Months ago, we realized that the time we wanted to be in London would be at the same time as the Olympics. Now, this was not planned strategically… in fact, we were warned that it might be a miserable time to go–loads of traffic, lots of tourists, crowded streets, and increased prices. But as soon as we got into England, we caught the Olympic excitement and couldn’t resist heading toward London to experience the Games firsthand. We are so glad we went for it! Everyone was talking about how this was the BEST version of London you could get. Everyone was smiling, friendly, talking about the Olympics. The city came together in a different way to make the games what they were. It was incredible!
Riding into London our first day–the Tower Bridge with its Olympic Rings got us even more excited about the games!
Pleasantly, several Olympic events were open for the public to come watch from the street. This was particularly handy for us, since we rolled into town about halfway through the games without any tickets (and quite without hundreds of dollars to pay for the very few available ones). So we made our schedule work around some of these free (read: obscure) events.
We went to the swimming marathon, an event which we did not know existed until we found it on the internet the day before. It’s an open-water 10K swim, and it was held in the Serpentine in Hyde Park. We didn’t exactly get a front-row view, but we could still see some of the action as the swimmers made their way past. Can you imagine swimming 6 miles? It took more than two hours!
OK… not the best shot, but you can kind of see the line of swimmers in front of the boats!
We also made it to the men’s 50K Olympic Race Walk. Now… you have to ask yourself… how did these guys make it to the Olympic level in walking fast? Who aspires to that particular sport? How do you become the best speed walker in your country? We’re not sure the answers to a lot of these questions, but we do know this–these guys were walking FAST! The walkers must keep their front leg straight as it touches the ground, and one foot must maintain contact with the ground at all times. The result of this is a race where everyone looks like they are on the verge of breaking out in an all-out run, but somehow still only walking.
Walkers in action! Can you imagine walking as fast as possible for a full 31 miles? Unbelievable!
Even though the sports we went to see were not the most popular or well-known, we had a great time! Thousands of people gathered around to cheer even for these random events… everyone just wanted to be a part of the Olympic atmosphere! Not only were there free live events, but the City of London had set up huge screens in many public parks across towns. These giant TVs were playing live Olympic coverage… and people from all over the city would gather round after work for picnics, drinks, and hanging out while watching the games. It was wonderful!
People would flood into the park over the course of the evening, until by the end, there was not a patch of grass to be found! It made for a great atmosphere, watching the games in a true crowd.
We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to experience the Olympic Games firsthand. What a treat to experience the best side of London and the excitement of the games.
London 2012–so glad we made it!
