MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Excitement is building in the southern French city of Marseille, where a majestic three-mast ship carrying the Olympic torch arrived from Greece ahead of a welcoming ceremony at sunset Wednesday.
Paris Games organizers have promised “fantastic” celebrations in the city, where the Old Port has been placed under high security.
The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. It left Athens aboard a ship named Belem, which was first used in 1896, and spent twelve days at sea.
More than a thousand boats will accompany the Belem’s parade around the Bay of Marseille. The ship will dock on a pontoon that looks like an athletics track in the Old Port.
The welcoming ceremony at dusk on Wednesday will include a demonstration by the jets of the Patrouille de France, the acrobatic team of the French Air Force.
“The return …