It’s a quiet afternoon around Eventing Nation, which is a perfect excuse to daydream about the London Olympics. EN reader and regular scout for eventing links, Beth Collier, is a freelance writer and photographer covering dressage, eventing, driving, and steeplechase racing. After a trip to London in November 2000, Beth has returned to Great Britain every year and the 2011 Greenwich Equestrian Olympic Test Event will be her 12th trip across the pond. She has attended Badminton, Burghley, Barbury Castle, and Highclere horse trials in England, and Floors Castle and Blair Castle Horse Trials in Scotland. She uses her photos for her annual cross-country calendar. Beth’s website is www.BethCollier.com. Beth was kind enough to write this early EN guide to the London Olympics, which are just over 400 days away.
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From Beth:
London is a fabulous city–the public transportation is easy to use and many places are within walking distance. There is also great shopping at Heathrow Airport. London survived the bubonic plague and Great Fire of 1666 and bombing during World War II (The Blitz 1940 – 1941). Amazingly, much of old London still exists. Whether you’re interested in history, art, politics, theater, shopping, or night clubs, there is something in London for you.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled for Friday July 27 at the new Olympic Park in the northeast of London. The equestrian events start on Saturday July 28 with the dressage phase for eventing. Eventing is scheduled for four days, with two days of dressage, then cross-country on Monday July 30 and Showjumping on Tuesday July 31. Pure dressage starts with two days of the Grand Prix Test Thursday and Friday August 2 and 3. The Grand Prix Freestyle takes place on Wednesday August 8. Showjumping starts on Saturday August 4 with the individual finals on Wednesday August 8. For those watching at home, London is five hours ahead of the US East Coast time.
The venue for all three Olympic equestrian events is Greenwich Park, southeast of central London. London will host three main areas for Olympic sports: Central Zone, Olympic Park, and the River Zone (which includes Greenwich Park). There are also venues scattered around Great Britain for sailing, rowing, soccer, and cycling.
For those in the US, Olympic tickets can only be purchased through www.CoSport.com. Tickets for the eventing cross-country cost $120.00 plus shipping. CoSport also has pricey “hospitality packages” which include a hotel room at the Park Plaza Westminister Bridge.
One of the packages includes 5 nights and 4 days of Olympic events (dressage, volleyball, swimming, tennis) for $17,000+. Hotel rates in the Greenwich area are about $300/night. Olympic ticket holders may access London public transportation for free during the Games. The London Olympic website advises that those traveling from central London to Greenwich Park (7 miles) should anticipate two hours travel time.
My favorite and most up-to-date tour guides are from www. RickSteves.com. His guidebooks are compact (both in size and scope) and include all types of travel information from phones to exchanging money. (London Pocket Guide $12.99). I also follow his recommendation to travel light–if you really need something extra, you can buy it in Great Britain.
According to the British Airways website, the best price for a July round trip plane ticket from the Baltimore BWI Airport to London Heathrow Airport is $1,000. When you fly into London you pass right over Windsor Castle and Kew Gardens.
Here’s my favorite tip for getting a soft drink with ice in Great Britain: Go to a fast food place like McDonald’s or Burger King, but ask them to fill the cup with ice first. In most pubs, if you ask for ice they put two mini-cubes into a glass, so wherever you are, make sure you make it clear you want lots of ice. (And don’t bother asking for iced tea)
And in most hotel rooms, you’re likely to have “tea making facilities” and a heated towel rack, but no hair dryer or wash cloth (“face flannel”).
If you’re an anglophile who likes to read British literature from Shakespeare to Jane Austin to Agatha Christie, etc., and you enjoy PBS shows like Fawlty Towers, East Enders, Doc Martin, Sherlock Holmes, Are You Being Served?, Upstairs Downstairs, Downton Abbey, etc., then you’ll like Great Britain.
