Olympic Torch arrives in Windsor, Ontario!

So, I KNOW what you're thinking....WHY am I soooo infatuated with the Olympic Torch to travel for more than an hour and cross into a foreign country! Well, I'm not really sure....just seemed like a life experience that would be worth having...and I'm still bummed out about not seeing it while I was in Churchill!

So, time drew closer, and my prime spot moved 3 times already, not by my choice..but due to the bringing out of barricades and of course, the 5000+ people who arrived out of nowhere, less than 1/2 hour before the arrival of the Olympic torch! By now, I no longer had the best vantage point, but I could still see the large screen display in the park below where the "celebration" was going on. Until now...everyone had seemed quite friendly and enthusiastic! But...a rather rotund Canadian now entered my area and within only a few moments became quite obnoxious. I'm not sure if he was mentally handicapped or drunk, high, I just don't know. But I was quite irritated to hear him continually scream "I want the torch, I wanna see the *&^$ing torch!" over and over again. I did reassure him that it was on its way and just be patient, that didn't help. Then he started with "*$#^ you America...America sucks!". I had never felt like a foreigner or unwelcome in Canada prior to this, I felt very alone, and very unwanted and unwelcome. After taking in a very deep breath and trying to hold back tears (while telling my mouth not to open and tell him where I was and that I was very offended) I put on my brave face and kept my mouth shut and tried not to look out of place. So much for the torch being a "symbol of peace, hope, inclusiveness, equality, joy and fraternity" as the website touts.

A few moments later, I was ushered to the other side of the street as I was told Olympic vehicles would be blocking my view of the torch, and if I wanted photos, I should cross the street now. Like the 5000 other people WOULDN'T be blocking my shot?? At least I left the mouthy guy behind. Others kind of crowded me out and in order to take photos I had to lift my tripod as far as I could skyward while still being able to depress the button with my right hand! I sooo need a remote for this reason! I thought about going 8 feet behind and standing on the guard rail and leaning against the fence like some others were doing.....but they were probably not accident prone. Better to stay safe and in 1 piece than get the perfect photo. So here you see the city bus and some torch assistants handing out small Olympic and Canadian flags on small sticks to the crowd and next to the bus (in white) a torchbearer from earlier that day! Their outfits were especially designed for the some 12,000 Canadians who will be carrying the torch thru the communities of Canada.

Here's some of the locals proudly waving their flags while bundled up for the chilly evening festivities.

I think I would have been fine on the other side.....too late now!

Coca-Cola and RBC were 2 large sponsors of the torch relay and had special vehicles for the parade.

Now the torch frenzy starts, and everyone starts pushing in excitement!

Here you can see the torchbearer in white carrying the Bombardier-designed torch thru the streets of Windsor on day 55 of the 106 day torch relay throughout 1,037 communities all across Canada.

Below, you can see the torch and flame but not the individual carrying it.

Now, on to the celebration site in the park below....perhaps I may find peace and fraternity...there...