SATURDAY
Out the door at 0730 for Natalie's event at the pool, the prelims of 4 X 100 freestyle relay. Zipped through security and was on the Olympic grounds about 45 mins after leaving my hotel. When you come through security the first venue you have on the left side is the pool and the stadium up ahead. There were a number of heats and when all was done Australia was seeded first and USA second going into finals on Saturday night.
Some seats are high up, and if you're in the bleachers, as I was, require you to climb several flights of steep stairs, and then once you get there you can't see across the pool because of the vision obscurement. Here's exactly what I'm talking about with the high seats on the left in the first photo and the view once there in the second photo:
Walked around the Olympic grounds for about 2 hours after morning swimming, including a visit to the Olympic shop (didn't buy a thing – I was not impressed with the designs or costs), and then made our way via a long walk to the taxi stand past the Westfield Mall (a good mile from the pool) to grab a cab to Club Speedo which was located in a light industrial area nearby. Once we arrived at the address we were given we were told we had come to the wrong location and to go around the block. Went around the block and saw fences and brick walls. Didn't really look like an area you'd want to go out exploring. Fortunately, some constables in an unmarked silver van noticed we looked a little out of place and told us to jump in. They took us to Speedo offices nearby, but once we were in the building we were informed that was not the correct location either. We were directed across the canal to another location. One of the constables walked us over to exactly where the cab dropped us off. He was not from this area and was not aware that Speedo had a suite at a beach club on the canal. Turns out it was about 2 blocks away at the end of a street adjoining a canal, just a 5 minute walk from where the cab first dropped us. Not just that, but it was right across the canal from the stadium IF you knew the proper exit to take. We were turned back at the exit we were directed to as it was for accredited personnel only. Don't think we ever would have found it on our own even if we had walked over.
The constables did give all of us 999 Olympic pins (999 is the emergency number in the UK).
Speedo offered some sandwiches as well as wine and soft drinks. USA Olympic legend Jenny Thompson stopped by (she and Natalie both hold 12 Olympic medals now). Natalie is under contract with Speedo and her family knows a lot of their staff.
View from Club Speedo:
About 6pm it was time to head back We were given directions for a circuitous route through roads and walkways leading into the back of the Olympic stadium, and it worked. About 10 minutes after leaving we were going through security.
We watched the USA women bring home a bronze medal in 4X100 freestyle relay. Natalie, due to her role in qualfiying the team, brings home bronze.
Had late dinner just outside the Olympic grounds at the Westfield Mall. I went to a Caribbean stall for BBQ chicken, cole slaw and potato salad, and others in our group had fish and chips. We left the Stratford train station around 2330 (my world time watch had somehow jumped up a zone and put me in Madrid-- last night I thought we didn't leave there until 0030 and I was worried about making connections on transit that late). Worked out O.K., though.
SUNDAY
Slept in until 10 this morning and needed it. Left at 11 for the Coughlins hotel and it had just started raining when I arrived. First stop was Waterloo Tube to get 7 day Travel Cards loaded onto our Oyster cards (34 pounds for 3 zones, about $52). We worked our way up to Oxford Street to a T-Mobile shop so Zennie could have her phone looked at, as it had stopped working last night (we all have T-Mobile UK sims that we purchased in Edinburgh for our cell phones). They sent us up to the Westfield Shopping Center at Shepherds Bush Tube station, a couple stations away, where we spent an hour at the Everything Everywhere store having them update software on her phone and get it back in working shape.
Headed back to Proctor and Gamble center for late lunch, arriving about 4pm. Still raining. Dinner service started at 5pm. I had pizza and other offerings were fish and chips and beef stew. A buffet line with salmon, beef and salads was available later in the evening ((I made a trip back for some salad). Topped dinner off with brownies and gelato. While sitting here we watched the NBC Olympics feed from WNBC in New York. Within a 5 minute stretch we saw Natalie's TD Ameritrade commercial followed by her Pantene commercial (first I had seen that one). Jim says he saw her BMW commercial in his hotel since we've been here. I saw the Omega “Start Me Up” commercial a few times up in Scotland.
Watched Team USA swim on the big screen tonight. I won't post any results here. Left there about 2130 and back at my hotel before 2200. Should mention we Olympic medalist Summer Sanders stopped by and said hello. She was with the First Lady on Saturday night in the photos I took.
Tomorrow: we're going to rowing in Eton, up near Windsor Castle. Hope to be underway for the trek up there at 0800 from Waterloo station.
Photos from the Olympic grounds start here:
http://tom911.smugmug.com/2012Olympi...9902&k=N6V2Nhm
Photos from outside the Olympic grounds start here:
http://tom911.smugmug.com/2012Olympi...3031&k=59z395P