For London, the third time is the charm
On July 6th, 2005 London was selected to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, selected over Moscow, New York City, Paris and Madrid. London becomes the first city to host the Olympics on three different occasions when the opening ceremonies start on July 27th, 2012.
The 1908 Olympics in London marked the Fourth Olympiad. Rome was originally chosen as the host city but when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, Italian officials allocated funds to rebuild the city. The games were subsequently moved to London. The track inside the Olympic Stadium, named White City Stadium, was three laps to a mile. Athletes competed in twenty-two different sport disciplines, and included a competition of tug-of-war. The standardization of international rules for track became apparent during the Fourth Olympiad; it’s enduring legacy. The accepted distance of a marathon was also set as a result of controversy in these games.
London was again selected to host the Olympics in 1944 but was cancelled due to the 2nd World War. The games were held in 1948, the first Summer Olympic games since the ’36 games held in Berlin. The economic and political aftermath of the war affected the games. German and Japanese athletes were not invited to compete for security and political reasons. No new facilities were built for these games as well, a cinder track was laid in Wembley Stadium and athletes were housed in existing units.
So here we are, summer 2012. The Olympics are right around the corner, and as the world’s eyes and TV sets tune into the action in London, lets take a look at the great city of London. Every four years, the modern games celebrate nationalism, commercialism and athleticism. The world’s great sporting event seems to slow down our spin around the sun, our collective breaths are held when an event comes down to fractions of a second. The reality of every sporting event comes down the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. These games expect to be no different.
London is the city that defined what it is to be a city. Originally settled by the Roman’s, London has developed into a modern day ‘megacity’ over its history. Situated along the River Thames, 13.7 million Londoners populate the London metro area. Without a doubt, there is a tremendous amount of history the city has written. The etymology, how London got its name, is unclear. Scholars have been unable to ascertain its names original origin. Ancient civilizations settled around water sources and archeologists have found evidence that bridges were built across the river 3,000 years ago. I could certainly write more on the history of London, but for the sake of myself and you, the reader, I have a couple more tidbits to cover. The city has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a place of cultural or physical significance. 1) The Tower of London is a magnificent castle built around 1066. 2) The Kew Gardens neighborhood is where the Palace of Westminster (think the iconic Big Ben clock tower) and Westminster Abbey is located. The Kew Gardens, also referred to as the Royal Botanic Gardens, is home to largest collection of living plants. The gardens were added to the UNESCO list in 2003. 4) Last but not least, the historical settlement of Greenwich is a borough of London. Greenwich is home to the Royal Observatory, and the 0° longitude line. This line establishes the worlds time zones and is marked with a bright green laser in the London night sky.
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and is a cultural hub of the world. London is renowned world wide for it’s magnificent theatre district, the West End. Many theatres, opera houses and arena’s host a multitude of performances. I’m not one for the theatre so I wont get into to much detail here. London also has a lot of museums. I plan to visit a couple during my trip so expect some posts in the future about the museums I visit. The famous Big Ben clock tower at the Palace of Westminster is 152 years old. Big Ben is actually the nickname of the bell inside the tower. The clock faces features a 9-foot long hour hand and the minute hand is 14 feet long. The red telephone box is iconic as well. I have seen replicas in cities and towns in the United States, a testament to the ability of the red telephone box to transcend culture and national boundaries. If there’s one thing to bring up about British culture, and especially in London, is the special place football has in society. London is home to six Premier League football teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Wembley Stadium is home the to England national team, and will host the finals in the Olympic football tournament. London also has 43 universities within its city limits. These institutions boast an enrollment of 412,000 students in total.
The infrastructure in London is a major aspect of the experience international travelers enjoy in London. Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world in terms of international travelers. The airport has five terminals and is where my group will fly to. The London Underground is the worlds oldest rail system and is also the second longest metro system, serving 270 stations. The system has been improved to handle the demands of the 2012 Olympics to the tune of 7 billion British pounds. An interesting fact about the roads in London is that motorists are expected to pay a 10 pound fee to operate vehicles within a congested zone in central London. I also expect to take full advantage of the Barclays Bike Hire system and analyze its service. I plan to profile my experiences getting around London later, so check out my travel journal page!
When you do a ‘Food in London’ Google search, a map comes up with red dots signifying restaurants take over most city blocks. Thus, I do not expect to go hungry while abroad. I am willing to be adventurous with my meal selections while in London. A great part of a city and regions story and history is told through cuisine and I expect to find delicious dishes in London. I already have an appetite for Fish and Chips and it is a common “to-go” lunch or dinner item in England. Traditional English food includes bangers and mash, Sheppard’s pie, and roasted meats. London also boasts international cuisine. These options will be intriguing options to explore the tastes of the world while studying the Olympics. Upon return from my trip from London, I may very well incorporate teatime into my daily routine, team time actually sounds amazing.
The United Kingdom’s capital, London, will be the envy of the world for three weeks in 2012. The city’s great history is about to write another grand chapter in its already grand history. It’s cultural icons will be showcased and the historical importance of this great city will be appreciated. The world’s greatest athletes will gather and compete to bring glory to their country. It is time for the city of London to open up and welcome the world, and even though the world may be already familiar with London, London will shine bright for the world to enjoy.
The 1908 Olympics in London marked the Fourth Olympiad. Rome was originally chosen as the host city but when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, Italian officials allocated funds to rebuild the city. The games were subsequently moved to London. The track inside the Olympic Stadium, named White City Stadium, was three laps to a mile. Athletes competed in twenty-two different sport disciplines, and included a competition of tug-of-war. The standardization of international rules for track became apparent during the Fourth Olympiad; it’s enduring legacy. The accepted distance of a marathon was also set as a result of controversy in these games.
London was again selected to host the Olympics in 1944 but was cancelled due to the 2nd World War. The games were held in 1948, the first Summer Olympic games since the ’36 games held in Berlin. The economic and political aftermath of the war affected the games. German and Japanese athletes were not invited to compete for security and political reasons. No new facilities were built for these games as well, a cinder track was laid in Wembley Stadium and athletes were housed in existing units.
So here we are, summer 2012. The Olympics are right around the corner, and as the world’s eyes and TV sets tune into the action in London, lets take a look at the great city of London. Every four years, the modern games celebrate nationalism, commercialism and athleticism. The world’s great sporting event seems to slow down our spin around the sun, our collective breaths are held when an event comes down to fractions of a second. The reality of every sporting event comes down the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. These games expect to be no different.
London is the city that defined what it is to be a city. Originally settled by the Roman’s, London has developed into a modern day ‘megacity’ over its history. Situated along the River Thames, 13.7 million Londoners populate the London metro area. Without a doubt, there is a tremendous amount of history the city has written. The etymology, how London got its name, is unclear. Scholars have been unable to ascertain its names original origin. Ancient civilizations settled around water sources and archeologists have found evidence that bridges were built across the river 3,000 years ago. I could certainly write more on the history of London, but for the sake of myself and you, the reader, I have a couple more tidbits to cover. The city has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a place of cultural or physical significance. 1) The Tower of London is a magnificent castle built around 1066. 2) The Kew Gardens neighborhood is where the Palace of Westminster (think the iconic Big Ben clock tower) and Westminster Abbey is located. The Kew Gardens, also referred to as the Royal Botanic Gardens, is home to largest collection of living plants. The gardens were added to the UNESCO list in 2003. 4) Last but not least, the historical settlement of Greenwich is a borough of London. Greenwich is home to the Royal Observatory, and the 0° longitude line. This line establishes the worlds time zones and is marked with a bright green laser in the London night sky.
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and is a cultural hub of the world. London is renowned world wide for it’s magnificent theatre district, the West End. Many theatres, opera houses and arena’s host a multitude of performances. I’m not one for the theatre so I wont get into to much detail here. London also has a lot of museums. I plan to visit a couple during my trip so expect some posts in the future about the museums I visit. The famous Big Ben clock tower at the Palace of Westminster is 152 years old. Big Ben is actually the nickname of the bell inside the tower. The clock faces features a 9-foot long hour hand and the minute hand is 14 feet long. The red telephone box is iconic as well. I have seen replicas in cities and towns in the United States, a testament to the ability of the red telephone box to transcend culture and national boundaries. If there’s one thing to bring up about British culture, and especially in London, is the special place football has in society. London is home to six Premier League football teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Wembley Stadium is home the to England national team, and will host the finals in the Olympic football tournament. London also has 43 universities within its city limits. These institutions boast an enrollment of 412,000 students in total.
The infrastructure in London is a major aspect of the experience international travelers enjoy in London. Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world in terms of international travelers. The airport has five terminals and is where my group will fly to. The London Underground is the worlds oldest rail system and is also the second longest metro system, serving 270 stations. The system has been improved to handle the demands of the 2012 Olympics to the tune of 7 billion British pounds. An interesting fact about the roads in London is that motorists are expected to pay a 10 pound fee to operate vehicles within a congested zone in central London. I also expect to take full advantage of the Barclays Bike Hire system and analyze its service. I plan to profile my experiences getting around London later, so check out my travel journal page!
When you do a ‘Food in London’ Google search, a map comes up with red dots signifying restaurants take over most city blocks. Thus, I do not expect to go hungry while abroad. I am willing to be adventurous with my meal selections while in London. A great part of a city and regions story and history is told through cuisine and I expect to find delicious dishes in London. I already have an appetite for Fish and Chips and it is a common “to-go” lunch or dinner item in England. Traditional English food includes bangers and mash, Sheppard’s pie, and roasted meats. London also boasts international cuisine. These options will be intriguing options to explore the tastes of the world while studying the Olympics. Upon return from my trip from London, I may very well incorporate teatime into my daily routine, team time actually sounds amazing.
The United Kingdom’s capital, London, will be the envy of the world for three weeks in 2012. The city’s great history is about to write another grand chapter in its already grand history. It’s cultural icons will be showcased and the historical importance of this great city will be appreciated. The world’s greatest athletes will gather and compete to bring glory to their country. It is time for the city of London to open up and welcome the world, and even though the world may be already familiar with London, London will shine bright for the world to enjoy.
Information on this post was gathered from the London page, and links to related pages, on Wikipedia. I also gathered information from the pages on the 1908, 1948 and 2012 Olympics. Pictures were taken from a google search.