VIP lunch with the British Olympic Association

We depart the ZPC at around 12.30pm for our meeting with Jude Kelly at the British Olympic Association villa. The area where we needed to arrive is ‘Psychiko’ and buses did not seem obvious. We are fortunate enough to have some advice from some locals and make it there on time. The bus passes by the Hilton IOC hotel, very impressive, with cameras everywhere waiting to spot a VIP. The lunch was really informative and a great opportunity to talk with London 2012 bid committee members, among others. It was hosted by Jude Kelly, but invitations were on behalf of Tessa Jowell, MP. Some time through the lunch, we were told that Cherie Booth, the UK Prime Minister’s wife, would join us, as she was soon to be announced as a new ambassador for the bid. This was also a great opportunity to have a discussion about Olympism, which is precisely what took place. It was a small gathering and included Ric Birch (executive producer for the ceremonies at Sydney’2000, Barcelona’92 and LA’84), Nigel Short (British Chess champion), Marco Balich (executive producer of the ceremonies in Torino 2006) and the British Council Director based in Athens.

Let the Games begin!

Oddly, today is a public holiday in Athens! The day of the Opening Ceremony and everyone gets a holiday, as if all the work is done. Actually, we thought this was supposed to be some reward for the city, but we seem to find out that it was just a coincidence. The streets are empty and we leave home at around 9.30am – breakfast on the go. Spend time in the ZPC until 114pam, trying to find out about arrangements for the ceremonies. The difficult task was finding out about public spaces, where we could watch a screen showing the ceremony – a €900 ticket for the actual ceremony just didn’t fit into our budget! However, nobody can tell us of any clear venues where people could gather. There was some suggestion of big screens, but the ‘May I help you’ people deny this.

The flame arrives

Yesterday we got free invitations to attend the special party to welcome the torch to Athens. It is in the beautiful Odeon of Herod Atticus. It is a full house, so it takes a while for people to get to their seats in this ancient open theatre. In the meantime, the torch is being carried around Athens towards us, footage of which is being projected over the wall of stone behind the stage. As the torch passes the Odeon, it is carried by former Olympic champion Carl Lewis. The torch is finally taken up the Acropolis and there is a special ceremony at the Parthenon, where the torch is to rest at night. We have followed all of this through video projections on the Odeon’s stone, which create a strange and memorable effect. The Mayor, the head of the Hellenic Culture Committee, the Prime Minister and the head of ATHOC all make speeches at the Parthenon and, after this, come to join us at the Odeon for a concert. The concert is also attended by the King of Greece and the rest of top Greek personalities. It is a beautiful concert, in particular, the second piece, with title ‘Slow Motion’, by a Greek contemporary composer. There is also a funny situation during the third piece by Shostakovich. The solo pianist stops playing of a sudden in a rage and seems about to leave due to being disturbed by loud noise in the background that spoils the quiet moments of the composition. This is the down side of having the whole of Athens celebrating! The orchestra director manages to convince him to stay to the relief of the concert organisers and front row personalities. In the way out of the concert we have the chance to say hello to Kostas Georgiadis, the dean of the International Olympic Academy, who, as always is half-smiling and happy to see us.

Unfortunately, we end up missing the special cultural activities organised by ATHOC to celebrate the opening of their ‘Catch the Light’ programme in the Keramikos area. Our group has grown unexpectedly and we must accommodate and go to Plaka for a most needed dinner.

Interviewing cultural players

Beatriz interviews Georgia Iliopoulou at the Hellenic Culture Organisation. Pleasant meeting, though brief. The interview is useful to get a first understanding of the structure of the Cultural Olympiad and its relation to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and ATHOC among others. We also meet with Jude Kelly, the chair of Culture and Education at the London 2012 Olympic Bid. She is extremely open with her views and very interested in our work. She invites us to attend a lunch with Tessa Jowel, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and head of DCMS. This will take place tomorrow.

Patras, Euro Capital of Culture

In the Zappeion on the 12th we see the Symphonic Chorus of Children from Patras. Many efforts are made by representatives from this city to ensure a strong presence in the Zappeion. They are promoting its programme as European Capital of Culture 2006 – we have been impressed by the dedication and the amount of activities (including extensive materials, puppet and shadow theatre and then the chorus among others). It is clear that the initiative has a high profile in Greece.

City initiatives: 'real prices' & volunteering

We also observe some other interesting initiatives. The Municipality has issued a ‘real prices’ list for visitors to ensure they do not get ripped off by overly ‘entrepreneurial’ retailers. The diversity of ‘volunteer programmes’ is also remarkable. In contrast to previous Olympic hosts, where most volunteering is managed through the official Olympic organisers, in Athens, the Municipality has made parallel arrangements, among them, the ‘may I help you’ programme. The transport authorities have also created their own ‘follow me’ campaign to guide visitors and locals through the constantly changing public transport schedules. The only difficulty is knowing what to ask to which person and when!

Olympic cultural programmes

We are particularly impressed with the cultural preparations. Since the first day we wandered around Athens, 4^th of August, the final touches to an extensive public art programme and the amount of information about other initiatives throughout the city have developed at an amazing speed. ‘Catch the light’ is a visual arts programme consisting of images of Greek (or Athenian) people in medium size boards hanging from the gates of the National Gardens, plus enormous billboards showing stills of sports and creative views on Greek culture and related endeavours that cover full buildings at different points of the city. It is an effective programme that achieves a difficult balance between being creative and attractive and blending with the environment. It is a far cry from the ‘in your face’ flashy sporty images, heavy on official logos and sponsor recognition that were common in Sydney and Salt Lake. Information also abounds on the ‘other’, additional cultural events, that range from ‘happenings’ (or impromptu performances) in Olympic venues and surroundings to concerts in public squares, national parades, free theatre and other arts related shows organised by the Municipality of Athens and ATHOC. There are many other, paying events, organised as part of the Cultural OIympiad and the Hellenic Festival. In fact, it is confusing to realise who is in charge of what, and this, at times, jeopardises the value of ‘cultural guides’ that may include certain but not all activities taking place.

ATHOC’s programme is the most clearly dedicated to highlight the Olympic experience. It takes place in and around selected Olympic venues, in the Olympic Village, and as end of the day celebration to the torch relay in every night-stop of the tour around Greece. The programme also includes an interesting visual arts programme, with the beacon exhibit ‘Monument to Now’, a daring proposal of contemporary art organised in collaboration with the DESTE foundation. Interestingly, ATHOC has also coordinated a ‘gallery walk’ that takes you through the little street of Athens, from Psyrris, Plaka and Monastiraki to Kolonaki and as far as Kifisia.

The Municipality of Athens has launched its ‘A Celebration all over the City’ programme, which is all free and, as in the case of ATHOC, focuses on the period of Olympic sport competition. The programme is heavily focused on entertainment but has a greater level of cultural endeavour and is more unique to Athens than the ‘LiveSites!’ in Sydney. The Cultural Olympiad has stopped its performance programme during the Games, only leaving a collection of interesting exhibition at prestigious venues and a reduced number of free events that are often ‘by invitation only’ in rare venues. Special performances and events will continue in September, once the Games are over.

The Hellenic Festival is also in full swing, with top cultural events taking place almost daily at the beautiful Odeon of Herod Atticus, the most spectacular theatre in Athens. The events are often pricy, but welcomed by visitors interested in the arts and aware of this prestigious festival. A further myriad of activities are taking place under the wings of several foundations, cultural centres etc. There is not clear coordination of all of this wealth of cultural offerings, but it is obvious that Athens exudes it and this makes the experience of walking around the city particularly provocative, enticing and memorable.

Is Athens ready?

Just one day to go. It is the first morning that we have had the strength to get up at 7.30am. We are getting used to the heat. Athens looks ready as the Mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyannis emphasised in her press conference at the Zappeion Centre yesterday. She looked confident and pleased, and probably she has good reason. The city looks fantastic.

However, some things keep going wrong with local transport: the tram is not very reliable at the moment, there are signs indicating how long until the next train, but you get stuck in the longest ‘1 minute’ waits ever. The screens never seem to go beyond ‘7min’ to the next tram, no matter whether you have to end up waiting for one hour. On the other hand, the metro and buses seem to work fine.

Street cycling and gallery walks

On the way to finding food, we notice Syntagma in a little chaos. The main road was closed and we wondered whether the torch was about to arrive. Some police confirmed this, though it actually turned out to be the time trial for the road cycling. The bikes whizzed past, one of them even taking a photo while peddling past the government building. Who says Olympians don’t sight see as well? We get some food in what has become our usual, miserable place, though the food is ok and it is quick and convenient. Afterwards, we do a little clothes shopping and then find somewhere else to eat for dinner at around 9pm.

After dinner, we take a stroll to one of the art galleries, which are open from 8pm until midnight during games time. It is all part of the organising committee (ATHOC) official cultural programme, consisting of contemporary exhibits at unusual venues. The building for this one is a block of flats and doesn’t seem too inviting, but the exhibition is beautiful and worthwhile.

The way home, again, is not straightforward. We take the metro to Neo Cosmos, then the tram, though had to wait around 20mins for the tram to get moving. They seem to be having problems with this system. When it works, it is excellent, but we have had difficulties so far.

Press conference with the Mayor of Athens

After obtaining the tickets for the ceremony tomorrow, we head back to the Centre for the press conference with the Mayor. We arrive an hour before, though cannot receive the press packs until 45 minutes before. We take our seats early, a few other journalists are there, though many cameras are already set-up. We speak with a presenter from US television in Colorado, who has a Greek advisor with her. They are both busy constructing the ‘track’ for her recording later. As time goes on, the room fills up, until eventually the Mayor, Dora Bakoyannis, is escorted in. She is an impressive woman, tall and attractive, with a distinct presence. She is dressed in white with a Greek blue Athens 2004 t-shirt. Her hair is immaculate and she is accompanied by an adviser.

The conference lasts for one hour, with first questions from the main media companies, who seem to receive special attention from the chair, though this might just be an impression. Most of the questions are banal; we really wonder what journalists think they are doing. Is Athens ready? Of course. Do Athenians want it? Of course. Is everything wonderful? Of course. No surprises here, though she does still have a way with people that is playful and yet authoritative and uncompromising.

Afterwards, a cocktail reception is held and the Mayor stays for 15minutes or so. The Centre is quite busy now, not much room to find a computer. We check email a few more times and then sit for a while in the massage chairs that are provided by one of the sponsors. Andy receives a phone call from BBC Five Live about his book. Then we head out for some lunch at around 430pm. We don’t seem to get hungry, despite the messy eating times.

Working our way around

The ZPC is quite peaceful at this time. Computers available, though sometimes trouble working out how to change the keyboard settings from Greek to English. The facilities are excellent, though we wonder how much busier it will become and whether there will be enough space. The provision of free lockers is a big help to free-lance journalists. We keep there a change of clothes and every-day material, which accumulates quickly. After a couple of hours emailing and addressing journalists and interviewee correspondence, Andy attends the final minutes of the lecture from Prof. David Young, Olympic historian. The lecture is well attended, though lacks dynamism and the slide show is poorly lit. Afterwards, Andy speaks with the PR person, who could not seem less interested in him. However, Andy speaks with Prof. Young, who is delightful and pleased to make contact. We will try to meet again at the Society of Olympic Historians’ AGM in Athens.

At 1230pm, we take the metro one stop from Syntagma to Akademia, to pick up some tickets for tomorrow night’s welcome torch ceremony. It will take place in the Odeon theatre at the Acropolis. Tickets are free to anyone, but the difficult part is finding that out and then knowing where to pick up the tickets. It is not clear whether it is elitist, but it seems likely. This information is not available everywhere, though we have not yet fully checked the Ministry of Culture’s website.

Museum moments

The morning is a little cooler today, helped by getting out of the house by 9.30am. We managed to catch the bus to Dafni within seconds of arriving at the stop. This was helpful as the last two times we have had to wait around 20minutes for the bus to arrive. At first, we had trouble asking for tickets in Greek and finding a kiosk, but were assisted by an English speaking Greek woman. This is essential where we are staying, though even those who do not speak English try to help. We arrive in Syntagma square around 10am, wondering about some breakfast. At first, we see the fancy café on the square and sit to eat, but decide it would take too long and cost too much. What we want is a quick, tasty breakfast, or, failing that, just a quick one. We decide to walk to one of the museums and on the way grab a croissant and a frappe. The museum is just five minutes to the north west of Syntagma, it is the Old Benaki Museum. The museum is beautiful, full of classic items from antiquity and more recent times. The building is four stories high with ornate decorations and a view towards the Panathenaiko stadium. We spent at least 40 minutes there. There were few people attending, but we saw at least one female athlete walking around on her own.

Accreditations and security

One of the problems with wearing any form of accreditation is that you do not really know if people change their approach to you just because you are wearing something official. We do not stand out like the fully accredited Olympic family. Our accreditation looks less official and most people probably would not have heard of the Zappeion Press Centre, though all Athenians do know the Zappeion building, which sits just inside the park adjacent to Syntagma. The building has a long Olympic history, having been the headquarters for the first Olympics in 1896. It is possible that we look more official, or simply official in a different way, as our accreditation clearly indicates ‘Zappeion Press Centre’. In contrast, media accredited to the main press centre or International Broadcast Centre, do not have this information clearly visible. All officially accredited people – athletes, coaches, camera people, presenters, IOC members – have the same kind of accreditation and their specific affiliation is in very small print, too small to catch unless you have excellent eye sight. After the museum, we walk through the park to Zappeion, taking the route through the zoo and the maze of paths that surround the building. For the first time, the guard seemed interested to check our accreditation, perhaps an indication of the heightened security, given that the Mayor of Athens is presenting today. Though perhaps this is just a coincidence. We make it through the x-ray machine, following a couple of broadcasters who are worried about their expensive cameras.

Back to Athens

After the conference, we took train back to Athens and had dinner there with a friend from University of British Columbia, Canada. The city is thriving – and restaurant prices roaring!! We do not get home until 1am, after taking a metro to Dafni and then getting into a taxi with a driver that tries to scam us by taking unnecessary long turns in the area. We jump off at the first opportunity but then feel we are in the middle of nowhere. A bit scary considering that we are carrying laptops and all the material gathered during the Congress.

The tram services that are to run late every night during the Olympic fortnight are not yet fully operational. As it is common in most Olympic host cities in the final days before the Games, travelling at night is a bit messy but we end up managing well. We find a nice old lady in one of the lonely streets who offers some useful – in English! – advice about how to get back to our place.

Congress in Progress

What is most noticeable about the Pre-Olympic this year is the presence of social science and humanities research. There are a lot of papers discussing the law and philosophy of sport, which were not quite so present in Brisbane 2000. However, Brisbane was an important stage towards this presence and the role of John Nauright in 2000, who was able to put a lot of social science on the programme, was greatly appreciated. It is encouraging that some of the sport science congresses are now opening up to the less hard sciences. The ECSS meeting is also a good indication of this and its numbers are also quite staggering – around 1800 in 2003. In the evenings we have the chance to explore a bit of the city. Thessaloniki has great food to offer, very different from the excessive touristy bias that tends to predominate in Athens most popular spots (there is not really a Plaka here, but rather plenty of little squares full of local unpretentious flavour).

Pre-Olympic Congress in Thessaloniki

The International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) Pre-Olympic congress is the largest Sport-related congress on the calendar. This year it is taking place in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece at the border with Macedonia. We have a very nice train ride from Athens with views of the changing Greek landscape, including mount Olympus and the sacred hills of Meteora.

We get a nice first impression of Thessaloniki, one of four Olympic cities around Greece hosting the football tournament. The city is full of Olympic banners, but has a very different feel to Athens. The air is cooler, the buildings have a marked Turkish and Macedonian influence and there is not the chaos of Olympic preparations that pervade in the capital. The trip from the train station to the hotel is very straight forward. Upon arrival we met one of the Congress delegates in the station and both proceed to ask for information from the unaffiliated info stand. Hotel very pleasant, even a small glimpse of the ocean and not too far from the Congress venue.

The congress opening ceremony is around 6pm and includes MANY welcomes from officials, including Patrick Schamash, the IOC representative for Jacque Rogge and high priests from the Greek Orthodox Church coming from Olympia, the birth place of the Ancient Olympic Games. The long and elaborated ceremony offers a first glimpse at Greek protocols which are going to be continued at length throughout the Olympic fortnight all around the country. The evening ends with a range of cultural presentations and – finally! – some nice Greek food.

The Zappeion Media Centre

Our fears of being denied accreditation at Zappeion Press Centre (ZPC), the Athens Olympics non-accredited media centre, are soon dispersed. It is very easy. They have our cards ready on arrival and the place is just great. There is plenty of space to work, free broadband connections, a wide range of display areas with information about Greek culture, the environment, events and business.

Welcome to Athens

Arrival in Athens at 3.30am local time. We have been travelling since 3pm UK time the day before (Monday). We sleep in the airport until 7am. Just over one week before the Games begin, the new airport is looking very tidy and spacious. It was an early flight - arriving around 5am - so we didn't really get to test the airport at its busiest, but all was smooth in any case. We decided to try the bus system into the city, which would drop us off near to our accommodation. The bus actually seemed quicker than other times we have had to travel from the Airport into the city. It had been just under a year since either of us were last in Athens and, on the bus ride alone, it seemed like a different place.

We spend a lot of this day getting re-acquainted with our hosts. We are staying in area called Nea Smyrni, which is not far from the new tram route from the city centre, south towards the port, where some of the coastal sports venues are located. It is a nice neighbourhood 15min away from Athens city centre and other 15m from the coast, the Faliro Olympic complex etc.

First priority was to purchase a new SIM card for the mobile phone! Easily done, but only if you have a Greek friend or can speak a little yourself. This was not the city centre and the area has a very local, community feel to it.

On Route to Athens

The flight from Glasgow was with British Airways. We had expected to see a reasonable amount of Olympic branding, since BA is the UK official carrier. However, there was very little on our journey that indicated we were on our way to the Olympic host city or that the Games were about to begin in just over a week.