LONDON (AP) -- Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:
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FURTIVE GLANCES
Right now the party is starting out like all parties. Everyone is in their own group of friends. They are eyeing each other across the room - stadium. They are making furtive glances at the other groups. It's just going to take one person to cross over, or a random hug. Then I think we'll see them coming together.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter -http://twitter.com/fergb
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BROOM CREW
During the London riots about this time last year, crews of average citizens came to sweep up. And there they are again, a tribute to the people who loved their city and decided to clean it up after the trouble makers smashed windows and stole things.
- Danica Kirka - http://twitter.com/danicakirka
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ATHLETES IN THE HOUSE
The musical stars got us this far, but now it is the time of the athletic stars here in London's east end. The athletes are joining the party - now things can really get started. Athletes: Take your position in the mosh pit.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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'FINDING OUR VOICES'
Emeli Sande sings a lyric that could apply to Britain right now, after these Olympics: "We're finally finding our voices."
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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DAVIES - ANACHRONISTIC?
When it comes to The Kinks frontman Ray Davies, I'm feeling a little bit lost. This is way before my time. The crowd seem to be enjoying it but I think the younger members of the audience would rather have had a second number from One Direction.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter -http://twitter.com/fergb
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BIG BUILDUP
The flash bulbs went crazy as a hot young band - One Direction - took to the stage. The crowd also got a lot louder and the rhythm is getting fast. We are definitely seeing a build up to something big here.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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WATERLOO SUNSET
Ray Davies, looking older but his voice as strong as ever, sings his most beautiful composition, "Waterloo Sunset." So many Americans of my generation (I'm 44) learned what they knew about Britain from not only the Beatles and the Stones, but Davies' Kinks, who - led by his lyrics - took a history lesson about Britain's working and middle classes without ever knowing it.
- Ted Anthony - Twitter http://twitter.com/anthonyted
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PARTY, PARTY, PARTY
AP's Danica Kirka shares her impressions of the closing ceremony from her seat in Olympic Stadium:
"There's just a fantastic vibe in the stadium. Part street party, part celebration of all things Britain. The Household Calvalry in all their gorgeous red coats and bearskin hats. So very aren't-we-proud to be British."
- Danica Kirka - Twitter http://twitter.com/danicakirka
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A DAY IN BRITAIN'S LIFE
Interpretive dance being done to the Beatles' "A Day in the Life": "Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head." No sign of Sir Paul McCartney live this time yet, though.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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MASHUP!
This seems to be a mixture of the various kinds of street parties you see in London throughout the year. The brightly colored floats could come straight from London Gay Pride, while the army bands make it seem like a military parade.
Kim Gavin, the artistic director, said this was going to be a "mashup." He wasn't kidding!
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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SIR WINSTON?
Here's something you don't see every day: An actor playing Sir Winston Chruchill popping out of Big Ben to get things going.
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A PRINCE WATCHES
Prince Harry gets a prime spot. He has certainly been very visible during the games, making appearances at a lot of events.
But really so many see him as a party boy, so it seems only fitting that he presides over this massive party.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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'WHERE DANNY BOYLE LEFT OFF'
AP's Fergus Bell, a Londoner, shares his impressions of the closing ceremony from his seat in Olympic Stadium:
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LONDON OLYMPICS: CURTAIN FALLS
With Olympic Stadium bathed in blue light and a choir singing, the London Olympics has begun its closing ceremony. Among the first songs in what's expected to be a musical journey through the nation: The Beatles' "Because," based on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" played backward.
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CLOSING OPENS
Closing ceremony, London Olympics: It has begun.
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LONDON'S SKYLINE
The London skyline - changing every year, yet always recognizable - is taking center stage inside the Olympic Stadium for the closing ceremony: Big Ben, Albert Hall, St. Paul's Cathedral. They're all being celebrated as the countdown begins to the musical extravaganza billed as a tour through British musical history.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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OBAMA ON OLYMPICS
U.S. President Barack Obama is congratulating British Prime Minister David Cameron and the people of Britain on "an extremely successful Olympic Games," the White House reports.
Both leaders commended the exceptional performances by both the Olympic teams of the United States and Great Britain," the White House statement says. Obama also thanked Cameron "for hosting so many US athletes and fans."
- Julie Pace - Twitter http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
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READ ALL ABOUT IT
Newspapers are figuring strongly in the backdrop of the London Olympics closing ceremony, with a montage of newsprint lining the stage, on cars and pasted on landmark props.
The big screens offered newspaper headlines with classic sayings like "All the world's a stage," or "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" and "We are such stuff as dreams are made of." It's showing the connection between Britain's literary past and its tabloid present.
All we need now is for someone to turn up from the Leveson inquiry, the ongoing investigation into Britain's rough-and-tumble journalism world.
- Danica Kirka - http://twitter.com/danicakirka
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WARMING UP
The predominantly British audience seems to have lost some of the reservation on show 16 days ago.
When the pre-show for the closing ceremony started, the cheers were loud and required very little prompting. They are happy to "clap, cheer and wave" as instructed. The Wave also worked its way around the arena spontaneously a few times.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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QUEEN WEIGHS IN
Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, has a message for subjects who competed in the 2012 Olympic Games:
"Congratulations."
The queen, who was an unlikely star of the games' opening ceremony, says athletes from the U.K. and the Commonwealth - the successor organization to Britain's colonial empire - had performed admirably. In a statement, the 86-year-old monarch says the Olympians had "truly captured the public's imagination."
She also congratulated game organizers "as well as the thousands of volunteers who have epitomized the Olympic spirit through the warm welcome they have shown."
The queen delighted millions of Britons when she appeared in a brief movie during the Danny Boyle-directed opening ceremony.
In the film, she appeared to leap from a helicopter alongside James Bond, played by Daniel Craig.
No word on whether she plans to reprise the stunt tonight.
- Raphael Satter - Twitter http://raphae.li/twitter
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RIO ON DECK
Sunday's closing ceremony in London kicks off a race against the clock for 2016 host Rio de Janeiro.
Many wonder if this notoriously laid-back beach city will be ready to handle the global sports showcase - but officals are admanant that it can.
"We'll get a few cold sweats but this is normal. We are on time and going according to schedule," says Leonardo Gryner, CEO of the Rio 2016 organizing committee.
Brazilians regard the 2016 Olympics as their grand entrance onto the world stage. Hosting the 2014 World Cup should also give them some practice.
But with massive building projects like hotels, roads and stadiums, not everyone is convinced.
"While the Brazilians will undoubtedly pull together a great party, the hangover will last for a generation," said academic Christopher Gaffney.
-Jenny Barchfield
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SOLD OUT
The viewing area in Hyde Park is sold out for Sunday night's closing ceremonies.
An electronic sign warns park goers not to buy tickets from touts - the term used here for scalpers - and another shows that it's a 30-minute wait to go through security into the viewing area.
One man offering to buy extra tickets told a young lady that 150 pounds (about $225) would get her only one ticket.
The buzz outside the gates: that the closing ceremonies will be like concert, and young adults are trying hard to find a good place to watch.
- Jenna Fryer - Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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US BOSS: FAVORITE MOMENTS
Just got off the phone with Scott Blackmun, CEO of the USOC, and asked him for his favorite moment during an Olympics in which his team won more medals (104) and golds (46) than anyone.
Surprisingly, his answer had nothing to do with any of those victories.
Instead, he pointed out a pair of fourth-place performances - by Sarah Groff in triathlon and Margaux Isaksen in modern pentathlon. Each missed the podium by only a couple of seconds. These are athletes who train in almost total obscurity in sports in which the Americans have very little history of Olympic success.
"You watch them train for four years and come within an inch of the the medal and barely miss it, but deal with it so gracefully," Blackmun says. "It's an inspiring thing to watch. Real cool."
- Eddie Pells - Twitter http://twitter.com/epells
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DOORS OPEN
Rehearsals for London's closing ceremony are over. The props that might give anything away to the crowd are being quickly taken out of sight. The artists are clearing the stage.
- Fergus Bell - Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb
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SPAIN'S SILVER
With scratches on his nose and a nearly blackened right eye, Pau Gasol trudged off the court with a silver medal around his neck. Again.
For the second straight Olympics, Spain took the mighty Americans to the wire before falling just short, 107-100.
Gasol scored 24 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. But it wasn't quite enough.
He says he's proud of his silver, especially knowing what Spain was up against.
"We were close," he says. "But you almost have to play the perfect game to beat them."
- Jon Krawczynski - Twitter http://twitter.com/APkrawczynski
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FIRE: OLYMPICS UNAFFECTED
"We've not seen a fire of this size in London for several years. It's certainly a dramatic end to the Olympics for the London Fire Brigade." - London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson, on the recycling-center fire seven miles east of Olympic Park that sent a plume of smoke up over the city. There have been no injuries. Adds Dobson: "I would like to reassure people that we are still able to attend incidents across the capital and the fire cover we're providing at the Olympic venues has not been affected."
- Raphael Satter - Twitter http://raphae.li/twitter
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QUICKQUOTE: 'EVERYTHING TO ME'
"It means the world. It means everything to me." - LeBron James of the United States on winning the gold medal.
- Jon Krawczynski - Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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EDITOR'S NOTE - "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.