So the Olympics are upon us, and have been for the last week and a half. When we've had the time, it's been great to go to central London to experience the Olympics firsthand. I missed out on the Salt Lake Olympics back in 2002, as I was serving my mission in France at the time, so this has been especially fun for me.
On Saturday, July 28th, the festivities kicked off in London with the men's cycling road race. I've always loved cycling (and still hope at some point to see the Tour de France) so we made an effort to see the event unfold live. Fortunately, the race went through a neighborhood called Putney that morning that is close to where we live. We arrived just in time to line up with the crowds and watch the peleton blow past us.
In the afternoon, we visited Hyde Park and mingled with a few thousand Brits enjoying the race on the big screens that are set up there. We hoped for a little more excitement though, so we decided to simply relax and let Matthew play.
Eventually, we left the park and made our way to the closest Tube station, where crowds were again lining the street. We actually happened upon the cycling race again by happenstance, and ended up being within about a mile of the finish line. It was fun to watch the final breakaway group speed by followed by the peleton. (It's just too bad that Alexander Vinokourov had to win the race. See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm)
Our spot near the finish line was also right in front of the South Korea House, where the South Korean Olympic Committee is set up. We were invited in by the costumed cast on the street and enjoyed a bit of fun and magic while the crowds went home.
All in all, the day showed me what the Olympics are really about: good sports and an appreciation for our international brothers and sisters. That's Olympic Magic!
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| Putney - Courtesy of the BBC |
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| Christy and Matthew lining the race in Putney |
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| Our view of the race |
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| The race's view of us - thanks to the BBC |
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| Us with Wenlock, the London 2012 alien mascot |
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| Alexander Vinokourov races past us on the way to the finish line - again courtesy of the BBC |
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| I didn't take the picture, but I did recognize Fabian Cancellara as he rode past us following his crash |
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| Our Korean friend |
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| Some Olympic Magic! |
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| And proof that sometimes cheaters do prosper... |
It is about time I comment on here! I have absolutely LOVED keeping up with your blog! You guys are so great going out and just being a part of everything.
ReplyDeleteWe watched this race and wondered if you were somewhere along the course. What a blessing and great experience to be there during the olympics.
I also loved the post with the moat that was a garden - I told Dan I wanted to do that to our home... it was so gorgeous!
Ha, I went to comment and lo and behold the other commenter is Clarissa... Lol.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow I liked your last picture and its comment... We watched the finish "Live in the US" (aka on TV an undisclosed number of hours later) and saw the finish too...