It's travelled all around Britain for the last 70 days, in a relay involving 8000 torch-bearers, each one chosen for their inspirational contribution in some sphere of society.
People have travelled for hours, camped and queued patiently for a glimpse of it. People other than me, that is. Yesterday as the torch arrived in London for its final leg before being deposited at the Olympic stadium, Younger Daughter and I literally drove right into its path quite by accident.
Dropping her off to meet friends for a movie, we turned into a road lined with people waiting patiently, flags and cameras ready, and were brought to a halt in the middle of the road here, in front of the BBC television studios ...
The torch was two minutes away, they said. Some people were being inventive in finding vantage points for a good view ...
This friendly bobby (below) laughed and shook his head at me through the car window, "You've chosen the worst possible time to come along this road!" Actually, I thought, for an idiot who hadn't thought to check the news or traffic reports, my timing was pretty perfect.
On cue, the advance escort came along, driving slowly ...
followed by the torch-bearer at a jog ...
I could have reached out to touch the torch, only this bloke had a don't-mess-with-me look on his face ...
and seconds later it was gone, smaller than I'd imagined, but a sleek, shiny , pretty thing nonetheless
And see how the sun was shining for a change! They say that this summer in Britain has been like the Olympic torch - it's visited each town in the country for about half an hour. (I hear the torch has been extinguished more often than one likes to admit during the ongoing downpours of the last couple of months).
How has Britain felt about hosting the games? This article in the New York Times made me laugh in recognition - an American view of the way Londoners are using the Olympics to indulge in "practising some of their own favourite sports: complaining, expecting the worst and cursing the authorities". Too true, though the atmosphere in these crowds yesterday told a more upbeat story.
I know I'm going to be glued to the telly tonight for what should be a spectacular opening ceremony. Happy games watching.