Turin takes it to the world!

The biggest circus on earth set up hop in Northern Italy Friday as the organizers of the Turin Olympics welcomed the world with a spectacular that offered much for everyone and left more than a few a little confused. The Italians have spent 34 million dollars on just the opening and closing ceremonies, a thought that must give the Vancouver Organizing Committee fiscally accountable nightmares.

With a bang on an anvil and some flash of flame the games of the XX Olympiad began their journey through the ages, taking the audience, the athletes and the television viewer through the history of the host city and on to the cusp of a new Olympiad.

The march of the participants brought with it some unusual fashion statements, from the Hudsons' Bay Company abominable snowman look of the Canadian team, to the R2D2 Armani togs of the host Italians there was something of interest for everyone, casual observer or fashion critic alike. Even more strange was the selection of music to march the athletes into the stadium, a well tuned ear would relive the golden hits of the disco era of the seventies, a statement that probably made sense to someone in charge, but was never actually fully explained to the audience.

For those that may have missed some of the two and half hour spectacle, Mike Celizic of MSNBC offers up a pretty faithful reproduction of the nights festivities. Eclectic and confusing are just two of the descriptive words he uses in describing what was presented.

From the renaissance era to the latest creation of Ferrari the Italians threw an awful lot out to the audience to try and follow. We now have sixteen days to cram for the final exam, the farewell to the Olympiad known as the Closing ceremonies.