I thought the city looked fantastic bathed in sunlight and under a clear blue sky as the cultural razzmatazz rolled into town.
Of course it's well not to be too convinced of your success as Newcastle were in 2003 when they hired a "hurrah we did it" plane which then ended up flying over the Mersey rather than the Tyne.
Interestingly, I watched the Midlands Today news for a change last night to see the day from the Brummies' point of view (the closest contender to my family home), and the TV reporter described how we "snatched" the title from Birmingham back in 2003!
Well, everyone has a different viewpoint of course and a good dose of confidence (as opposed to complacency) is definitely required.
But when it comes down to it, what the Great Redmondo and the other judges are looking for is: what do you plan to deliver? How do you plan to deliver it? And, most importantly, the "L" word - legacy......it's all very well having a big year long party, but what is left after it's all over has got to add up to more than a few paper plates, tired sandwiches and a bit of a shouldn't-have-had-that-last-glass hangover.
I have my hunch, but let's see which way the judges jump.