Olympic Fever

The London 2012 Olympics have finally arrived after years of preparation.  It's been highly anticipated with mixed emotions on the part of the local population in London and other areas of Great Britain - some have been negative and say that it's too costly and too much disruption and others that are so excited for the events that will bring world-recognition to their city.  I fall into the latter category and feel privileged to be living here during this historic time.

The amount of preparation for such an undertaking is mind-boggling.  Everywhere I walk, I see signs that a world-wide event is imminent.

One of the cool things about these Olympics and being in London is that many of the events are taking place right in the city so no ticket is necessary to be a part of the build-up and excitement.  Here, the street alongside Harrods (Brompton Road) will be used for some event - maybe cycling or running.

The lead-up to the actual opening of the Olympics is almost as exciting as the events themselves.  The Olympic torch has been traveling around the world and has finally arrived in London.

 We researched the route of the torch and, after much deliberation, a group of us decided to park ourselves alongside the Royal Chelsea Hospital, where the "Men in Scarlet" call their home.  The Royal Chelsea Hospital was founded in 1682 by King Charles II to provide soldiers with a home in their retirement.  They were out in their iconic uniforms to support one of their own who was about to arrive carrying the torch. To this day, the Hospital is run in almost the same way with one very apparent exception....

and that is in March 2009, they began accepting women!  I believe there are 2 or 3 of them living there now.

And here he is..... Chelsea Pensioner James Anderson running with the Olympic Torch in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.   This was on July 26th - the day before the Opening Ceremonies was to take place.

And now....do I hear a drum roll?....an event that I have been looking forward to ever since we got lucky in the lottery and were able to purchase tickets to the Opening Ceremonies.  

For weeks beforehand, we discussed our plans for the big day at Olympic Stadium - what time to leave,  how to get there, what to wear, what to bring...the list goes on.  In the end, we got there with ease on the London Underground, had an early dinner near the stadium, went through security where there were virtually no lines and were in our seats by 7:15 p.m.  

The atmosphere around Olympic Park was electric and we saw all sorts of revelers.

Half the fun is people watching at an event like this and

fans like these weren't shy about having their pictures taken.

There's nothing quite like an event like this to bring people together from all over the world showing pride in their heritage.

These must be Americans! - our friends, Mike and Debi Kirksey and Rex and I.

The clouds look a little ominous in the background but, in the end, it only sprinkled for a few minutes during the pre-show.

The whole venue was spectacular and extremely well organized with 

friendly, knowledgable ambassadors ready to help guide us and

even entertainment along the way.

Wildflowers planted outside the stadium brought some color to the grey skies 

and the world's largest McDonald's sits just beside Olympic Park.  I'm sure they will sell a few hamburgers and fries over the next couple of weeks.

A view of the stadium before the festivities started - the calm before the storm!

The Olympic Bell was rung by British cyclist, Bradley Wiggins, who had just won the Tour de France to mark the beginning of the ceremonies.

There were so many dazzling parts to the show, it was almost hard to take it all in.

 Lights, flames, fireworks, music, dancing...

all wove part of a tale about Britain's coming of age.

Little Mary Poppins floating down into the stadium.

This "house" represented British music and television and it's pop stars over the years.

All of this pageantry lead up to the real reason we were all there....

to welcome and celebrate the greatest of the world's athletes in a two-week long competition of the Summer Olympics that takes place once every four years.

The countries' participants marched out proudly in beautifully-colored uniforms and

it was a proud moment for us when the American athletes made quite a presence looking sharp in their blue and white.

After the athletes were all assembled, the fireworks show began

and continued on and on and on....it was spectacular.

 There was so much anticipation and we weren't disappointed.  

When finally the Olympic Cauldron was lit, signifying the official beginning of the Games, the show had mesmerized us for 3 and a half hours and the time seemed to fly by.  We made it back home on a natural high that night and crashed into bed at 2:30 a.m.

As I write this, the Games have been going on for days and will be ending soon with the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday.   I can't say enough what an amazing day this was for me - one that I will always remember and be thankful for.

Scandinavian Summer

 We picked a great weekend to head to the beautiful city of Copenhagen, Denmark.  The long summer nights of Scandanavia invite outdoor events such as the 2-week long Annual Jazz Festival in Copenhagen.

Located in the back garden of the Kong Arthur Hotel, where we stayed, this was just one of many jam sessions taking place on the streets and in pubs across the city.

Our hotel was located along the banks of this beautiful canal - one of many throughout the city.

Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in the world, opened in 1843.

The much beloved children's book author, Hans Christian Anderson, was born in Denmark in 1805 and was famous for such fairytales as "The Little Mermaid" (seated on the rock on the right), "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."

Nyhavn is a colorful 17th century waterfront where all sorts of boats are anchored including sailboats and

houseboats.  Makes me wonder if these people live here year-round.  Brrr!

No trip to Copenhagen is complete without taking a canal tour and exploring it's waterways, as it has been by locals and tourists for more than a century.

Christiansborg Palace, originally built more than 800 years ago, has long been the state's center of power.  Today, the palace includes several institutions of central importance such as the Prime Minister, the High Court, and the Royal Reception Rooms.  

The Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, just celebrated her 40th anniversary on the throne.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed besides this stunning portrait. 

There are loads of beautiful historical buildings but Denmark is known for their modern architecture and there were plenty of examples for us to see like the Copenhagen Opera House that opened in 2000.  

A plethora of ultra-modern buildings were dotted around the landscape.

Two things were immediately evident to me when we arrived in Copenhagen: 1) the streets were immaculately clean and 2) this city is one for bicycling and walking.  Bicycles were EVERYWHERE!  This is a rack located just outside their underground metro station.

I loved the fact that they have made it easy and encourage people to ride their bicycles by having special bicycle lanes across the city.  They are almost as wide as another lane on the road.  As a walker, you really have to watch the cyclists because some of them are coming as fast as cars but they obey the traffic lights just as cars do so it's just a matter of getting used to it.

I like the juxtaposition of the modern artwork on the building in the foreground against the old architecture in the background.

The Danes are also famous for their china - the Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted design has been around since 1775, though this is an updated version.

The gorgeous jewelry from Georg Jenson was hard to pass by (but I did!).

Even the street buskers have to take a break sometimes!  This "statue" is smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer.

Okay, this one really stumped us.  It's a little difficult to see from this picture but it "appears" that the only thing holding up the man on the top is a stick.  We walked around and around to see if there were any invisible wires but couldn't find any.  We never did figure it out. 

Sunday, we took a train to this station in Humlebæk and strolled about a half mile to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.  What a treat it was.

"Louise, Louise and Louise"

"Louisiana takes its name from the villa from which the museum has grown over the years. The house was built and named in 1855 by the Master of the Royal Hunt Alexander Brun, who was so fortunate as to be married to no fewer than three women in the course of his life – all called Louise."

The original villa (where we entered) pictured above doesn't give a sense about the true expanse and modernity of the museum.  We thought we were at the wrong place it was so deceiving!  Enjoy the pictures below of just an inkling of the works that were on display.

     

In the background is Sweden!  Is lies across the narrow strait known as the Sundet that separates the Danish island Zealand from the southern Swedish province of Scania. 

No, I don't need to adjust my camera.

Kind of funny!  Maybe I shouldn't say that - it could mean something very serious.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell with modern art.

An iconic Andy Warhol.

Children and adults alike were enjoying the beautiful day.

Henry Moore would be pleased with this setting for his sculptures.

A special interactive special exhibit called "New Nordic, Architecture & Identity."

A colorful masterpiece by Asger Jorn, one of the most acclaimed Danish artists of the 20th century.

I couldn't resist taking pictures inside this brilliantly lit, constantly changing "room"! 

Contemplating the art in this tranquil setting, I've decided this museum is definitely a worthwhile visit if you're ever in this land of old and modern Copenhagen.