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OLYMPIC EVENTS
TORINO 2006 2nd PART

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From day 5 to day 10 (February 15 to 20)
Day 5, February 15 - 2006
We decide to make a laundry today. Funny idea! we do not manage to make start the machine and moreover, with our various tests, we have neither hot water any more nor heating! We arrive, we do not know very well how, to start again. We go to the Carrefour Supermarket to make some provisions. After the lunch, we leave for the village sponsor, history of get some gadgets. I am recorded with the press lounge of Coca-Cola with Press Card of Torino Media Center. A person give us a pin and invites us to return when we want for drinking or eating. Small turn at the other sponsors, Samsung, EuroSport, FIAT, Neutrogena and the trading center of Coca-Cola. I leave for Torino Piemonte Media Center, but impossible to actualize my site. Return to the apartment where my joint tenant announces to me that we are without heating nor hot water! Catastrophe, the temperature is cold. We try during more than one hour to restart the boiler, without success, it is 1am, we are tired and will lie down under a mountain of covers!

2006 Torino 15 february

Day 6, February 16- 2006
Early in the morning, I takes the things in hand, and great miracle, I find the good button, all is right and it's good because, it did not make very hot and the friend Philippe left without being able doucher nor to be heated with his races. Another friend, Michel, come to seek some businesses that I entrust to him to bring back to France. As he is in a car, I leave with him to the village sponsor. I remain a few moments in the Coke center and leaves to research new gadgets to find. Nothing miraculous, some postcards, a bag, a small turn in the bus of Samsung, what to occupy me a little. I return to the apartment to lunch and set out again for the Center Media. I meet there the friend Marc who occupies himself of the update of his site. We exchange some small tricks relating to our respective sites and of the pictures. We discover that we profit from a rack reserved for our name with documentation. Philippe joined us a little later, we go to a tasting of local products organized all the days to the Center Media. Very nice!

2006 Torino 16 february

Day 7, February 17 - 2006
Philippe left early, his races are at 10am and there is 3h way to join the site of the cross-country. I am delayed a little at the apartment before leaving for the center media. While arriving, small stop at the house of Vancouver in the hope to see Lucile. What a chance, she is there! We discuss one moment with the sun. Students of the university George Washington in the USA, seeing us, ask to us whether we agree to answer a survey relating to our vision of the Olympic Games. Sure, we accept, the gift is a .....pin!
A little later I take along Lucile to the Media Center, as she does not have the pass, I give her my bag Torino Piemonte Media Center and we go together without problem. No particular controls, they know me now! I benefit from it to pass some important phone calls and to check my mails.
We set out again together, it takes along me to the house of Canada, I take some small flags with the colors of Vancouver 2010 which I reserve to the children schools that I will visit after the Games. We go to her hotel located opposite the Porta Nuova and we separate, I leave towards Palavela where the competition of dance proceeds on ice.
I meet Irina and Igor, my Russian friends. I remain one moment with them, then we leave to eat in the shopping center of Lingotto and to make some provisions. The day ends in a small passage in the center of media, I must communicate some informations to be likely small to obtain a guest pass for the Olympic village.

2006 Torino 17 february

Day 8, February 18 - 2006
Meet at the Porta Nuova station with my canadians friends and Philippe. We go to Sestrière and Club France. With our passes we enter without problem as all our friends who can get one temporary. We drink together with the athletes. Franck PICCARD, silver medal in Albertville is present and nicely agrees to sign some autographs and to make pictures. Florence BAVEREL-ROBERT Torino 2006 gold medal in biathlon is also present and signs us an autograph. The TV news sport of France 3 is held on line with a few meters of us. After the end, Henri SANNIER, the presenter, passes among us. We set out again a little later without to have eat because the restaurant is full. We stop with the dresser of France Television which is held in the entry of access to the France Club France and join then our Canadian friends in downtown. Perfect timing, we leave to join the shuttle DOM1 which brings back for us on Oulx. The driver did not know very well the road and it is an Italian volunteer who says by where to pass! The train of the return is almost empty, it is 11pm.

2006 Torino 18 february

Day 9, February 19 - 2006
The pickpockets are always in Torino! my friend Philippe was made steal his purse in the pocket of his wind-breaker in the tram which led it towards the center. Today, it snows on Torino, a heavy snow which leaves a muddy magma after the passage of the cars which circulate. I join Marc in Torino Piemonte Media Center, a lot of interesting documents were placed at our disposal today. We go dinner to the Club France this evening, the buses are rare, we walk in muddy snow. We can be restored of a good hot meal.
Day 10, February 20 - 2006
Early the morning, I decide to go until to Visa (access reserved to Olympians but an information was disseminated saying that the access is possible for press members). It is behind Casa Italia (Valentino castle) on the edges of Pô, in a rowing club. With the entry, one lets me know that it is necessary to be recommended by Olympian (unfortunately, I do not have anybody of Olympian in my relations!) to be accepted. I leave Visa, without forgetting to make a turn in Casa Italia (the window of the Italian Olympic Committee). A splendid place, where one finds the many sponsors of the Italian team. Everyone can go in.
Then, small passage by Omega, history to see whether there is no pins to get. Unfortunately, there is only one hostess for the distribution and I can have only one of them! Direction Piazza Solferino where I must find Edouard accompanied by his wife and his daughter. While waiting for it, I make the turn of the sponsors and finished by Press lounge of Coca-Cola (reserved to the press). I eat some cocktail snacks there by looking at the race of the women super giant.
One serves a hot dish to us (meat and potatoes). Very good. As soon as Carole Montillet finished her descent, I leave to join Edouard who arrived. We make again the turn of the sponsors. We finish by Coca-Cola where we find the collectors. I again accompany them towards Omega, then Medal Plaza and we separate after having recovered in a bank the new coin of 2€ issued by Italy at the time of the Games of Torino. I leave to join Gemma that I invited to come to see the free program of dance on ice in my company, not having succeeded in selling my places at an acceptable price. She is charmed by it. We are placed a little high in spite of the exhorbitant price of these places, but we see the whole of the track. The competition is splendid, we see the difference in difficulties as we approache best.
However, our criteria are not those of the judges and the notes appear sometimes quite unjust to us! But we are profane... After the competition, we are joined by Claude who could follow the competition only behind one curtain because not having a ticket. We will eat a dish of pastes at Gemma and Claude, like it is late, Gemma proposes to me to remain to sleep there. I accept readily.

2006 Torino 20 february



flechegauche Previous: Olympic trips, Torino 2006, part 1, from opening ceremony to day 4 / To be continued: Olympic trips, Torino 2006, part 3, day 11 to closing ceremony flechedroite

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