London 2012: Olympic Flame Lits up

The Olympics are as much about tradition and legacy as they are sporting events, with none so vivid as the lighting of the torch which will now wind its way from Olympia to the Games in London.

Today marked the lightening of the Olympic torch, held in the ruins of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera. It saw actors in ancient Greek costume use a mirror to harness the sun's rays and light the Olympic torch.

Here are the pictures gotten from CNN



Amid the tumbledown columns and olive groves of the ancient stadium in Olympia, the high priestess holds the torch high at the lighting ceremony.

The priestess, played by Greek actress Ino Menegaki, lifts the "Archaic Pot" from which the flame is lit.

The flame was lit in the ruins of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera, where actors used a concave mirror to harness the sun's rays.




More than 8,000 torch-bearers will carry the flame before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in east London on July 27. The first was Greek swimming champion Spyros Gianniotis.

The Liverpool-born swimmer handed the torch to 19-year-old British boxer Alexander Loukos

Loukos grew up in east London, where the Olympic Stadium is situated, but his father hails from Greece. Making its way to Britain, the flame will first take in Greek archaeological sites including the Acropolis and Olympic Stadium in Athens, site of the first modern Games in 1896.



Arriving on May 19 at Land's End in the far southwest of England, it will wind its way through 1,019 communities, carried by 8,000 torch-bearers ~Wish I was one of the torch bearers :)~

The final leg will run from Hampton Court Palace, the former home of King Henry VIII, before arriving at the opening ceremony on July 27.

The flame will burn until the Games end on August 12 -- a tradition that was revived at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Don't you just love the Olympics??? What game are you looking forward to see???

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