Universiadi Flame Arrives, Snow Hasn't

Well, it isn't quite the exciting event as last year's Olympic games, when the snow arrived late but arrived before the rest of the world. Pinerolo Market day had a tight turn around to get its town square cleaned and spiffed before the flame arrived in late afternoon. They of course managed to get it done. This year's University games are more like spring break in Daytona with out the beach or the crowds. Having said that, there was still a fair gathering of enthusiastic crowd that turned out in Pinerolo today to welcome the Olympic flame for the Games later this week in many of the same venues as last year. A bit of walk down memory lane. Pinerolo has the honor of hosting the curling events again this year like last year's regular and Paralympics curling events. It's an interesting game that when I worked in Austria, the local curling games usually turned into a drinking game somewhere between chugging Red Bull or Schnapps(and I don't mean the syrupy sweet stuff that passes for the real firewater that every bonafide mountain dweller thru out the alps makes for their winter supply).
Today the University supporters were handing out Red Bull to the crowd.
But I digress.
The flame arrived in a little lantern carrier, the torch was lit, and paraded thru town by a variety of flame carriers, but unlike last year instead of walking or running these torch holders were paraded about in a bevy of antique Fiat cars by a local motor club. The cars were stunning. The weather clear and lovely, the mountains pretty bare of snow, but there is still time for a bit of snow to save the day. Perhaps the act of parading the torch around will have the desired effect. We shall hope so.



Pinerolo is the birthplace of the calvary in Italy, so any chance to bring out another type of horse power is welcomed and attended. The horses were amazingly calm and impressively beautiful.

Update> RenneyBA"s Terella latest post talks about their lack of snow in Norway also. Not sure if that is reassuring or not, but Renny's blog is an interesting read anyway.