The Torch!

All day I've been referring to the torch as The Torch! It only seems appropriate to use capitals and an exclamation point when speaking of The Torch! It's just so...Olympic! As I might have mentioned in an earlier post, prior to moving whenever I was asked how long we would live in London I would reply "at least through the Olympics." And today, seeing The Torch! pass by brought home the fact that moment is here and I have lived in London as long as I initially thought we would and set out to do. These past three plus years have flown by, and I have lived through the preparation, the build-up, the warnings from TFL, the disruptions and even more warnings from TFL. Tomorrow the Olympics start, The Torch! has almost completed its journey, I completed my initial goal, and we can now leave London. Just kidding.

I walked down to lower Sloane Street to see it pass by my hood. Where I was standing was crowded, but relatively empty compared to Sloane Square and King's Road. I had a great view of the torchbearer as he ran by, I could have even tripped him if I wanted to. Not like I would have done that to The Torch! I am not sure who was holding it, I looked online and his name was given but he had no bio. Now I am curious....and a bit suspicious.

Before the torchbearer got to me we had to see the various sponsors drive by.

 I liked the Lloyds party bus the best.

Then the support team.

And finally The Torch! (Sorry, my best shot was on my iPhone which I promptly Instagramed)

The Torch! is preceded by a truck carrying quite a few cameras.

After The Torch! passed by I walked up to Sloane Square and saw the crowds that had gathered there. They got to watch the Ab Fab duo carry The Torch! past Peter Jones which would have been exciting, but much more crowded and harder to see. I had a great view of some random guy running by.

Tomorrow the Olympics officially start. On Tuesday we see table tennis (yeah!) and sadly, that will be the end of my personal Olympic experience. I will be watching the rest on TV, although maybe not the 22 (24? 16?) hours a day the BBC is promising. There may be such a thing as Olympic overload.