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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 7, 2024 9:38:40 GMT
Great photos Kerouac. I can't understand why I've been sucked into watching the Olympics this year. Maybe it's partly because I've had to rest my leg, so I put the tv on more. Anyway...it seems to be easing off now that the gymnastics and swimming are about done...altho I do watch the cycling I'm not a fan of track and field (hark at me!). I think that I'd be quite excited if I could watch exciting events like olympic races pass my house! So when we watched the road cycling we might have caught sight of you peering out of the window? cor.... Michael dearest...I call my Jeff 'Jeffrey Bubbles Bon Bon' when writing him cards or messages. have done since we met in 1976....
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Post by onlyMark on Aug 7, 2024 10:34:43 GMT
I'm the opposite Cheery in that I watch more track and field than anything else. I've not seen the Olympics for decades really and don't really know of any of the competitors. I'm in Spain by myself where it is too hot to be doing anything outside for very long so I'm watching quite a lot, especially in the evenings.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 7, 2024 16:54:19 GMT
Just a few more phots from Sunday. The Porte de la Chapelle metro station was full of Danish fans from the arena. I was lucky to be at my home station early because it was still possible to cross the street. Another hour and I would have been trapped. Today was for the women cyclists, but people had discovered the excitement of displaying flags. I doubt that there were any Afghan cyclists. I also saw a Bangladeshi flag (no photo), equally unlikely to have women cyclists. But the local immigrants were so proud to show their flag. Oh, there's the Bangladeshi flag, not very visible. And the lady cyclists finally arrived. I don't know who won, but that's fine.
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Post by htmb on Aug 7, 2024 17:07:07 GMT
I’m enjoying these photos, Kerouac! All have been very interesting.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 8, 2024 1:33:20 GMT
Great series, Kerouac! You caught the excitement of finally seeing the cyclists, but best of all, you captured the happiness of the onlookers. The crowd shots are full of faces and groups that are worth closer looks.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 8, 2024 9:32:15 GMT
This is the closest I'm getting to see anything to do with the Olympics as we do not have the sport channel any longer. It was part of the DSTV package which we discontinued a few years ago due to the fact it cost over R1,000 a month and the programs were not anything to shout about. Very sad as I love all the gymnastics, and anything that is not a team sport. I can catch up on YouTube but then its after the event of course. Oh well maybe next time....
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Post by mickthecactus on Aug 8, 2024 19:59:28 GMT
In the javelin, Pakistan gold, India silver.
You don’t hear that very often,
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 8, 2024 20:21:51 GMT
The Pakistani javelin thrower was amazing...
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Post by htmb on Aug 8, 2024 21:41:42 GMT
The USA and France men’s basketball teams are set to play each other Saturday for the gold & silver medals, after France beat Germany and the USA beat Serbia in a real nail biter. Germany and Serbia will play earlier in the day for the bronze medal.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 9, 2024 10:17:00 GMT
As night fell, I went to wander at La Villette again. People were queuing to get into Casa Mexico. Same for Casa Comombia. My camera peered over the fence to see what it was like inside. Casa Brasil was full up. Chinese Taipei House seemed calm.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 9, 2024 10:26:23 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 9, 2024 12:34:39 GMT
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Post by onlyMark on Aug 9, 2024 13:03:08 GMT
That's answered my question about the safe zone then.
By the way, I need to check with Mrs M but I think one of the performers in the Slovenia House is a (not close) relative of hers.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 9, 2024 14:04:56 GMT
Here is a little bit of movement and sounds around 20:30 on Thursday.
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Post by htmb on Aug 9, 2024 20:24:45 GMT
Super interesting pics and video, Kerouac. They give us even more of a sense of what people are doing at Parc Villette.
Today I watched most of the men’s football final between Spain and France. An exciting game, but a big disappointment for one side. I’ve also seen a bit of the rhythmic gymnastics and the break dancing sport "breaking." Both very interesting, and a bit mind-boggling, but I wouldn’t want to watch more than 20 minutes of either.
I assume this weekend in Paris will be very crowded and quite exciting, with many of the event finals going way into the evenings, not to mention the closing ceremonies.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 11, 2024 10:44:41 GMT
Your photos bring the Olympics just that little bit closer to those who are not in Paris at this time. Thank you so much Kerouac.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 11, 2024 12:15:34 GMT
I finally went to the centre after dark to see the cauldron in person. It does look pretty amazing. Our mayor is hoping to keep it as a permanent fixture after the games. Paris always looks great after dark anyway. I had forgotten that it was the night of the " marathon pour tous." 20,024 people running the marathon. Another 20,024 were making a 10 km run. This went on until about 3 a.m. These 40,048 people were the lucky few because more than 600,000 applications had been received from around the world. I had come from the Seine side, so there was absolutely no way to get across to the Tuileries/Rivoli side. So I would not be getting any closer to the cauldron. I'll return on a night without crowds. It will be there at least through the end of September if not in perpetuity. Getting back to the metro (Solférino) was my own sweaty marathon.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 12, 2024 9:31:41 GMT
Just like all other Olympic cities, Paris now has to deal with the postpartum effect. But the Paralympics starting in two weeks should ease the pain a bit. Until they are finished, too.
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Post by htmb on Aug 12, 2024 15:21:11 GMT
I loved the closing ceremony and thought France did a spectacular job of producing the games. LA will be hard pressed to measure up.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 12, 2024 15:39:36 GMT
I'm with you htmb - I did not get to watch the Olympics as each event happened, but I watched the closing ceremony on You Tube this morning and was very impressed. The wonderment of it all being timed so precisely. Yes, I know computers must have taken charge but humans had to give them the command as it were.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 12, 2024 16:55:56 GMT
There is plenty of time for the Americans to fix things, but I was a bit alarmed by their artistic choices for their part of the closing ceremony (and, yes, they were completely in charge of those elements).
Face lifted Tom Cruise, age 62, the Red Hot Chili Peppers (ages 61, 61, 62, 54), Snoop Dogg age 52, Dr. Dre age 59, do not seem to be appropriate to represent the dynamic youth of the U.S. Okay, Billie Eilish is 22 and H.E.R. is 27 but women are always minor elements in such testosterone shows. Motorcycle stunts (with no helmet, contrary to both French and American law) did not enhance the show either.
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Post by mickthecactus on Aug 12, 2024 17:29:07 GMT
Hate to say it but I found it a bit dull.
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Post by onlyMark on Aug 12, 2024 17:39:08 GMT
Motorcycle stunts (with no helmet, contrary to both French and American law)..... There's only about 16(?) out of the 50 States that have a blanket helmet wearing law. Three maybe have no helmet law and the rest have the law only for under eighteens there or there abouts. Just to be pedantic.
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Post by htmb on Aug 12, 2024 17:41:04 GMT
Tom Cruise is far, far from being a favorite of mine. Helmet or no helmet. I find him extremely annoying.
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Post by bjd on Aug 12, 2024 18:23:17 GMT
At least he didn't have the opportunity to go on about Scientology.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 12, 2024 18:50:20 GMT
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Post by onlyMark on Aug 12, 2024 19:47:28 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 12, 2024 19:51:18 GMT
Tom Cruise was going to Los Angeles. California is the only state that matters for the Olympics
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 12, 2024 20:06:55 GMT
We recorded the closing ceremony so that we could fast forward through all the piffle going on in the bbc studio. Clare Balding & Co filling in the evening with constant nattering until the ceremony started...then a patronising commentary explaining every detail.. The bit with the rings and dancers was ok but overlong. I wasn't keen on the soloist singing the Olympc hymn and the dangling piano was just weird.The light show was very good tho... The bands were quite jolly..ff through the speeches and watched with mouth agape as a smiley (is that a fixed grin now he's a little 'over stretched'?) Tom Cruise did his thing. I like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers...but as Kerouac says...hardly representative of the young Olympians. Gave up and went to bed...not keen on Billie Eilish anyway. It wasn't awful BUT it was one of the most enjoyable Olympic games that I've seen and you know how I hate sport usually. Well done Paris.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 12, 2024 20:09:33 GMT
PS. Thank you for your excellent photographs and videos Kerouac, added an extra dimension to our Olympic experience.
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