London 2012 Games Recapped

The London 2012 Olympic Games are over. The Visa Vip Lounge is closed. The children will soon be home. A recap is in order.

The trip started with a automobile ride to Newark, NJ airport. There was a savings of about $200 over leaving from Philadelphia, PA on BA. Upon reflection, my son didn't think the savings was worth the effort.

Tickets to the last individual event for Michael Phelps which were won in a raffle at the lounge by family who had tickets but wanted the Michael Phelps autographed swim caps that my children won at raffle. A trade was negotiated.

The Visa VIP Lounge was a terrific resource for tickets to events at the games,

Nadia Comaneci and Bart Connor

meeting past Olympic medal winners

Photo:VisaVipLounge.com

and dinners by Iron Chef Morimoto.

Team USA Men's Volleyball

They did actually purchase some event tickets.

Women's Football match Team GB vs. Brazil

Women's Football Final Match USA vs Japan

They made friends with

Aussies

Spaniards

South Africans

Irish

Japanese and Americans in Zentais

Other sparkly Americans

and Wenlocks

Because my eldest tried out as a dancer for the opening ceremonies, and will be performing at the opening ceremonies of the Paralympics, they attended a practice session of the opening Olympic ceremonies on July 25th.

They ate at the largest McDonald's restaurant in the world, if only a temporary structure.

They tried to keep dry

and warm

and one of them was awakened at the end of the bus line, in Chingford, several times in the wee hours the morning.

They did a bit of tourist sightseeing. 

Victoria and Albert Museum

Hampton Court Palace

Westminster and London Eye

Went to the theatre

and saw a few musicals.

They also visited the Globe Theatre to see Henry V.

They leave for Heathrow airport on Wednesday. My son is hoping to get bumped off his scheduled BA flight to Newark. If bumped he will opt for a cash payment of around $700. Not a bad gig, if you are flexible with time. $700 isn't a bad day's pay.

I am sure there will be many lasting memories of this trip to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. I hear they are already making plans for Rio.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

How Do Past Medal Winning Olympic Athletes Measure Up?

Below are a few more photographs of past Olympic medal winning athletes standing along side my children.

Nastia Liukin

Nadia Comaneci (in high heels) and Bart Conner

Kerri Strug

Just to give you an idea of scale, my daughters are close to 5'3"/1.3m and my son 6'5"/1.9m in height. I think the medal winners stand head and shoulders above us ordinary people. Even without the help of high heels.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Visa Lounge - More Athletes

My children start each day, during the London 2012 Olympics, with free breakfast at the Visa lounge. It isn't because the breakfasts are personally made by Iron Chef Morimoto. At least I don't think they are. They are good just not the main reason to start at the Visa lounge. My children start their day there because each day there is a raffle for Olympic event tickets. Another reason is that each day there is a different American Olympic athlete at the lounge.

Over the last two days they met Summer Sanders

and Jenny Thompson

and won two swim caps autographed by Michael Phelps. Which they traded for event tickets.

Thank you Visa!


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Autographed Swim Caps Traded for Event Tickets

I got the whole story of how my children got the tickets to the swimming finals on Friday. They didn't win a raffle for the tickets at the Visa lounge, they won two swim caps signed by Michael Phelps. Not really what they wanted to win. They wanted tickets to an olympic event. The person that won the tickets didn't want their prize. They were/are related to an olympic swimmer and already had tickets to the swimming finals. I am not sure who approached whom but the autographed swim caps were traded for the two tickets. That is how they got to attend the historic swimming final events on Friday.

So, here are the youngest two holding the stars and strips at the top of the aquatic center before the events.

Here are photographs of each individually holding the national symbol. I think this is for each FB page. 

It's a good thing that flag isn't much wider than 5'3"(1.6m).



I don't think either of them will ever forget the events on that evening.

Not Missy Franklin's gold medal swim

nor Michael Phelps' historic 17th individual Olympic Gold Medal.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Children Win Men's Swimming Finals Tickets

Received a FaceTime call this morning at 08:30 from my son. He was calling from the Visa Lounge in London.

He and his youngest sister are going to the Men's Swimming Finals tonight. Michael Phelps' last individual event of his career in the men's 100m butterfly.


I didn't get the details because he was talking at a low volume and there was quite a bit of background noise. It sounded like my son-in-law won the tickets and he and my youngest daughter were wearing swimming caps ... I'll get the details when they arrive home in two weeks.


On FB, after reading posts between my married daughter, who lives in London, and my son, I figure the following. She entered her husband's name in a raffle for the tickets at the Visa lounge. His name was pulled. He won the tickets. Since there are four of them in London they paired off, Londoners and Troopers (that is our town here in the USA), and flipped a coin. The Troopers won the toss. The two visiting Americans are going to the finals. I sensed a bit of tension between my London daughter and my son in their FB posts.

I guess two will be inside and two outside enjoying the games.


It is nice to electronically see siblings getting along so far from home. 


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

London 2012 Chase/Visa Lounge - Carl Lewis

My children are getting into the swing of the lounge. Here are all of them and my son-in-law with Carl Lewis. My son-in-law, wearing the Team Great Britain shirt, was only non-US American in the lounge.

We are a tolerant people.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved