Official visitors have begun to arrive for the Athens Games. Tuesday former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, his wife Barbara, and his twin granddaughters arrived at Athens Airport and immediately flew to Kavala in North Eastern Greece on a military helicopter where they boarded a luxury yacht that will also carry 20 FBI agents.
Although President Bush won’t be staying on the largest cruise ship in the world the Queen Mary 2, which docked at the port of Pireus early Wednesday, there is speculation that British Prime Minister Tony Blair accompanied by his family will be among the cruise ships high profile guests for a few days. The luxury liner will also be home to about 1,800 visitors. The ship weights 151,400 tonnes and is one of several cruise liners in Pireus that will serve as floating hotels for visitors throughout the Games. Upon arrival two coast guard patrol boats and a helicopter accompanied the ship.
Bars and nightclubs will have extended hours during the Games. They will be allowed to remain open until 4:30 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday and all day on Friday and Saturday, on national holidays and the eve of Saints’ feast days. Bar and nightclub owners will be allowed to reopen their premises at 6 a.m. on days that restrictions apply.
The only store outside of the European Union that is permitted to sell official merchandise for the Athens Games is located in Toronto’s Greektown. The store is run by Sotiris Buseas, a 34-year-old Toronto resident who was born in Greece. According to the Toronto Star 20 per cent of the profits from the store go to Canadian athletes. Buseas said he gets between 300 and 500 customers each day but during last week’s Greek food festival in Toronto he said there were about 50,000 people in the store. Buseas said during the Opening Ceremonies Friday his store will be closed.
