Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

The dresses of the people carrying the country names at San Siro are very striking.

Marie Antoinette meets Space Shuttle.

Image source, Getty Images

The Brazilian outfit is very striking - puffer jacket and puffer shorts, leggings, plus wide-browed hats.

One athlete does a cartwheel - sure it looks impressive, but they'll soon be sweating buckets in that get-up.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Cortina

Having been up to Olimpia delle Tofane this morning, home of the women’s alpine skiing this Games, I simply can not stop looking up at this legendary piste.

From the centre of Cortina you can see the hill all lit up and it really feels like a presence on the town.

There she is, gloriously lit up with the spotlights across the mountain range.

By the way, I can only apologise. My phone will never do this place justice.

Image source, BBC Sport

Ah, here's the big Australian contingent!

They're spread all over the place, including in the San Siro.

They're followed by the Austrians, who are also all over the shop.

In Livigno the flagbearer has clambered onto the shoulders of one of her team-mates to maximise her waving space.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

When the Olympic rings came together in the sky and the fireworks flew, about 20 people in the seats around me got up to take pictures. I did too, truth be told.

That will be one of the abiding images of these Games.

Image source, Getty Images

So, if you don't have athletes based in Milan - and thus far the first five or so countries haven't - you're represented in the San Siro by a performer wearing a gigantic hooded silver puffer jacket and shades, holding an ice block with your name.

You then get to see their athletes stroll onto a catwalk in one of the mountain locations.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

One unusual factor of the opening ceremony here in Milan is that the Greek flag will not enter first.

Greece, as the birthplace of the Olympics, has led the parade of nations at every Winter Games opener since 1924.

But both of their flagbearers are at the Cortina ceremony, so no Greek flag at San Siro.

Image source, Getty Images

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Cortina

Cortina is only a small town so this is quite an ask to have approximately 900 athletes from all different nations parading through these little cobbled streets.

With little room on the streets fans have had to get inventive with where they place themselves.

Those lucky enough to have one of these central apartments have got the best seats in the house.

Image source, BBC Sport

Or maybe it’s these fans at this very well placed and lovely hotel in the centre…

Image source, BBC Sport

Three more rings have arrived, and the five form the Olympic logo, spraying fireworks at the moment of merger.

We're about to start parading athletes...

Image source, Getty Images

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Every Olympic opening ceremony needs a bit of weirdness.

London had Mr Bean on the piano, Milan had the giant papier mache heads.

We have entered a section called the City and the Mountain.

Two rings, representing each location, are steadily converging while being surrounded by the usual phalanx of dancing performers.

The audience have all been given glowing wristbands, and they provide a glistening backdrop as the rings rise with a dancer in each.

Image source, EPA

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Turns out that even with the pace turned down, the Italian national anthem is still a banger.

The rousing finale, echoed by tens of thousands around this arena, was spine tingling.

Princess Anne who is the president of the British Olympic Association is at the San Siro for the opening ceremony.

Image source, Getty Images

We enter a section paying tribute to famed fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September last year aged 91.

Performers line-up in the colours of the Italian flag, with an actual flag being raised in both the stadium and Cortina to the backing of a spirited performance of the home national anthem.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Livigno

Olympic opening ceremonies aren’t for everyone.

In the fan area below where I’m stood, I can see some kids building a snowman.

One’s flat on their back doing a snow angel.

Sergio Mattarella, the president of Italy, gets a nice little introduction video where he takes a tram to the stadium.

He doesn't parachute out of it, like the Queen at the 2012 opening ceremony, but he hasn't been afforded the opportunity given the Milan tram network doesn't have a section that's several hundred feet in the air.

Hazel Irvine
BBC Two commentator

It's all getting a bit strange.