Hear ye, Hear ye! Ye olde pagan celebration dedicated to ancient Greek Gods will be held in the summer of 2012 in old and new venues across ye olde city of London. The finest and fittest of top athletes from 200 countries will battle to win the honour of an olive wreath (okay an Olympic medal) and return to their home cities as heroes in boxing, jumping, wrestling, running, you name it; if it involves some physical exertion, someone will compete to be the best at it.

And in a concession to modern times, even women can watch and (wait for it) participate (thanks to the liberal Parisians in 1900!), although some sceptical commentators have suggested a gender confusion amongst the female athletes from certain countries. Never. And never to be outdone in the fashion stakes, the first female gold medallist won this dressed in full length Victorian-style ankle dress; now who said women couldn't multi task...tennis anyone?

The Romans did manage to disrupt them for 15 centuries or so but once resurrected in the most fitting of venues in Athens at the turn of the 19th century, its been gold, silver and bronze all the way (okay the occasional doping scandal and the rest in between). See, what did the Romans ever do for us?

No stranger as host to the games, London played host in 1908 and again just after the divisive days of WWII and cash flow problems; not the case this time around with over ten billion quid in the kitty (damn that gold inflation), a billion of which will be spent on the new London's Olympic Stadium which will host the opening, closing ceremonies and the more exciting track and field athletics.

So if you want to enjoy the atmosphere of a shared showcase of human endeavour then you would better start making plans for your trip now and of course you can combine your trip with a whole host of tourist spots such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the London Eye.
As for accommodation, it's a good job you've come to the right place. Find direct links to great hotel deals for all the 2012 Olympic venues - Olympic Park, ExCel, Greenwich Park, North Greenwich Arena, Royal Artillery Barracks, All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Horse Guards Parade, Hyde Park, Lord's Cricket Ground, Wembley Arena, and Wembley Stadium - and enjoy your trip!