London 2012: Queen joins Bond at Olympics Opening Ceremony

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The Queen made her acting debut, leaving no one in any doubt that she has a finely attuned sense of humour.

Her family including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the rest of the audience in chuckling as she appeared alongside James Bond in one of the many film segments shown during the Olympics opening ceremony by director Danny Boyle."Good evening Mr Bond," said the monarch to actor Daniel Craig, who'd slipped into 007's tux once again for the occasion, apparently in preparation to escort her to the Games.

With corgis snapping at their heels, the pair then boarded a helicopter bound for the stadium and were apparently seen parachuting downwards.

The unlikeliest Bond girl in the world arrived as if by magic wearing exactly the same elegant peach outfit she'd been wearing on screen – to whoops and cheers and the renewed respect of her people.

In reality the parachutists were actually Gary Connery, playing Her Majesty, and Mark Sutton, in the role of Bond.Directed by Danny himself, the four-minute film was shot on March 27 as the sovereign juggled Diamond Jubilee events.

Nicholas Brown, the BBC's director of Drama Production, told the Daily Telegraph she gave a flawless performance.

"She got it in one take. That's what she does, and she does it very well. She is a professional.

"It was extraordinary to have the two [The Queen and Daniel Craig] together with the corgis. The Palace was terrific about the shoot and we were delighted and honoured that the Queen was involved."

Empty Seats Have Olympic Committee Playing Defense

 

by Vickie Walton-James

 Empty seats and spectators are pictured during the dressage event of the eventing competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Greenwich Park, London on Sunday.

Carl Court /AFP/Getty Images

Empty seats and spectators are pictured during the dressage event of the eventing competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Greenwich Park, London on Sunday.

Today, London Olympic organizers find themselves beating back insults like serves in a gold medal table tennis match.

On Day 1, there were empty seats at wildly popular events like beach volleyball and gymnastics. And even at the Aquatics Center, where Ryan Lochte smoked everybody in the men's 400 individual medley.

Fans who would've gladly paid the exorbitant ticket prices were fuming. British politicians worried that the empty seats made the country look uninterested.

So, officials London organizers and the International Olympic Committee spent the morning giving their side of the story.

Lord Sebastian Coe, the former middle distance runner who now runs the London committee, led the defense.

First, he said, there weren't all that many empty seats. Rather, he said, the venues were "stuffed to the gunnels."

The seats that were empty belonged to members of the Olympic family, he explained. That includes sports federations, athletes, journalists and sponsors. And those people may have been moving between venues or in some other situation that left seats empty.

Coe said the organizing committee already had a program that would offer tickets to area teachers and students. And, he said, soldiers who have been called in to help with security would also be invited to fill unused seats.

At a press conference, his main point was this: These things happen at the Olympics and you can't get too exercised about a few empty seats in the early days.

Sure you can.

"Do you accept that it looks bad, it looks a bit shambolic, that you have to call out the Army to make things look good?" one reporter asked.

Lord Coe was having none of that.

"I don't think there's a single person out there that would think it is shambolic asking the military — given the way they've stepped up to the plate in the last few weeks — if they're in a rest period, if they'd like to watch sport."

(Have you ever heard the word "shambolic" tossed around at an American press conference?)

Another reporter offered to show officials a bloc of empty seats at a men's gymnastics event.

Still, Coe wasn't having it. "This is not something we should be extrapolating dramatically from the first day of an Olympic game."

In addition to helping out teachers, kids and soldiers, the London Organizing committee is pledging to sell unused tickets to the general public when possible.

That's as it should be, says Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. He told the BBC that letting the public have the seats "creates the best atmosphere."

Frankie Fredericks, of the International Olympic Committee, disagreed: "Athletes have trained four years to come and have this chance and I don't think that they look to see if there are 200 chairs empty or 4 chairs empty."

via npr.org

 

The Olympic Parade Of Nations: A Stroll Around The World

As a sports fanatic and traveler who's always been fascinated by the intersection of nationalism and sport, I never miss the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. It's a little like a quick stroll around the world in that you get a look at athletes from 204 countries around the globe.

You can tell a lot about a country based on how their athletes dress and the way they carry themselves. It's also a gas to listen to the broadcasters as they try to find something interesting to say about each country and their contingent. In case you missed the parade last night, here are some of the highlights and lowlights.

Borat Makes a Cameo- As the athletes from Kazakhstan made their way into the arena, I had a premonition that Bob Costas and Matt Lauer were going to say something about Borat and sure enough, they did, making reference to the fact that Borat's version of the Kazakh anthem was played for a Kazakh athlete who won a gold medal at a shooting competition in Kuwait in March.

Andorra's Old Geezer- Costas took comfort in noting that Joan Tomàs Roca, a 61-year-old sports shooter who served as Andorra's flag bearer is a year older than he is. But I don't think Roca's had nearly as much work done.

Coolest Hats- Congratulations to the Olympic contingent from Lesotho, which clearly had the best hats of the evening. Their conical, pointy bamboo hats made them look a bit like Vietnamese rice farmers.

Most Ridiculous Hats: The group from Belize was wearing the kind of hats you'd see on a carnival barker. Why?

Ignominious Distinction: As the athletes from poor Bangladesh entered the stadium, Costas informed American viewers that Bangladesh is the largest country never to win an Olympic medal as their athletes snapped photos and waved to the crowd. Woo-hoo! Now there's something to shout about.

Most Colorful Robes- When the Cameroonian athletes were introduced, I nearly had to adjust my television set. They wore golden robes with almost every color of the rainbow thrown in somewhere. An "A" for effort.

You Wore What? They were only on my screen for a matter of seconds, but I swear the Chilean contingent looked like extras from Zorro the Gay Blade.

Inane Commentary Part 1- Croatia's flag bearer was a handball goalkeeper, prompting Matt Lauer to make one of the evening's dumbest remarks.

"Handball – this is a sport that doesn't have a great foothold in the U.S., but if you're looking to get an Olympic medal, this would be a good sport to take up," he said, seemingly at least half serious.

Right, the sport isn't popular here, so go ahead and take it up, you'll be sure to get an Olympic medal in it.

Um, We Have Nothing Whatsoever to Say About These Countries- Costas and Lauer had something to say about almost every country but in a few cases they just said the name of the country and nothing else. Surely, the Republic of Congo, Cote D'Ivoire and the other snubbed countries are seething this morning.

Smile!- I wasn't surprised that the athletes from North Korea weren't smiling, (you'd be grimacing if you lived there too) but why did the flag bearers from Cape Verde and Armenia look like they were ready to kill someone? I guess they had their game faces on.

A Dig on Badminton and the Danes- Costas introduced the Danish team by mentioning that they were the best non-Asian nation at Badminton. Hmmmm. That probably ranks right up there with being the best at table tennis, excluding the Chinese. And after that ignominious distinction, Costas couldn't resist a dig at the sport writ large.

"And if you're looking for badminton coverage, and who isn't, you can find it on nbcolympics.com," he said.

Nice Boots!- The Czech team was decked out in some snazzy bright blue rubber rain boots, in a nice dig at the notoriously crap English weather.

Please Drug Test the Independent Olympic Athletes Contingent- There were four "stateless" athletes who came out under the Independent Olympic Athletes grouping and they all clearly looked like they were on something. A blonde from The Netherlands Antilles was jumping around more than an extra in a House of Pain video.

Did George Washington Sire Any Children in Palau?- If anyone can explain to me why Palau's flag bearer was wearing what appeared to be a colonial-era wig, please let me know in the comments section.

Give That Man a Meal- Mike Tebulo, a marathon runner who served as Malawi's flag bearer looked like he weighs about 100 pounds.

Coolest Headcovering- Zamzam Mohamed Farah, a track athlete who was Somalia's flag bearer, wore a power blue head-covering with a big star on her forehead. Without knowing what the cultural significance of this outfit is, I can only say that I thought it was the most badass costume of the night.

Giving Nauru a Break- Lauer mentioned that Nauru had the smallest Olympic delegation but failed to mention that it's the fattest country in the world.

Ugliest Shirts- OK, Togo, I'm talking to you here. What was up with the garish, gold floral patterned shirts?

Shiny, Happy Spaniards- As I said from the outset, you can tell a lot about a country based upon how its athletes carry themselves and the Spaniards looked like they'd just come from a bar, befitting their nation's late night party ethos.

Cheer Up Eritrea- So perhaps the Eritrean team has no chance at winning any medals, but why were they so dour looking? Was it the fact that they were kitted out in somber looking gray suits? Or did someone replace their coffee with Folgers crystals?

TEAM USA: Not Tough Enough- I was not a fan of Team USA's Ralph Lauren made-in-China outfits with the big polo player logos and cheesy berets. We want to intimidate people, don't we? I think we could have taken a lesson from American Samoa, which had a Rambo-like shirtless dude in tribal garb leading their contingent. Now he looked tough.

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Middle East, Caribbean

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A Design Lover's Guide to London Apartment Therapy's Design Destination Guide

As one of the world's top tourist destinations, London does many things well. History, culture, food (believe it), and yes, design. The Brits have long appreciated good design, and continue to celebrate examples both past and present. So if you're planning a trip to London, check out our Design Lover's Guide to make the most of your time.

See:

• The Victoria and Albert Museum: This famous museum has been celebrating good design in all its forms since 1852. Lest you think it's all lost crafts and ancient artifacts, the 20th Century design galleries are perfect for lovers of modern design, as are their regular in-depth exhibitions (this summer, British Design and Heatherwick Studio are particularly interesting).

Design Museum London: This is where design aficionados will want to start, to take in the temporary exhibits on everything from architecture and product design to fashion and digital. The shop is worth almost as much time as the museum.

Geffrye Museum: This fascinating museum chronicles the history of the domestic British interior from 1600 to the present day. Walking through the "rooms" is akin to walking through time, and fun for young and old alike. My top tip is to go in December, when each room is decorated according to the Christmas traditions of the time.

National Portrait Gallery: Perhaps not as closely linked to design as the others, but I had to mention my favorite place for a spot of culture in London. The permanent collection here is huge and ever-rotating, and the exhibits are always interesting and digestible in size. If you're around in the summertime, don't forget to check out the annual BP Portrait Prize.

Tour:

• Eltham Palace: It would be a shame to come to London and not take in one of the many gorgeous stately homes. This Art Deco house was built by the ruins of King Henry VIII's childhood home, and is only a short train ride from central London.

2 Willow Road: On the other side of town, 2 Willow Road is a Modernist home in Hampstead, known for its collections of modern art and personal possessions.

Soane Museum: One of London's best-loved museums, the former home of architect Sir John Soane is packed to the rafters with art, sculpture and curiosities. The regular tours are every Saturday, but the candlelight opening on the first Tuesday evening of every month is worth waiting for.

Street Art: Like many large cities, London has a long history of public art. Whether it's independent graffiti artists or sponsored works you're interested in, there's always something to see when wandering the streets of this city. Check out Street Art London for walking tours.

Shop:

• Liberty: London has many famous department stores, but Liberty is, in my opinion, the most beautiful and the most interesting. The Tudor revival building houses fashion, accessories, housewares, art and furniture from big names and small British designers alike.

The Conran Shop: Sir Terence Conran's lifestyle emporium is always worth a browse, and has everything from expensive furniture and lighting to affordable accessories and kitchen items. Check out Heal's and Habitat for similar modern design, as well.

David Mellor: Venerable product designer David Mellor's shop is tucked away next to Sloane Square, and offers up beautiful kitchenware and cutlery. Great for stylish souvenirs.

Antique and Street Markets: Whether you're looking for genuine antiques or retro products and handmade items, you'll find it at one of London's famous street markets. Time Out is a great resource for hunting them down.

Skandium: Sure, you may not have come to London to look at Scandinavian design, but this Knightsbridge store is worth a mention for their array of stock, which covers both big names and new-to-you finds.

Eat:

• Monmouth Coffee: In the land of tea, it can be hard to find a decent cup of coffee with which to start your day. Monmouth is, simply put, the best stuff in town, and it's served in a rustic-chic location to boot.

Ottolenghi: You've likely heard it before but I'll say it again: this is the best lunch of your life. Israeli-born chef Yotam Ottolenghi has four branches of his eponymous bistro across London, each serving up beautiful, inventive and healthy food. My top tip is to skip the mains and order a plate of mixed salads (they're the stars of the show here anyway), which will leave you room for one of the mouth-watering desserts on offer. Also try Ottolenghi's new all-day restaurant in Soho, called NOPI.

Flatplanet: This is my favorite place for a cheap and tasty lunch to fuel a day of shopping. Tucked next to Liberty, Flatplanet serves up gluten-free hot flatbreads and desserts. The interior is relaxed and decorated with a mishmash of mid-century pieces; you'll feel right at home.

Canteen: There are now four branches of this restaurant across London, where traditional British food with a modern twist is the order of the day. Have fish and chips or the pie of the day, but leave room for some Eton Mess or a British cheese plate if you can.

Sketch: This restaurant / bar / music and arts venue is somewhat of a darling of the London scene, and a fun option if you feel like splashing out a little. The food may be French, but the interiors are pure British eclecticism, with each of the different rooms completely unique in design. Come for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, or just a drink at the bar.

Stay:

• The Zetter: A classic boutique design hotel, The Zetter's 59 rooms are each unique, mixing modern comfort with individuality. Located in trendy Clerkenwell, it's also close to some of London's coolest bars and restaurants. Also check out The Zetter Townhouse across the road for a fun twist on traditional hotel style.

Dean Street Townhouse: Simple luxe is the name of the game at this small hotel in the center of bustling Soho. The bar and restaurant downstairs serves up great meals, too.

Hoxton Hotel: Long a favorite in East London, this "budget hotel" has reasonable rates alongside Frette linens, breakfast in bed and modern, chic interiors.

The Boundary: If you liked The Conran Shop, then you'll like The Boundary, Terence Conran's entry into the hotel game. Located in busy Shoreditch, each room is inspired by a different designer or design movement. The attached bakery and food shop Albion Caff is a stylish destination in itself.

High Road House: Not all the cool hangouts are in East London — in fact this members club and hotel is way out west, right between central London and Heathrow Airport. If you're looking for a neighborhood feel, you could do far worse than lovely, leafy Chiswick, and rooms here have style to spare.

(Images: 1. Shutterstock 2. V&A via The English Muse 3. Eltham Palace via English Heritage 4. Liberty by Simon Greig on Flickr, used under Creative Commons 5. Ottolenghi via 101 Cookbooks 6. The Boundary)

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