We’ve had our own Olympic journey here. From Hampshire on the bus to London, and then a train ride to Stratford. It’s been an easier Olympic journey than that of the torch, but we had a few bumps along our way. I discovered that my Olympic tickets had disappeared just a few days before our big day up there. Probably thrown into the recycling bin by accident. Yes, the big purple folder emblazoned in large font with ‘Your Olympic Tickets’ or something similar. Yes, I know. Don’t ask…!
But all was not lost. A phone call to the ticket centre had my old ones cancelled and a new set ready for me to collect at the stadium, along with a pair of replacement travelcards. The whole process was painless and speedy. Like all our other experiences of the Olympics in London, the organization was top notch.
I’ll write more about our trip to the stadium another day. Tomorrow, perhaps. For today, I’ll just share my Instagram photos. And a really strong recommendation to pay a visit to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to go check out the Olympic Journey exhibition they have running. Be quick – it closes on the 12th August.
The exhibition is free of charge, which makes it a must-see for all showstring travellers straightaway. You probably will have to queue though. Depending on when you go, expect to wait from ten to thirty minutes. We waited twenty. It was worth every minute. You walk through several rooms telling the story through words, pictures and audio. The sets are excellent.
Finally, you are discharged into a room full of mementos and exhibits borrowed from the Olympic museum in Lausanne. From Jesse Owens’ running show to Kelly Holmes’ signed top. But most interesting was the display of all the torches that have featured in every Olympics since 1936. I hadn’t paid so much attention to the London 2012 torch till now, other than to note it looked ok. Actually, when lined up against the ‘competition’, it’s a very elegant design.
There are also the medals,a gold, silver and bronze from every modern Olympics. I have to confess that I had been unaware that the design on the medals is largely unchanged. Except for the silver medal, where a little national creativity is allowed. Having inspected them all, I’ve come to the conclusion that creativity shouldn’t be allowed. I’d rather win bronze. My photos from the Opera House? Alas. No photography allowed. So I leave you with a taster. The exhibition trailer…
