2012 London Olympics v 2004 Athens Olympics

I know that the Olympics are well underway but I wanted to share the following that I had posted on Facebook in an attempt to get people enthusiastic about the forthcoming Olympic Adventure - I certainly got some nice comments, especially from people who had been at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and remembered nostalgically those magically days when everyone was smiling!

" Moments to go before the London Olympics and still some people who are rather indifferent to this great event. There was a touch of ambivalence here in Athens before our Olympics in 2004 – oh, I’m leaving town, not interested, too much inconvenience etc., etc. And then, once it had started and everything was going perfectly (in spite of all the doubting Thomas’s) Olympic Fever took over, everyone was smiling, observing the Olympic road lanes, using public transport, totally, but totally, committed to making it the greatest especially being in the home of the Olympics. And it WILL be great in London (maybe not as great as Athens, but there you are!) and everyone will have a great time and they may even go into the complete depression that everyone suffered from at the end of the Paras and everyone had gone home – we all felt so flat after the excitement. So, Londoners, Brits, enjoy this wonderful event and spread Peace and Goodwill during these unique and special days!"

Ancient Olympia in the Spring

Panhellenic Stadium (Kali Marmaro) home of the first of the Modern Olympics in 1896

Thoughts on the Opening Ceremony:
Having been privileged to experience the Athens Opening and Closing Ceremonies first hand I know that 'you have to be there!' - there is so much going on in the the huge stadium - look there, over there, watch that etc! Seeing it on TV is fine but you only see what the producers allow you to see through their cameras. Seeing such a show on the minute screen of my very trusty IPad is something else again, especially as the signal kept going off! However (my choice not to have a television on the island) I thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular show, loved (for once in my life) Mr Bean who was brilliant, so many memories of my childhood and all the things that make up a very Great Britain. The Queen, well, what can I say, a STAR, as always, God Bless her!

I have been trying to imagine the meeting Danny Boyle had with HM the Queen when he outlined his idea of parachuting her into the Opening Ceremony:

“Do you mean, Mr Boyle, that I should go off with a Spy of dubious repute, in a helicopter, zoom over London and then jump out of the helicopter with this 007 person over the Olympic Stadium with a Union Flag parachute in time to declare the Games open?”

“well, Ma’am, that’s the general idea”

“will I have time to straighten my hair as it will probably be blown around on the way down?”

“definitely, Ma’am”

“All right then, Mr Boyle, it sounds like fun – my grandchildren will be so proud of their Super-Gran”.

“Thank you, Ma’am, I will keep you ‘in the loop’!

“ Goodbye Mr Boyle – oh, and by the way, this spy, can he manage a parachute or will I need to help him?”

Photo captured in my IPad from the BBC coverage of the 2012 London Opening Ceremony

There is, of course, no other news but the Olympics at the moment - maybe it's a throw back to the original ethic of Peace during the Games when everyone laid down their arms for the duration..... except that, so sadly, awful things are still happening - do let's try to stop the horror. And if you ask what can one person do remember the effect of one mosquito in your bedroom at night! (not my quote, someone much wiser - probably HH the Dalai Lama - now there's a force for good!)

Wishing you, as always, Sunshine and Peace during the Games and after, whatever the weather.

What with Facebook and Instagram and the Blog I forgot to mention my very own participation in the start of the 2012 London Olympics!

At 08.12 when ALL THE BELLS rang out from Big Ben to the Hebrides to Cornwall and Antarctica, I rang my little bell on the remote Cycladic island of Serifos - so I was part of the living sculpture devised by Martin Creed to welcome in the Olympics!