This morning we landed at Heathrow airport. Flying in, it was a beautifully sunny day and all the major landmarks around London were clearly visible from the plane – The Olympic stadium at Stratford, the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.
After we sorted out accommodation, phones, email and all the different ways we can now communicate across the world, I spent most of the day walking around the city looking at people on the streets, the Olympic flags and soaking up the warm late 20-something temps which have arrived just in time for the Games.
It’s the eve of the opening ceremony and while visitors are still arriving, there is the unmistakable patriotic buzz of a host city. The Olympic rings are flying high on Tower Bridge, locals are dressed head to toe in Union Jacks, security is heightened, event road closures are in place. Walking through Picadilly Circus and along Southbank on the Thames, there is a bright wash of colour from the range of national flags flying overhead, statues of the Olympic mascots with people looking at them with quizzical looks but still insisting on having a photo with them, and lines of reds buses and black cabs covered in Olympic athlete endorsements.
I’m looking forward to joining the team for some site visits tomorrow in preparation for the CommBank CAN World Record Team Photo Event this Wednesday (London time) at Clapham Common. We are also finalizing some filming locations such as the Australian team uniform distribution centre, to capture other behind the scenes footage for the Olympics Tab on our Facebook page.
I’m also looking forward to a long sleep tonight to catch up from slight jet lag, although I really can’t complain … on the flight I caught up on my movie watching from the past two years. Those of you with kids will be nodding knowingly.
Let the games begin!
