Day 9: London

Day 9: London

Quote of the day:

Get It On
Bang a gong
Get It On

You're built like a car
You got a hubcap
Diamond star halo
You're built like a car
Oh yeah

Weather: Same-same, except THB awoke to the sound of rain. Cool, breezy, hint of rain

Pics: Olympic Stadium, THB and James with O torch, Ennis (very tiny) on the javelin runway, handball shots (including an actual scoreboard), James and KHB and THB, THB in an angle of repose (and THB taking a vow of never giving KHB the camera when a catnap is coming on) and next to a giant German

In the fooling yourself can be dangerous categorys: Why you can trust THB to set you straight, from the NYT to blog followers:

After Warnings of an Olympic Crush, Businesses Suffer in a Deserted London

Fears of the Gridlock Games have transformed into complaints about the Ghost Town Olympics as some tourists skip London, bowing to official warnings of stifling overcrowding.

http://nyti.ms/OMB2i8

It has been ever thus, at least from 1984. Maybe Beijing was the exception, we’ll never know, don’t think the press or locals were in any position to say anything other than how great it was (and, it was great!).

Department of clarification: Of course, one of the followers pointed out that THB looked fabulous in his new tee-shirts. Actually, no, what was pointed out was: where are the prices?! For the stunning shirt with the OP venues on the front: $32 (all prices include the VAT); for the model with all the London venues on the front and a list of dates of each event, $40. THB recommends the latter for both completeness and obsessive types. Order now, they may be gone by the time Rio comes around as they do not have Team GBR on them.

Up early, a bit too early for a long day, and go for the Raynes Park walk, spotting a fox, or maybe it was a puma or ocelot, a lynx? Hey, may a British lion! KHB sleeps in, THB meets James, son of our hosts and of Beijing infamy at the O Stadium.

However, first THB (hint: no KHB), stops and loads up on M&S pastries: chocolate croissant, lemon muffin, cinnamon twist, almond croissant, and two rolls (rolls for lunch), $6.50. THB does not eat them all himself, he shares with James at T&F (well, sort of. ..James gets the almond croissant, THB the choc thing, and we halve the other two). .James supplies the coffee.

First session of T&F for THB, and it is a good one (they all are). Lots of highlights including seeing 3 heats of W 3000m steeplechase, Bolt being Bolt in early rounds of 100m, 5^th and 6^th events of heptathlon (Ennis went on to win easily in evening session, one of the Brits highlights in what is turning out to be a big, big gold medal O’s for them), W Pole Vault qualifying, and heats of M 400m where the US champ bowed out with a hamstring problem.

James and THB then meet up with KHB at handball (Men today), we’re in the 3^rd row right behind the net at one end. We have 2 and 1 seats as they were reorders and every reorder we made/have the seats are separated. Not a problem, for first match we sit together and second only a few seats away.

Sweden swamps Argentina In second half, Croatia overwhelms Denmark in second match. James heads off into the early night and KHB and THB find the usual at the noodle concession: they are out of most everything (temporarily) and we share a veggie curry and rice. Horrible, glue-ish, and has chicken in it (maybe British version of veg is different than Indian one). Water, total $17. Unbelievable…we’re starting to understand that the food is better than Beijing (it is) and that every concession stand is out of anything edible (or at least our 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and possibly 4^th choices. God Bless M&S!

We’re in the front row (the actual front row, not the metaphorical front row) behind one of the dugouts (1 or 3? They switch at half-time, so both!) at the evening session of Handball and the best match of the O’s (maybe all O’s): Iceland (EEEshhhlund) tops France, 30-29, in a back and forth thriller. This may be a preview of the gold medal match. In second match, Espana slowly overcomes Hungary, we avoid West Ham 35 minutes walk, take our usual Stratford transport connections and back in bed just around midnight.

Observations:

· We are lucky! The handball and T&F are very convenient so having booked them together is turning out to be a good thing. In Beijing, you had to go in/out/in security to do them back to back.

· Why we don’t see scalpers: there is a high degree of sensitivity around the fact that many Brits did not get the tix the ordered, and the Bobbies are undercover and attacking any signs of “personal” tix sales at the venues (there are tix for sale on Craigslist and E-Bay), We chatted up one American who tried to sell a tix at face value and when confronted by a Bobbie was not allowed to even give the tix away.