London 2012: Olympics Part I

I don't think Disneyland can lay claim to the "happiest place on earth" any longer. No, that title most definitely goes to the Olympics! Being at the Olympic Park and in and around various Olympic venues during the games felt like being in some kind of utopia. Everyone was so cheerful and happy, not often words associated with big city dwellers. It was infectious really. The staff and thousands of volunteers did an incredible job of welcoming the world. It couldn't have been more well-oragnised or more well executed. I give the whole operation 10's across the board.




Watching it all unfold around us in the months leading up to the Olympics was pretty amazing. Some mornings I'd wake up to thousands of new signs in the tube system, banners hanging from hundreds of street lamps, road closure warnings along miles of streets, temporary footbridges erected over projected heavy foot traffic zones, large road central reservations (medians) temporarily removed, dozens of Olympic mascot statues dotting the city over and so, so much more!




It was as if the Olympic fairies were hard at work each night as we slept. Being a witness to these preparations was nearly as amazing as actually being here during the party itself. And I now have a much better understanding of why the Olympics cost so much! So crazy to see parts of roads torn up and then rebuilt just for one event. I couldn't get over the vastness of the many details and elements that factored into creating these Olympic Games. It's astonishing to think of all the detailed work in the preparations that took place, and yet in the end it all flowed so seamlessly.




But even more than the physical manifestations of the preparations was the building excitement in the air. There was a palpable buzz pulsing through the city. It seemed as if the whole of London was inflicted with a serious case of Olympic fever. And it did something to really unify the city. We were all in this together, and people seemed a bit more friendly and a bit less like strangers.




Lining the streets for the torch relay were shopkeepers, bankers, mothers with prams, chlidren, elderly, all strangers, but for this one moment all friends. The lady next to me couldn't get her camera to work when the torch went by, and I offered to send her my snaps, because that's what friends do. We exchanged email addresses, and later emails.




I loved the adverts displayed all over the media and signage around London directed to Londoners to take part in preparing for the games. This one I saw frequently in the tube in a plea for help in cleaning up the city was one of my favourites "You know when your mum's coming round to your flat and you give the place a quick tidy? Well, our “flat” is London and our “mum” is the rest of the world coming round...come on! Make your mum proud.” London, you made us proud! Well done!
















Pink Olympic signage takes over the tube












One week








Road warning signs




One of 80 some odd Olympic mascot statues all over London
















On the way to see the torch!
















Waiting for our first torch sighting




























































Huge entourage of police, health services, cars, coaches for the torch relay
















































Nothing says Great Britain like a good old fashioned street party!
















Our first glimpse of the torch
















3 days before!




















Giant Olympic rings adorn Tower Bridge




















































Trafalgar Square the day before the Olympics start!




























Just one day!
















27 July 2012, the day of the Opening Ceremonies, we got to see the torch depart on its final leg of its journey just one block from our house!








Flame lantern




Lighting the torch before the final run up to the Olympic stadium to the Opening Ceremonies








































We had to wake up mighty early to see this!




















We live right by the Thames, and after the torch left our neighbourhood it was to make a journey by flotilla up the Thames into central London, so after we saw the torch lit and leave we dashed over the footbridge to wait for the torch flotilla to make its way through.


















Glorious morning on the Thames waiting for the torch flotilla













The parade begins!
































Out third torch sighting!




















Madeleine made a totally cool Olympic board game in honour of London 2012




























We had a fun party for the Opening Ceremonies. We decorated with American, British, Olympic and international themes, had a bunch of fun food and pizza while we watched the ceremonies live on TV.