When I sat out upon the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events Project I did so fully aware an Olympic year would intersect with my plans.
And, quite frankly, pursuing the goal of seeing 80 of the most iconic sporting events and/or venues must include an Olympiad. That it would be the Winter Games (due to my self-imposed June 2027 deadline for finishing this quest) was OK with me. I have fond recollections of the Winter Games dating (faintly) to Innsbruck (1976), Lake Placid (of course!), and Sarajevo (1984). Along the way, villages such as Albertville, France, and Lillehammer, Norway, have also hosted and always seemed so idyllic when viewing from my living room sofa.
That I was able to make my way to Cortina, nestled in the Dolomites, was a bit of a dream come true. Sure, these Games are splitting time between Milan (Italy’s second largest city) and Cortina and I had plans to visit both, but I’m glad the initial experience occurred in mountains in a tiny village where people milled about and mingled along Corso Italia (Cortina’s main street).
In this special bonus Conversation I’m joined by my wife, Carol, my friend, Tim, and Tim’s wife, Tracey, to discuss what our experience in Cortina was like before we spent a day traveling to Milan for more Olympic fun.