. Thomas Cromwell and Henry 8 did a number on the religious houses of England. They did need money for the royal coffers I suppose; they did need to build Trinity College.

From Yorkshire it was down to Castleton in Derbyshire and a heavy traffic traverse of Sheffield. We missed the chance to walk to the castle itself, as we arrived too late, so instead took a 2 hour hike in the Peak district to a Fell overlooking the castle. It was a good work out and the scenery was superb.

Back into our trusty  Peugeot- we have the packing down to a fine art. Off to the City of Coventry.

POSTCARD 10: MATCH V TEAM GB & KENILWORTH 3rd August 2012

We had an early start and then it was off to Kenilworth to visit the Canadian team hotel, and pick up our tickets which our COC benefactors have managed to arrange once again. Security is lighter now that only two teams are in the hotel.

Clutching our South stand tickets we wend our way to Kenilworth, another ruins. This time though, Cromwell and Henry are not to blame. The castle dates back to Norman times, was home to Robert Dudley, Elizabeth's friend, was used by Charles 1 in the Civil War and was finally destroyed by the Parliamentarians to prevent it being used against them. The attached gardens are magnificent.

After lunch we drove to our Premier Inn parking sport in north Coventry, then walked 15 minutes to the stadium. To say we were outnumbered would be an understatement. The British crowds are out in force and fully expect to win handily. The team GB won its Pool and has yet to concede a goal. All was not lost though: The Welsh will be cheering for Canada. We met Glyn Griffiths and his wife, who explained that he writes freelance /part time as a football writer for a Welsh language BBC (Radio Cymru) blog on football. He is delighted that Rhian has some Welsh roots (and no Welsh women were selected for the team GB squad.  

Next came a reporter for a UK soccer maagazine (www.shekicks.net) who was not happy when I explained that Canada was quietly confident and that Team GB seemed to think they had already won the game. Jill and I took our seats in the South stand with the Mathesons, the MacLeods and the rest of the Canadian friends and family contingent. We did an heroic job in singing the National anthem, but we were drowned out by 28, 000 Brits singing "God Save the Queen." It was strangely moving.

Wit the match won, we had a chance to see Rhian at pitch side and say our goodbyes. The team has played superbly and they know they have a good chance to beat the USA on Monday.

We drove to London, arriving at our hotel at 02:00am and fell asleep quickly. The last day of our holiday and we took the car back to Avis, caught the Hotel Hoppa bus to LHR and thence the Tube to London. Some people have apparently been complaining that London (the World's most visited city) is suffering a shortage of tourists and income as visitors are avoiding the city because of the Games. This was not our impression.

The City was packed with every nationality known to man. We fought our way to Canada Olympic House (the Embassy on Trafalgar Square)

and as we waited in line, bumped into Alex and Sonya MacFarlane from Streetsville and a fellow Rugby coach.

Then, as we entered, we met Marg McGregor whom I know from the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and Jill knows from CAAWS and CIS. The world is becoming smaller for Canadians. We lunched with Gordon Campbell, and enjoyed a few hours watching events and stocking up with Olympic pins. A short period of sightseeing and gelato eating, and then we returned to the airport and our hotel.

We met the Mathesons for dinner and said our goodbyes, before an ealy 0530 wake up and return flight to Toronto. The time has flown and Rhian and the team continue their progress.