Fat wallet is needed in Greece

ATHENS, Greece – Greece is busting its budget to host the Olympics. There are fears the same could happen to those coming to Athens for the Aug. 13-29 games.

Rising oil prices have jump-started Greek inflation, which some analysts believe could hit about 4.5 percent this summer. The development minister, Yiannis Papathanassiou, has tried to get retailers and other merchant groups to agree to hold down prices during the games.

But the appeal could be a hard sell in a free market. There’s also the prevailing belief that the Olympics could be a rare opportunity to cash in with tourism to Greece on the decline.

Elder Bush to attend

Plans by former President George Bush to visit Athens during the Olympics are being hailed by Greek organizers as a major plug for the city’s security effort.

“I am very confident the Olympics will be successful and safe,” Greek Premier Costas Caramanlis was quoted as saying in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. “After all, what better vote of confidence can you have than a (U.S.) president sending a former president, who is also his father, to the games?”

Caramanlis met May 20 with the current White House occupant, George W. Bush.

The elder Bush often takes summer vacations in Greece aboard the yacht of the Latsis shipping family.

Port support

Greece’s military has been studying the possible methods of a maritime terrorist attack. The training seeks to anticipate any potential threat to the more than 13,000 dignitaries, IOC officials and others who will stay aboard cruise ships in the busy port of Piraeus.

“The armed forces have adapted their doctrine to face these threats,” Greece’s defense minister, Spilios Spiliotopoulos, told the Associated Press.

He said the VIP list on the ships include members of the British royal family, but he declined to say who may come. The centerpiece of the flotilla expected in Piraeus will be the Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest cruise ship.

Buckingham Palace says no members of the royal family are coming to the Olympics in an official capacity. It’s possible, however, some could attend in other roles. Princess Anne, for example, is an IOC member and is almost certain to attend.

Test run

Athens checked off another item on the Olympic to-do list Friday. Well, almost.

Transport Minister Michalis Liapis took a ride on the city’s brand new suburban railway from Athens’ main downtown railroad station to the International Airport. The 20-mile journey took 50 minutes – including a 10 minute break for drinks and sandwiches – and passed crews of workers in orange vests struggling to complete stations on the way. The train driver constantly blew the horn to make sure workers stayed off the line.

The train was pulled by a diesel locomotive, however. The overhead electrical lines are not yet ready.

“The test was successful … the workers have made this possible with their selfless hard work,” said Liapis, fingering a set of worry beads

He said the new service would open to the public in mid-July. Project officials couldn’t give an exact date but said the suburban would “definitely” be running before the Olympics.

Chilling out

There’s another good reason to visit the Olympic flame – to stay warm.

Greece experienced one of its coldest winters in decades and Mother Nature is still not ready to let up. There have been no extended periods of the warm and sunny weather that, according to the Greek Meteorological Service, are “typical of the Mediterranean climate.”

In the last week of May – when beaches are typically packed – coats and sweaters were being worn.

The flame leaves Athens on Wednesday to begin an unprecedented round-the-world journey. It should feel right at home in its first stop: Australia. It’s late fall there.