Cheesy Olympics Trivia and Funnies!

The Summer Olympics in London have been great fun to watch and I'd like to say, "Well done, Brits!" Searching for fun Olympics trivia to share, I was surprised to learn that one of my favorite desserts, cheesecake, made its debut at the First Olympics in Greece in 776 B.C. Yep, cheesecake goes all the way back to the first Olympic games. Cheesecake was created on the Greek island of Samos and small cheesecakes were served to athletes to give them energy and endurance.

Ancient Greek athletes running after eating cheesecake,
and saving on laundry bills! 

Of course, we have no pictures of those athletes eating cheesecake because it was so yummy they ate it up right away before anyone got out their papyrus and reed pen to make a drawing. But let's imagine this picture depicts our ancient Greek athletes full of energy, ready for the Olympic games after eating cheesecake.

Oh, did I mention that those first Olympians (all male) competed in their birthday suits? Au naturel all the way! They competed in the nude as a tribute to the Greek god Zeus and to celebrate the human body (sure saved on laundry bills!).

Athletes used olive oil (extra virgin, of course!) to keep their skin smooth, protect it under the hot sun and give them an appealing appearance as they competed. Participants trained for the event. The word "gymnasium" comes from the ancient Greek word "gymnos" meaning "naked." Judging from this statue of an ancient Greek Olympian, these guys worked out at the Coliseum gym!

Discobolus (Discus Thrower), ancient Greek sculpture

More Ancient Olympics Trivia:

• The sade (or stadion), a footrace, was the only recorded event at the first Olympic Games in Greece. (A footrace in their birthday suits; that must have been a sight...or treat!...for sore eyes.)
• The first recorded Olympic champion was a baker, Coroebus from the Greek city state of Elis, who won the footrace at the first Olympics in 776 B.C. (Bet he was the guy who made the cheesecake!)

The first Olympic champion showing off the benefits of olive oil, fresh air and cheesecake!

• Ancient Olympic champions were crowned with olive wreaths and awarded red ribbons. Victors endorsed products (yep, the first commercial endorsements) and posed for sculptures. 

Ancient Olympian receiving an olive wreath and red ribbons
(Epiktetos Painter, 520 - 510 BC)

• Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, was a double Olympic winner of the Pankration, a martial arts event. Not only was this philosopher a martial arts champion, he mentioned cheesecake in his writings and it's said he had a cheesecake recipe. (Still searching for that one!)

Ancient Papyrus List of Olympic Victors
(That hole at the bottom is where someone ripped out the cheesecake recipe!)

London Olympics Trivia:

• Cadbury's Chocolate is the official chocolate of the 2012 London Games. (There should always be official chocolate!)

Cadbury Chocolate Olympic Medals. If you don’t win a medal you can still eat one!

• The mascot of the 2012 London Games is Wenlock (named after Wenlock Edge in Shropshire, England, home of the modern Olympic games). Cute in an odd sort of way but seriously, my British friends, I'm thinking Cyclops here, sorry...LOL! Does get your attention though with that all-seeing eye that is supposed to represent a camera.
  

  

  Wenlock, London Games mascot

  OK, before any citizens of Great Britain toss their tea and crumpets at my blog...LOL! (only kidding!), I will admit that Whatizit (later called Izzy because Whatizit is probably the most ridiculous name ever!), the mascot of our 1996 Atlanta Games here in the U.S., was rather odd too. Still don't know what it was!  

Mascot of Atlanta Games...what was it anyway?!

• Have you heard about the movement to make Cheese Rolling an Olympic Sport? There's a petition and even a Facebook page for it! Didn't make the 2012 games but I'll support it for the 2016 Rio games. Looks like fun! Hey, I think I can even do this sport! Oh just imagine the fun if the sport of cheese rolling catches on...LOL!
  
  
  

  

  Cheese Rolling….Look even Prince Charles is doing it!
  Image from Robert at Mulled Madness
  

  
  

• What about making Jazzy Scooter Gymnastics an Olympic event? I like it! Saw this video and couldn't stop laughing! Sharing it here (with permission from the very funny ladies who made the video). 

SalGal Tries out for the Jazzy Scooter Gymnastics event, too funny!!

More Olympics Funnies:

©2012 JerseyLil’s 2 Cents
Trivia compiled from Wikipedia and NBC Olympics. Images (unless otherwise credited) are in public domain from Clker.com and Wikipedia sources. Silly writing, all mine!

Nice Piece of History with an Outside Toilet!

Hackford House in London where Van Gogh lived.

I am a big fan of Vincent Van Gogh so when I read that the London boarding house where he lived from 1873 to 1874 was sold at auction I just had to know more. It seems there was not much in Vincent’s life without drama, and the year he spent living on the top floor of the three-bedroom Victorian on Hackford Road at age 20 was no exception. He earned a nice income working for art dealers on Southampton Street, had outings with friends and wrote cheerful letters to his brother, Theo. It's also where he experienced his first crushing heartbreak. 

Before delving into Vincent's romance, a little bit about the house. As you can imagine, it sold very quickly at auction for over half a million dollars. I would have loved to own that piece of history but I’m afraid the few bucks I offered as a down payment were politely rejected. I tried to sweeten the deal by throwing in photos of my beautiful dogs, along with a lifetime supply of chocolate, but alas, no deal. Perhaps I should have offered dark chocolate!

The property at 87 Hackford Road on the south side of the Thames River was once in a fashionable district but has since gone downhill. The house is in need of repair and has certainly seen better days, but it still retains the original cast iron fireplaces and an ever-so-handy outside toilet!! (If I owed the place, I’d decorate that outside toilet with both Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” and “Landscape Under a Stormy Sky,” very fitting, I think!)

There’s an English Heritage blue plaque on the outside of the house honoring the artist. According to letters he sent to his brother, Theo, Vincent spent some of his happiest days at Hackford House. He loved that house so much he even made a sketch of it.  

Van Gogh’s sketch of the Hackford House

Young Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent was a starry-eyed romantic and this house is where the 20-year-old artist fell deeply and hopelessly in love for the first time. He was smitten with the landlady’s 19-year-old daughter, Eugenie Loyer. He offered her a passionate marriage proposal but she declined. Some say Van Gogh’s subsequent mental breakdown can be traced back to the heart-wrenching rejection of his tender love for Eugenie. (Well, at least he kept his ears at this point!)

Perhaps Van Gogh was too intense for Eugenie. Can you imagine the guy out on a date sitting at a café...“Those flowers on the table are not brilliant enough. Hand me my paints, I’ll fix that!” Or strolling along under the stars at night…“My dear, these stars are much too pale. Where’s my canvass? I shall paint a truly starry night befitting your beauty!” "Oh Vincent," Eugenie may have said, "I only wanted a nice stroll along the Thames and a cup of tea."

Eugenie Loyer

I searched but was unable to find any sketches or paintings Vincent had done of Eugenie. But I am certain he sketched or painted his love. How could he not? The guy was full of emotion and young love! Perhaps he tore them up or painted over the canvass, unable to bear the heartbreak. Ever the romantic! We may never know.

Vincent eventually moved away, paintbrushes in hand and both ears intact. Ah, the pain of unrequited love! But he went on to do some of his best work. Brilliant, talented, sensitive, and perhaps mentally unstable, Vincent Van Gogh has left us beautiful, vibrant artwork, and a life so full of emotion and drama that you can write endless tales about him. Thank you, Vincent! I hope the new owner of your London home will honor your memory, fix it up and turn it into a museum for art lovers. I’d like to suggest a space dedicated to young, aspiring artists, like Vincent was when he lived there. And I will gladly visit and bring the chocolate!

Video tour of the Hackford house before it went on auction. Shows the top floor where Vincent lived, the garden and outside toilet.

© 2012 JerseyLil’s 2 Cents.