Another opening, another show

It's officially Opening Ceremony time (or will be in two and a half hours) and I am sitting in a seat that is not all that comfortable waiting for the action.

I got here early because I know it was a tough ticket to get, even for the media, so as soon as I finished up at this morning's figure skating, I got the train back to the Main Press Center for a few minutes and then caught the special media bus to take us to the Opening Ceremony.

The trip was a short one and the process to get into the stadium was not that bad, though they did make me dump my water so I had to buy some once I got inside. And the old guy that I am didn't like the stairs, but waiting for the elevator wasn't too appealing either.

So, I am sitting here waiting for things to begin, so a good time to look back on a couple of days now.

The issues I have had so far are mostly just things I need to learn. I have to figure out exactly how to navigate the public transport system, though I am slowly getting that. And in fairness, I only have two more days of it before I'm up in the mountains and all my transport will be by media bus. And getting in and out of venues will always be an issue until you go multiple times and know exactly where to go.

So far, everyone I have met has been friendly and helpful. There was talk coming in that Milan was not ready for the Olympics, but you would not know that by the experiences I have had. I understand one of the hockey rinks was coming together at the last minute, but in fairness, I think there's always something that waits until the last minute. And there does seem to be a good amount of Americans here, much like Paris this summer. 

I will certainly have more to report tomorrow once the Opening Ceremony is in the books. But now, I will wait for Tom Cruise to soar down from the roof of the stadium.



A panoramic look at the inside of Milano San Siro Stadium as the Opening Ceremony is a short time away.

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