Flame to enter Athens today
Four-and-a-half months after the pagan lighting ceremony at Ancient Olympia, the flame for the 28th Olympiad entered Attica yesterday, and is to be carried through Athens today on its way to the port of Piraeus before returning to the capital tomorrow ahead of its final journey to the Olympic Stadium. The Olympic Flame’s peregrinations through Attica and the capital will cause severe traffic disruptions, in addition to those that will come into effect today in the center of Athens due to a practice run for the weekend’s road cycling event, and on Friday for the opening ceremony. Traffic police yesterday warned that a series of main roads, as well as roads crossing them, will be gradually closed to motorists between 5.30 a. m. and 10 p. m., as some 600 torchbearers run from Marathon, where the flame was kept last night, to Piraeus. The route leads through Aghia Paraskevi, Halandri, Melissia, Kifissia, Pefki, Metamorphosis, Acharnes, Ano Liosia, Kamatero, Ilion, Peristeri, Aegaleo, Haidari, Aghia Varvara, Nikaia and Drapetsona. Then, the flame will be carried aboard a reconstruction of a fifth-century BC trireme warship to Piraeus. It will spend tomorrow night atop the Acropolis. The flame traveled through 26 countries before returning to Greece. Meanwhile, between 4.45 and 7 p. m. today, Athens motorists must avoid a large part of the city center due to the practice cycling run, which starts in Korai Sq and follows Athinas, Stadiou, Aeolou, Patission, Alexandras, Ippocratous, Academias, Kanari, Patr. Ioakeim, Irodotou, Spefsippou, Glykonos, Xanthippou, Cleomenous, Rogakou, Sarantapichou, Paligennesias, Koniari, Mercouri, Anapiron Polemou, Souidias, Gennadiou, Vas. Sofias, Vas. Amalias, Dion. Areopagitou, Ap. Pavlou and Ermou streets.
