Yep, in just a few weeks, London will be awash with a plethora of finely honed athletes jogging all over the place, clad in skin-tight lycra. But I will be in Oxford. Arse. My sense of pain is tangible - like standing on a plug with bare feet.
I would have liked to have attended some of the Olympic events because it's like a school sport's day (and I like them), except bigger, and without the 'egg and spoon' race. But tickets were virtually impossible to procure because they had all been allocated to dodgy MPs and corporations with lots of wonga.
Not that I actually tried too hard to get tickets, mind. Knowing my luck, I would probably have ended up watching endurance synchronised swimming or darts (how can that be a sport when the competitors have beer bellies?).
Just as I was consigning the Olympic games to snatched snippets on the TV, suddenly an opportunity arose to get involved .... albeit in a small way. It turned out that the Olympic torch was touring the UK before arriving at the Olympic stadium. And the route was passing through Oxford.
"Izzy," I said, "would you like to see the Olympic torch, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"What's a lifetime?" she asked staring at me intently. Sacre bleu.
"It's the amount of time you are alive before you die," I said.
"I don't want to die," Izzy replied, wide-eyed.
"Look, you are not going to die," I said in an exasperated fashion, "but do you want to see the bloody Olympic torch or not?"
"Don't say bloody, it's swearing," she pointed out.
"Sorry, do you want to see the lovely Olympic torch?" I asked with a Wallace and Gromit grin.
"Yes please," she said, grinning back.
So at 5.15pm on Monday, we drove into Oxford towards the route of the Olympic torch. The closer we got to the official route, the more we noticed that the roads were jammed with the parked cars of other spectators. Crikey, loads of people had turned up to watch the Olympic torch! That's patriotic that is. It made me want to sing the National Anthem but I didn't because people would stare.
Luckily we found a parking space in the Lidl carpark right next to the action (because I am raggy like that), and it wasn't long before we met up with Steve (Izzy's dad) who had decided to join us. And because I am kinder than Mother Theresa, except that I don't like kittens, I have got some pictures for you ....... enjoy ......................
Pic.No.1 The parade started on Watlington Road, Oxford. There were loads of coppers on motorbikes flashing their blue lights. Shouldn't they be catching career criminals like speeding motorists?
Pic.No.2 The crowds lined the route as far as the eye could see ....... and I was gobsmacked that the Olympic route was through the ugliest suburbs of Oxford, avoiding all the amazing bits altogether. Whose idea was that then?
Pic.No.3 Izzy and Steve waited for the Olympic torch to pass by
Pic.No.4 The Olympic parade eventually appeared, headed by a bus. I reckon if it was headed by a lycra-clad athlete aloft a dobbin, they would have drummed up more spectators .... probably
Pic.No.5 The crowds thronged around the vehicles in the parade
Pic.No.6 A couple of buses containing scantily clad women dancing to the Olympic theme tune passed by. Steve kept his hands in his pockets and looked shifty
Pic.No.7 Yet more buses and floats passed by, blaring out jingoistic music ..... including a Lloyds TSB bus (yep, Lloyds TSB was a bank bailed out by the government after the financial crisis). Luckily they didn't get tomatoes thrown at them because that would have been a waste of food because I have tomatoes on my shopping list
Pic.No.8 The police were heavily in attendance throughout because of terrorist threats. Apparently Al Qaeda favour Coca Cola buses as a target of choice
Pic.No.9 Woo hoo! And finally the Olympic torch runner appeared ..... that's the bloke in the white outfit. He had pointy knees
Pic.No.10 The money shot. The Olympic torch runner flanked by two rather dishy support runners. Woof.
Pic.No.11 The route of the Olympic torch was constantly filmed by a van full of paparazzi driving in front of the runners ..... and then it was all over
Pic.No.12 A close-up of the Olympic torch that I nicked from the internet. It had 8000 perforations in it, each representing one of the 8000 people who carried the torch en-route throughout the UK to London. Each runner had their own personal torch, and a lot of them flogged them on Fleabay after the event
Watching all those people doing athleticky type things had made me feel hungry, so I suggested to Steve that we take Izzy to a local Nepalese restaurant for dinner. I hadn't tried it before, and even better, it meant I could avoid having to cook something in my kitchen.
Pic.No.13 This is Steve and Izzy outside the 'Everest Nepalese Restaurant'. It was in an obscure suburb of Oxford
Pic.No.14 At last! A picture of me. It was too long in coming. Here I am inside the Everest restaurant, and I was initially suspicious of the fact that it was quite empty. But to be fair it was 6pm on a Monday evening
Pic.No.15 This is what Nepalese scoff looked like. It was quite similar to Indian, but with Chinese and Tibetan influences, in particular the mo-mo that I had as a starter (it was a spicy lamb dumpling - bloody lovely it was)
Pic.No.16 Izzy was impressed with her Nepalese curry. Good girl - she's never afraid to try new stuff .... or pose for the camera
So was the food good? Well yes, it was above average; tasty and a bit different. But the downside was that the bill came to £68.00 ($109.00). Holy Mary Mother of God! It was a lot on the high side for an impromptu evening out ..... which, I suspect, is the reason that the restaurant remained mainly empty for the duration we were there. It's a shame because I would probably have gone back there ........
Anyway dahlink, enough of me ..... what have you been up to this week, and are you doing anything Olympic over the next couple of weeks?
Greetings oh sporty one.
ReplyDeleteWe had the Olympic flame at the railway, if you care to dig in my blog the event is recorded there. I was totally underwhelmed by the whole event!!!
There'll be lots of bloggy blogs about this! Done a blog myself, if you want to see Spalding's rally to the cause!
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I did think a long time back it would be nice to go, then saw the prices were a years worth of petrol and you couldn't choose what you wanted to watch.
Eh up Nick, I tried to access your link but it said that I don't have access to view the page.... am I an outcast ;-) ??!
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Re support runners.....I will have the one on the left and you can have the other one! And, re olympic torch.....not seen it, and not bovvered! Will tell my son and Alison ( live in girlfriend in Oxford, as you know!) about the nepalese, they like chinese type food cos Alison is chinese. But they prob can't afford it. You are dead right about the area of Oxford that the torch was displayed...grotty or what? Why didn't they take it through the colleges area..Broad St maybe?
ReplyDeletehttp://theroomofnick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/olympic-torch-relay-4th-july-2012.html
ReplyDeleteApologies. This might work. It looks better, straight off the top of the page this time. Probably me trying to give you secret codes to access the MoD or something I don't even know about???
We like the the events of the Olympics and will be glued to the TV! As we always are every 4 years.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try Nepalese food...don't think we have one here. Looks spicy and good for Izzy to try it out!
Well this week Annie we have been 'beating the heat' here in Nova Scotia! So unlike July weather....usually August is the HOT month.
Good to hear from you and have a great weekend Kiddo!
Glad the torch didn't get extinguished---I heard it did at one point during it's travels. What a great opp for Izzy. Oh, and you and Steve too. LOL Wish you were going to be in London next week- Birdie and her boytoy are visiting for a week. Hope the weather is good!
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to skype you but you is never online when i is... I will try again this week...
ReplyDeleteSimon carried the torch in Coventry.. i would have liked to have seen that..he is supposed to find me a video..
Nice for Izzy to see...
i love the ring you have on by the way.... lush
Me xx
Love the pictures. Izzy always looks so cute in photos.
ReplyDeleteThe food looks interesting. Very cool that Izzy is willing to try different foods. That has to be rare at her age.
I see the weather is as lovely as always there. And don't you look adorable? BTW my olympian days are over since I pulled a Hammy... make that what you will
ReplyDeleteCheers A
Are those paparazzi sitting in the back of a bin wagon? You sure do things in style in that there Oxford - it's like Hollywood!
ReplyDeleteIt came through Birkenhead Park ooh, about a year ago, but I didn't go... the last time someone was running through the streets of Birkenhead with a burning torch they were setting fire to cars in 'the riots'.
I only know one person who got any tickets! How can it be so hard/expensive? I haven;t written a post about this but I might do so right now! Harrumph!
To be honest, you didn't miss much! Unless of course you went to the bit where David Beckham was carrying it - woof! Same here, I only know one couple who have got tickets and they paid over £1500 for them. So much for it being an event for the nation!!
ReplyDeleteOh yeh, the blokes in the bin wagon - we're well classy here. I still can't believe that the organisers also took the ugliest route through Oxford. Weirdos.
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Why thank you [blush]. Over here, Hammy is short for hamster.
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She's got hollow legs and will scoff anything which is pretty handy when it comes to eating out! Huzzar!
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You muppet, I am online pretty much all day, every day ;-)
ReplyDeleteI need to add the bit about Simon carrying the torch - that is well cool - do you have any pics? x
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OOH, your daughter is visiting London next week? How exciting! Actually the weather is supposed to take a turn for the better next week, so she should be in luck. Let me know how she likes it!
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Eh up Jim - you're beating the heat? You lucky git! The weather is still crap here. It has rained every day for months, and my garden is all muddy,
ReplyDeleteIf you ever make it to the UK, I promise I will take you for a Nepalese ;-) What sports are you into?
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I shall give it a go!
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Get yer mitts off! I want the one on the left ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, tell them to pay a visit to the Nepalese. They do a set menu which is probably cheaper. I am still astounded about the torch and the route they took. They couldn't have picked a mankier route if they had tried. Why oh why did they not go through the colleges and Broad Street like you suggested?!
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I have indeed been to your blog and checked it out. Link: http://www.arkwrightsoforton.co.uk/blog/?p=1533http://www.arkwrightsoforton. co.uk/blog/?p=1533
ReplyDeleteI thought the pictures looked bloody cool myself!
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Love the pics!! What an awesome opportunity!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday!
Why thank you Veronica, and thanks for stopping by!
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Hi Anne! I have a question for you! Can you please answer it as a comment in my post today? Why is the British Olympic team called Team GB and not Team UK?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
http://ofmiceandramen.blogspot.com
Blimey, that is a testing one! I shall pop round to your blog now and do my best!
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Thanks, Anne! You rock!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, the Oxford crowds were a bit naff. We had loads more up our way.
ReplyDeleteI wish my kids were a bit more like Izzy and could be more adventurous when it comes to trying different foods. In fact, they used to be very good and would try most things, but since starting school, they've become very fussy. Maybe they should come spend a weekend with you...?
Yeh we definitely weren't packed in like sardines! Maybe it's because the route through Oxford was so long ......
ReplyDeleteThanks for the offer of sending your kids over but I am off on holiday soon. Soz and everything ;-)
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That was a very expensive meal, did you have wine with it?
ReplyDeleteI can't get interested in the 'Lympics at all. I'm bored with the weather too.
Did we have wine? Does the pope plop in the woods?! Yes, we had two glasses. It is expensive isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI reckon the weather is why you aren't interested in the Olympics. When it is miserable day after day, it definitely affects your mood!
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Well, if you're going over to see Clare (like you'd go anywhere else), kick her arse and get her to write summat, willya?
ReplyDeleteNah, I am off to Cyprus this time, just to shock you! I spoke to Clare yesterday though, she is on a massive fitness drive and is going to the gym everyday. Still no excuse for not writing. You could follow her on Facebook though?!
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No, I couldn't.
ReplyDeleteNot a Facebook fan I take it?
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