Olympic Flame Crosses the Aegean
The Olympic flame is continuing its travels among the white houses of the Aegean islands for the third day running, and is being given a warm welcome. The Chinooks carrying the Flame, on loan from the Greek Air Force, take no more than half an hour to hop from one to another of the islands on the Greek Torch Relay route, part two. The helicopters will take the Flame to a further six islands today, in a broadly northerly direction: Tinos, Andros, Chios, Oinousses, and Mytilini in Lesvos, where the Relay delegation will stop overnight.
The island of Tinos welcomed the Relay this morning, in the shadow of the Megalochari pilgrim shrine. In his address, the mayor of Tinos, Kostas Athinaios, reminded his listeners that the Games known as the "Tinia" - arguably a precursor of the 1896 Games - once used to take place there, and called for them to be revived. On Andros, the seafarers' island, the Flame was welcomed by children in traditional dress who danced in front of the Town Hall. The mayor of Hora spoke for all the inhabitants when he said how delighted they were to receive the Olympic flame for a second time, after it had paid them a visit in 2000.
The Relay will reach Samos this afternoon. There the events organised by the municipal authorities will include a race with Greek and Turkish athletes both taking part and a symbolic flotilla of yachts to the nearby islands of Fournoi and Ikaria islands, to 'pass the message of the Flame'.
Chios, the Relay's next stop, will also showcase local traditions when it greets the Flame. From Chios, the Relay travels by sea to the little island of Oinousses, on the borders with Turkey, where the reception ceremony includes three exhibitions: works by the celebrated Greek painter Mytaras, maps and engravings related to the theme of the 1896 Games, and early editions of Pindar. The events will conclude with a concert by the Argentinian tenor Josi Cura, as the Flame departs for Mytilini, the last Relay destination of the day. Here the Torchbearers will be accompanied by the town band and by local music groups in traditional costume playing traditional folksongs of Lesvos. The closing event will be a concert by Miltos Paschalides in Mytilini Castle.
Wednesday saw the Flame in the isles of the Cyclades, white and blue in all their splendour, to match the dozens of Greek flags decking the town. It was welcomed with songs and dances. Six islands received the Flame: Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Mykonos, and Syros.
In Santorini, the reception ceremony was held in Fira, overlooking the Caldera, the bay left by the crater of volcano. In Sifnos, the arrival of the Flame was celebrated to coincide with the opening of the island's new Gymnasium. Local bands and dance groups contributed to the event's traditional colour.
At Paros, the Olympic rings were formed by five folk dance groups in traditional costume, and fishing smacks lit with torches were to be seen behind the ceremonial platform. One of the Torchbearers was the popular Greek singer Giannis Parios, the most famous Parian in Greece.
In Naxos, the ceremony was held at the site of the temple of Apollo. This was a double celebration for the island, as the arrival of the Relay fell on the feast of St Nikodemos. Popular actor Spyros Papadopoulos was one of the Torchbearers for Naxos.
Mykonos welcomed the Flame to the strains of the local choir performing songs by world-famous Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. This was followed by a concert by six singers from various countries (France, Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, and Greece). Among the Mykonos Torchbearers were actor Giannis Zouganelis and journalist Irini Nikolopoulou.
Wednesday's last stop for the Torch Relay was Syros, where the celebrations reached their climax in front of the imposing Town Hall at Ermoupoli. The closing event was a concert by Lavrentis Mahairitsas and Christos Thivaios.
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