LONDON, July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The Olympic Flame has now completed its 70-day journey around the UK where it visited over 1000 UK cities, towns and villages arriving at the opening ceremony of the games tonight in Stratford (July 27).

The flame began its journey on May 10 at The Temple of Hera, Greece.  The torch was lit using the sun's rays in a ceremony held at Ancient Olympia, with the iconic images beamed around the world. If you're thinking about last minute Cheap Greece Package Holidays you could follow in the footsteps of the torch trip in Crete, Larissa, Piraeus, Thessalonica, Xanthi and many other destinations. The flame will then be given to the London 2012 delegation in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, the original site of the first modern games in 1896.  

If you fancy starting a holiday in Athens, you could always take inspiration from the ceremony and make your own journey, flying off to a relaxing island paradise such as Santorini Greece and enjoying a week in the sun, lapping up the rays on some of the best beaches in Europe. Or if you're on a budget and willing to travel slightly further afield you could make the most of discount Cyprus holidays, with temperatures approaching 30 degrees and amazing regional cuisine worthy of the top spot on any gastronomic podium.

The first proud torchbearer was British-born Greek swimming champion Spyros Gianniotis. He's already claimed that 'swimming in London will be like swimming at home' and he is in with a strong chance of a medal at one of this year's events.

The Olympic torch route covered the whole of the UK, from areas of outstanding natural beauty to dynamic built-up urban landscapes. En route the torch was taken within an hour of 95 per cent of people in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, allowing countless communities to showcase the best of their local area and host lively events to celebrate the 'Great Games' coming to the UK.

The torch is a symbol of friendship, peace and unity and the Olympic committee has selected 8000 inspirational members of the British public to act as torchbearers. The gold design of the torch itself is perforated with 8000 circular holes to represent those who will carry the flame.

SOURCE Thomas Cook